Will a private child autism assessment be recognised by the NHS and other organisations?

The NHS will accept private autism assessments as long as they have been completed robustly and in line with national standards. As long as you use a reputable company, such as ourselves, you can be assured that your child’s assessment, report and diagnostic outcome are evidence-based and will be recognised by other services. To be recognised, an assessment must: Meet NICE guidelines Be completed by appropriately registered clinicians (HCPC, NMC, etc.) Produce a comprehensive diagnostic report You can read more about whether a private autism assessment will be recognised in our information section here.

Are your child autism assessments NICE-compliant?

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets out the expected standards for autism assessments in its NICE Guidelines. Our child autism assessments follow NICE guidelines; therefore, you can be assured that our autism assessments are NICE-compliant. You can find out more about the NICE guidelines here.

Will my child’s school accept a private child autism assessment?

Yes, schools and nurseries must accept a private child autism assessment that has been completed by registered professionals and meets National standards.

Do you offer combined autism and ADHD assessments for children?

If your child is experiencing traits of both autism and ADHD, often referred to as AuDHD, you may want them to be assessed for both conditions. We provide NICE compliant combined autism and ADHD assessments for children aged 6 and over, you can find out more about the AuDHD assessment process here.

What if I’m unsure whether my child needs an autism or ADHD assessment, or both?

If you are not sure whether your child’s differences point to autism, ADHD or both, our free pre-screening process is designed to help. You provide us with some background information about your child, and one of our clinicians reviews it and advises which assessment — if any — is the right fit for them. There is no cost or obligation at this stage, and the aim is simply to make sure you are pointed towards the most appropriate assessment. Feel free to contact us to discuss.

Does my child need to be referred by the school or our GP?

Parents or those with parental responsibility can refer their child for a private autism assessment. You do not need a referral from your GP or another professional to access an autism assessment with us. You can refer your child by completing our online form, calling or emailing us.

Will you be able to diagnose other conditions when conducting a child autism assessment?

We cannot diagnose other conditions during an autism assessment, but if we see signs of other potential conditions, we will recommend further assessment for these. During an autism assessment, we gather extensive information about your child. Within this information, we may see patterns of behaviours or experiences that point to another condition co-occurring alongside autism, such as ADHD. If this is the case, we will discuss this with you and make appropriate recommendations.

At what age can autism be diagnosed?

An autism assessment can typically be conducted from the age of 2

My child is high-masking, I am worried that you will not see their autistic traits during an assessment?

Camouflaging and masking are strategies used by many autistic children to hide their differences. Our clinicians are specialists and observe the nuances of social communication and interactions during the assessment. Whilst autistic characteristics may not be obvious to untrained adults, our team will be able to recognise the signs. You can find out more here.

What if my child is electively home educated?

You can still access an autism assessment if your child does not attend an education setting. We can use various other sources of information to complete an assessment for your child.

How much does a private autism assessment for a child cost?

The cost of a children’s autism assessment with us ranges between £1995 and £2095, depending on whether you choose a fully online assessment or the in-person option. Children under 10 must be seen in-person. You can find out more here.

Can a private autism diagnosis be used as evidence for an EHCP?

You can use a private autism diagnosis as evidence of your child’s special educational needs during the EHCP process. There is no legal difference between a private and NHS diagnosis you can find out more here.

Private Child Autism Assessment

Private child autism assessment

If you are concerned about your child’s development, communication, or behaviour, you may be wondering if they could be autistic and how to access a clear, reliable assessment without long waiting times.

At Jo Condon Autism Assessments, we provide NICE-compliant private autism assessments for children aged 2 years and over, offering clear outcomes, detailed reports, and practical recommendations you can use at home and in education settings.

Assessments from age 2
No GP or school referral needed
Appointments within 3 weeks
NICE-compliant, accepted by schools and the NHS

If you’re unsure whether an assessment is right for your child, we offer free screening and carefully review background information before proceeding. If autism is not indicated, we will tell you at no cost.

Book A Child Autism Assessment Take Our Free Online Screening Test

Is a child autism assessment right for my child?

An autism assessment may be helpful if you have noticed differences in your child’s development, communication, behaviour or emotional regulation.

Parents often contact us because their child is experiencing:

Difficulties with social communication and interaction
Differences in play, friendships, or understanding social expectations
Anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or shutdowns
Repetitive behaviours, routines, or intense interests
Sensory sensitivities such as noise, clothing, food, or touch

Autism can present very differently from one child to another, and signs may become more noticeable at different stages of development.

Take Our Free Online Screening Test

How much does a private child autism assessment cost?

We provide clear and transparent pricing for our private adult autism assessments, with payment options available.

Children aged between 2 and 10 are seen in person at one of our clinics. From the age of 10 we can offer a fully online assessment as well as a face-to-face appointment, whichever suits your child better.

View assessment fees and payment options here.

View Assessment Fees

Why choose a private child autism assessment

In order to make a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a diagnostic assessment needs to be completed. An autism assessment has two main purposes: to determine whether the child is exhibiting the pattern of differences associated with autism, and to rule out whether these differences could be explained by another condition or factors.

Many families choose a private autism assessment for the following reasons:

No NHS waiting lists
Faster assessment outcomes
No GP or school referral needed
Advice and recommendations that are not limited by local policies

Book A Child Autism Assessment

does attending mainstream school help autistic children?

What happens in a NICE-compliant child autism assessment?

The assessment follows National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and runs in five stages: onboarding with a dedicated coordinator, screening questionnaires and background information from you and, with your consent, from school or nursery, two assessment sessions, a multidisciplinary review, then your child’s report and a feedback session. Different clinicians carry out different parts, so no one person decides the outcome alone.

Onboarding

You will be allocated a dedicated assessment coordinator who will support you through your assessment journey. They will collect your child’s details and set them up on our system. Your coordinator will keep you informed at every stage and answer any questions you have

Background Information Gathering and Pre-Screening

We will ask you to complete age-appropriate screening questionnaires and provide us with background information about your child. These can be completed on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. With your consent, we will contact your child’s school or nursery, if they attend one.Once the information has been received, a clinician will review it and check that an autism assessment is the right thing for your child. If the information provided does not suggest autistic characteristics, we will discuss this with you. We do not want families to pay for an assessment that is not needed. If an autism assessment is appropriate, we will proceed with gathering information from the education setting.

Assessment Sessions

There are two assessment sessions within the autism assessment. One session is a direct observation of the child, and the other is an interview with parents. We use gold-standard assessment tools to complete these:

Autism Diagnostic Observational Assessment – 2nd Edition (ADOS-2)
Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-r)

The assessment sessions are completed by different clinicians to ensure a balanced and objective assessment.

Multi-Disciplinary Review

The clinicians involved in your assessment will join with other experts on our team to review all the information gathered during the autism assessment. This includes:

Information provided by parents or caregivers
Information given by your child’s school or nursery, where applicable
Results from screening questionnaires
Observations from the assessment sessions
Scores and findings from the ADOS-2 and ADI-r

The team will carefully decide whether your child meets the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. They will also consider what advice, recommendations, and next steps will be most helpful for your child and family.

Report and Feedback

Your assessment report will be issued to you. Our reports summarise all relevant information provided to us and the rationale for our clinical decision-making. Our reports are robust and detailed, ensuring that the NHS and other services know that your child’s assessment has been completed to the required standard.

You will then be offered a feedback session. During the feedback session your clinician can answer any questions you have about the report or recommendations and provide you with advice about next steps.

Signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition which is present from birth. However, autism presents differently in different children. Some children show developmental differences during the early years, whereas others are much older when their differences become apparent.Autistic children and young people typically experience differences in two key areas.

Difficulties in social communication and interaction

Difficulties in social communication and interaction may look different depending on a child’s age and stage of development.

In younger children, this may inclde a significant language delay, limited use of gestures, reduced shared play with peers, or difficulties communicating needs tp parents and caregivers.

In older children, language skills may be well developed, but they may struggle to understand what others expect, find social situations confusing or exhausting, feel anxious around less familiar people, or need time alone to recover after social interaction.

Restricted and repetitive behaviours and sensory differences

Restricted and repetitive behaviours can include physical movements, actions or interests.

In younger children, physical movements such as hand flapping, finger flicking, or spinning may be more noticeable. In older children, they may appear more subtle and present as finger tapping or knuckle cracking.

Repetitive actions can involve a younger child lining up or stacking toys, or an older child needing to place loved objects in specific places or patterns.

Restricted or intense interests can vary widely. This may include a child only wanting to engage in activities involving numbers, or a teenage girl spending large amounts of time researching and practicing a particular interest, such as make-up techniques.

You can find more details on the signs of autism in children here.

Read the full guide to the signs of autism in children

What your child’s assessment report includes

You receive a comprehensive diagnostic report setting out the whole assessment, the evidence from every source, the clinical reasoning and the outcome, with recommendations for next steps. A shorter summary report is provided as well, for when you want to share the outcome without sharing the detail.

The report will include:

Covering letter highlighting the diagnostic outcome
A summary of the DSM-5 criteria that have been met or are unmet
A list of presenting concerns
Scores from screening tools completed
Family history
Medical history
Education history
Information provided by your child’s school or nursery
ADI-r scores
ADI-r report and summary
ADOS-2 scores
ADOS-2 report and summary
Multi-disciplinary team findings and reason for diagnostic outcome
Diagnostic outcome
Recommendations for further assessment or next steps
List of resources that you may find useful

It will be a good idea to share the report with people who support your child, so that they can understand their differences and offer the appropriate support and adaptations. However, if you wish to share the diagnostic outcome, but not the detailed information, you will also be provided with a summary report.

The benefits of an autism diagnosis

An autism diagnosis is not just ‘a label’. Understanding whether your child is autistic can help you and other family members recognise their differences, meet their needs, and support their development. For an older child, a diagnosis can help them understand their differences and encourage them to embrace their uniqueness.

A diagnosis will also ensure adjustments are made in education placements and may enable access to any additional support needed.

If your child is showing the pattern of differences associated with autism, you should get them assessed. If you are unsure whether an autism assessment is right for your child, you can complete a free autism test below.

Take Our Free Online Screening Test

Will school , The NHS and local authority accept a private autism diagnosis?

Yes. Schools and nurseries must accept a private child autism assessment completed by registered professionals to national standards, the NHS accepts private assessments completed robustly and in line with those standards, and a private diagnosis can be used as evidence of special educational needs in an EHCP application. There is no legal difference between a private and an NHS diagnosis.

To be recognised, an assessment must:

Meet NICE guidelines
Be completed by appropriately registered clinicians (HCPC, NMC and equivalent)
Produce a comprehensive diagnostic report

Our assessment meet all three.

Our reports are written to be used, not just filed: they set out the evidence, the clinical reasoning and the recommendations in the detail that schools, SENCos and local authorities need.

You will also receive a summary outcome letter, so you can share the diagnosis with a school or another organisation without disclosing the full detail of your child’s assessment.

Why choose Jo Condon Autism Assessments

We understand that seeking an autism assessment for your child can feel daunting. Our approach is thorough, compassionate, and child-centered, ensuring families feel supported, informed, and confident throughout the process.

We are experts in diagnostic assessments. Our clinical team are skilled and experienced in all autism presentations, including:

Toddlers
High-masking presentations
Trauma or attachment issues
Co-occurring mental health difficulties

Our clinicians have:

Professional qualification
Professional registration with their relevant professional body, such as the HCPC
DBS clearance
Specific training in autism diagnostic assessment
Extensive experience and expertise in varying autism presentations

At Jo Condon Autism Assessments, you will be supported by our friendly, professional team from your first enquiry and throughout your journey. We offer:

NICE-compliant, NHS-accepted autism and ADHD assessments
A dedicated coordinator as your point of contact throughout your journey
Free autism screening
Appointments within 3 weeks
Flexible appointment scheduling
Turnaround time of 2 – 4 weeks

We are passionate about ensuring that anyone from the age of 2 can access an autism assessment, and can work with most personal circumstances.

Being assessed for autism and ADHD together

If your child shows traits of both autism and ADHD, often described as AuDHD, they can be assessed for both in one NICE-compliant combined assessment from the age of 6, rather than going through two separate processes. If you are not sure which applies, our free pre-screening will tell you which assessment fits, at no cost and with no obligation.

Child combined Autism and ADHD Assessment

Our autism assessment clinics

Use the map and search below to find your nearest clinic. Filter by region to explore locations across England and Wales, and view contact details for each.

Not sure where to start?

Our free autism screening takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and gives one of our clinicians enough to tell you honestly whether an assessment is the right next step for you.

Take Our Free Online Screening Test make an enquiry

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a private child autism assessment be recognised by the NHS and other organisations?
The NHS will accept private autism assessments as long as they have been completed robustly and in line with national standards. As long as you use a reputable company, such as ourselves, you can be assured that your child’s assessment, report and diagnostic outcome are evidence-based and will be recognised by other services.
To be recognised, an assessment must:
- Meet NICE guidelines
- Be completed by appropriately registered clinicians (HCPC, NMC, etc.)
- Produce a comprehensive diagnostic report
You can read more about whether a private autism assessment will be recognised in our information section here.
Are your child autism assessments NICE-compliant?
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) sets out the expected standards for autism assessments in its NICE Guidelines. Our child autism assessments follow NICE guidelines; therefore, you can be assured that our autism assessments are NICE-compliant. You can find out more about the NICE guidelines here.
Will my child’s school accept a private child autism assessment?
Yes, schools and nurseries must accept a private child autism assessment that has been completed by registered professionals and meets National standards.
Do you offer combined autism and ADHD assessments for children?
If your child is experiencing traits of both autism and ADHD, often referred to as AuDHD, you may want them to be assessed for both conditions. We provide NICE compliant combined autism and ADHD assessments for children aged 6 and over, you can find out more about the AuDHD assessment process here.
What if I’m unsure whether my child needs an autism or ADHD assessment, or both?
If you are not sure whether your child’s differences point to autism, ADHD or both, our free pre-screening process is designed to help. You provide us with some background information about your child, and one of our clinicians reviews it and advises which assessment — if any — is the right fit for them. There is no cost or obligation at this stage, and the aim is simply to make sure you are pointed towards the most appropriate assessment. Feel free to contact us to discuss.
Does my child need to be referred by the school or our GP?
Parents or those with parental responsibility can refer their child for a private autism assessment. You do not need a referral from your GP or another professional to access an autism assessment with us. You can refer your child by completing our online form, calling or emailing us.
Will you be able to diagnose other conditions when conducting a child autism assessment?
We cannot diagnose other conditions during an autism assessment, but if we see signs of other potential conditions, we will recommend further assessment for these. During an autism assessment, we gather extensive information about your child. Within this information, we may see patterns of behaviours or experiences that point to another condition co-occurring alongside autism, such as ADHD. If this is the case, we will discuss this with you and make appropriate recommendations.
At what age can autism be diagnosed?
An autism assessment can typically be conducted from the age of 2
My child is high-masking, I am worried that you will not see their autistic traits during an assessment?
Camouflaging and masking are strategies used by many autistic children to hide their differences. Our clinicians are specialists and observe the nuances of social communication and interactions during the assessment. Whilst autistic characteristics may not be obvious to untrained adults, our team will be able to recognise the signs.
You can find out more here.
What if my child is electively home educated?
You can still access an autism assessment if your child does not attend an education setting. We can use various other sources of information to complete an assessment for your child.
How much does a private autism assessment for a child cost?
The cost of a children’s autism assessment with us ranges between £1995 and £2095, depending on whether you choose a fully online assessment or the in-person option. Children under 10 must be seen in-person. You can find out more here.
Can a private autism diagnosis be used as evidence for an EHCP?
You can use a private autism diagnosis as evidence of your child’s special educational needs during the EHCP process. There is no legal difference between a private and NHS diagnosis you can find out more here.

Private Child Autism Assessment

Private child autism assessment

Is a child autism assessment right for my child?

How much does a private child autism assessment cost?

Why choose a private child autism assessment

What happens in a NICE-compliant child autism assessment?

Onboarding

Background Information Gathering and Pre-Screening

Assessment Sessions

Multi-Disciplinary Review

Report and Feedback

Signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Difficulties in social communication and interaction

Restricted and repetitive behaviours and sensory differences

You can find more details on the signs of autism in children here.

What your child’s assessment report includes

The benefits of an autism diagnosis

Will school , The NHS and local authority accept a private autism diagnosis?

Why choose Jo Condon Autism Assessments

Being assessed for autism and ADHD together

Our autism assessment clinics

Birmingham

Bristol

Cardiff

Doncaster

Exeter

Huntingdon

London

Manchester

Newport

Nottingham

Sheffield

Swansea

Swindon

Thirsk

Worksop

York

Newcastle upon Tyne

Rugeley