Is assessment right for my child?

We will only assess children and young people following our obligation free triage call and will not see anyone we don’t think is appropriate for an autism/ADHD assessment.

Should the assessment not be right at that point in time, we will offer advice on the most suitable next steps for you and your child.

We assess children and young people from four to eighteen years old.

The private assessment we offer at the Gesher Assessment Centre carries the same status and validity as a publicly funded report. We follow the NICE guidelines and the latest advice from NHS England. Both assessments, diagnoses and reports carry the same weight when it comes to seeking support for your child.

Our multi-disciplinary team is made up of a Clinical Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist in consultation with Psychiatrists and Paediatricians. Every member of our team have had experience in public and private sectors and have expertise within the field of autism and ADHD.

We understand due to constraints in the public sector it can be difficult to secure a timely assessment for your child. The Gesher Assessment Centre is here to offer an alternative pathway that is informed by listening to lived experiences of families to shape a bespoke service that meets family’s needs.

An EHCP is a document that describes your child’s needs and allows them to access additional support to ensure they achieve their full potential. It may provide additional funding and guidance on services and interventions that may support your child. A request for an EHCP can be made by your child’s school’s SENCO or by you as a parent. In the first instance we would advise to discuss your child’s needs with the school. You can read more about EHCPs on the government website.

In our report, we will advise whether it may be beneficial for you to apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). You do not require a diagnosis in order to apply for an EHCP for your child, but it can be used as supportive evidence during the application process.

Our diagnostic assessment and report do not include the specific information to be used in the goals, strategy and provisions sections in your child’s EHCP (section F). However, some parts of our report will still inform elements of the EHCP. Specialist assessments (e.g. Educational Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy) will be commissioned through the NHS or other funded services as part of the process. Some parents choose to have private comprehensive assessments to further inform the EHCP plan.

Currently our focus is on autism and ADHD assessments and we will sign-post you to other organisations or professionals who would be able to assist you further in applying for an EHCP.