The Assessment
The assessment, step by step.
An autism assessment should not feel like a mystery. At MAPP the process is contained and carefully guided, and one senior clinician remains your point of contact throughout. You will always know what happens next, why it matters, and who you will meet. We offer prompt appointments; there is no waiting list.
The journey
Eight steps, with one clinician as your point of contact throughout.
1
A complimentary call, if you would find it helpful
Before anything is booked, you are welcome to a complimentary ten-minute call: a chance to ask about our approach and our practice, and to decide whether MAPP feels right for you. This call is for questions about how we work; your own story has proper time reserved for it at the screening assessment.
2
Screening assessment: the clinical interview
Our starting point is a clinical interview with a senior clinician, usually lasting one hour. We ask questions thoughtfully and sensitively, because we want to understand you holistically: your reasons for seeking assessment, your background and current circumstances, and whether a full assessment would be appropriate and helpful for you. If it would not, we say so. Occasionally the interview takes more than one session; we will tell you at the end of your first appointment if we think that likely. Whatever you decide next, you receive a written clinical letter summarising our discussion.
3
Observational assessment (ADOS-2)
A structured, standardised, activity-based session with your clinician. The ADOS-2 is the gold-standard observational assessment used in national services.
4
Developmental history and informant interview
An interview informed by the ADI-R and 3Di, usually with a parent or someone who knew you well in childhood. We may also ask to speak with someone who knows you well now; sometimes both conversations are helpful. If a developmental history is not possible for you, we discuss the options at your screening appointment and are clear about what it may mean for the outcome.
5
Dual-clinician formulation
Two senior clinicians consider everything gathered: the interviews, the observation, and the wider picture of your life and circumstances, before any conclusion is reached. No diagnosis at MAPP rests on a single opinion.
6
Feedback session
We share our findings, the outcome, and the reasoning behind them in plain language. There are three possible outcomes, described below, and each is treated with the same care. For standard assessments, we aim to hold your feedback session within three weeks of your final appointment.
7
Report and profile
A comprehensive written report follows, whatever the outcome: our findings, your profile in detail, and clinical recommendations tailored to you. With your consent, we also write to your GP.
8
Aftercare
Support does not end at feedback. Post-diagnostic consultation and support are available, at an additional cost, with clinicians who already know your profile.
Who you will meet
Experienced clinicians, senior oversight.
In much of the market, parts of an assessment can be passed to newly trained assessors with limited oversight. At MAPP, a senior clinician designs, leads and oversees your assessment from beginning to end, and two senior clinicians contribute to every diagnostic formulation. Everyone who works with us works or has worked in autism assessment services, and is thoroughly vetted. One clinician remains your point of contact from your first conversation to your last. Our clinicians currently hold senior and lead roles in NHS autism services; the standard you receive here is the standard used in national services.
Feedback
Three possible outcomes, each treated with the same care.
An assessment at MAPP is never a tickbox exercise. Two senior clinicians consider you as a whole person: your history, your circumstances, and the biological, psychological and social factors at play in your life. That includes the wider neurodevelopmental picture: ADHD co-occurs in around half of autistic people, and where it may be part of your story, we can discuss assessing for it at your screening. Whatever the conclusion, you leave with a clinical perspective and a way forward.
Autism is diagnosed
We explain how the information gathered supports this conclusion, and describe your autism profile in detail: your strengths, your differences, and your support needs. Your report includes recommendations tailored to you.
Autism is not diagnosed
We explain what we found and why. You still receive a thorough profile of your social communication style and how you process information, with your needs highlighted and clinical recommendations to guide self-understanding and next steps.
We cannot conclude, for now
This sometimes happens when complex mental health difficulties or significant life experiences make a clear decision difficult at that point. We explain our thinking without jargon, share our preliminary impressions and recommendations, and advise whether it would be worth revisiting the question in future.
What you receive
A comprehensive report, whatever the outcome.
- A full feedback session with your clinician
- A comprehensive written report detailing our findings and the outcome
- Your profile in detail: an autism profile if autism is diagnosed; a social communication and information-processing profile if it is not
- Clinical recommendations tailored to you
- With your consent, a letter to your GP
- Routes to post-diagnostic consultation and support, available at an additional cost
Adolescents and families
Assessing adolescents, with the whole family in mind.
Adolescent assessments follow the same eight steps, adapted for age. Parents and carers are involved from the beginning, we liaise with schools where that is helpful, and feedback is given in a way your adolescent can genuinely use. A senior clinician oversees every stage, and one clinician remains your family’s point of contact throughout.
Fees
Transparent fees, with everything itemised.
Every assessment is led and overseen by senior clinicians, and our fees reflect that. Costs are agreed with you before each stage; we never apply unexpected charges.
Initial screening assessment
£300
Adult autism assessment (standard)
£2,200
Adult autism assessment (enhanced)
from £2,500
Adolescent autism assessment
from £2,500
The assessment fee includes your screening: if a full assessment goes ahead, the £300 screening fee is deducted, so a standard adult assessment costs £2,200 in total. If assessment is not the right step for you, you pay only the screening fee, and your written clinical letter is yours to keep.
Whether a standard or enhanced assessment is recommended is a clinical decision, explained at your screening. Payment plans are available on request.
Begin
Start with a conversation.
Tell us a little about yourself and what has brought you here. A senior clinician replies in writing within two business days.