Autism Assessment
£2,000
Chatter Matters Ltd regularly supports children and young adults who have suspected Autism or a diagnosis of Autism. We are now pleased to be able to offer our own Autism diagnostic service to children aged 2.5 years and over.
​
We pride ourselves on using the gold standard tools for assessing Autism. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS 2) is used, alongside the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R).
The two assessments combined can take 4-6 hours so we will often suggest they are carried out on two separate days if you would prefer. The assessment can either be carried out in your family home or in our clinic. This can be discussed during an initial telephone consultation.
​
Two Speech and Language Therapists will always be involved in carrying out the assessments. If it is felt necessary we may also involve another relevant professional such as an Occupational Therapist or an Educational Psychologist.
​
The assessment will be scored and discussed on the day of completion. You will be informed of the outcome within 2 working days and a full report will be sent out within 3 weeks.
​
Whether or not your child receives a diagnosis, we will still endeavor to identify specific areas of need and support your child using advice/strategies or direct therapy, if desired.
​
Get in touch to find out more about the services we offer or to book an assessment:
​
​
​
1
What is Autism?
Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease, it means your brain works in a different way from other people.
​
It's something you're born with and signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older.
​
Autism is not a medical condition with a treatment or a cure. However, Speech and Language Therapists are here to help you on your journey in celebrating the areas of your child's autism that make them unique and interesting! We are also here to help your child to communicate effectively, reduce their anxiety and frustration and help others to understand the way they see the world.
2
What can Autism look like?
People with Autism may find it difficult to communicate and interact with other people and to understand how other people think or feel. They may find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable (sensory difficulties). They may also get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events. They can take longer to understand information and may do or think the same things over and over (repetitive behaviours).
3
Causes
We do not know what causes Autism, or if it has a cause. It can affect people in the same family so it may sometimes be passed on to a child by their parents.
Autism is not caused by:
-
bad parenting
-
vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine
-
diet
-
an infection you can spread to other people
​
There are other names for autism used by some people, such as:
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the medical name for autism
-
Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) is a newer term used to describe autism
-
Asperger's (or Asperger syndrome) is used by some people to describe autistic people with average or above average intelligence. This diagnosis is no longer given, a person is either autistic or not.
4
What does this mean?
Being autistic does not have to stop you enjoying your life.
Like everyone, autistic people have things they're good at as well as things they struggle with. Being autistic does not mean you can never make friends, have relationships or get a job. You may just need extra help with these things.
​
Autism is a spectrum. This means everybody with autism is different.
Some autistic people need little or no support, whilst others may need more support.
​
Early intervention is really important for children with Autism. The earlier we are able to understand how a child learns and responds to the world around them, the sooner we can help them communicate in the most effective way.