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First, you fill in an online form which your chosen psychologist will review before meeting you.
Then, you will have 5 in depth collaborative conversations with your chosen psychologist based on your communication preferences (e.g. your camera can be off, no eye contact is expected, you can communicate by typed or spoken communication)
While there can be individual variation (you might for example choose to start exploring ADHD before Autistic experience), here is a breakdown of how sessions can typically look.
First Appointment (1–1.5 hours)
You will begin by exploring what brought you here, why you think you might be Autistic and cover areas related to communication preferences, experiences in relationships and experiences of non spoken communication. Exploration of sensory experiences might also start in this session.Second Appointment (1–1.5 hours)
This session typically covers sensory experiences, preferences around routines, your passions and interests, and any ways you might use your body to regulate.You will also explore earlier life experiences, possible trauma and mental health history so you can consider together with your psychologist if there are other potential explanations for your experiences.
Third Appointment (1–1.5 hours)
You might choose in this session to collaboratively confirm (or not) your Autistic identity and start thinking about ADHD. Or you might prefer to move straight to ADHD in this session and leave any final conclusions or discussion of documentation or support needs to the final fifth session.This session typically explores the ADHD experiences of interest based attention and hyperfocus thinking about childhood and adulthood.
Fourth Appointment (1–1.5 hours)
This session typically covers ADHD movement and pacing differences, such as preferring movement to aid concentration.Fifth Appointment (1–1.5 hours)
In this final session, you and your psychologist review everything explored together and formally arrive at identification – whether Autistic, ADHD, or both, or another understanding.Because of the clear, open collaborative approach throughout, you usually enter this appointment with a clear sense of the outcome. This session offers confirmation, clarity about your identity, and guidance for moving forward.
Post-identification Support
Included with your assessment is a one-to-one support session with our trusted partners, the award-winning non-profit Thriving Autistic (powered by the Neurodivergent Practitioners’ Directory) .They will welcome you into a vibrant neurodivergent community with social meet-ups, advocacy support, tailored resources, and access to their award-winning 6-week Discover Programme.
Your support session will be designed specifically for your outcome, i.e. if you are Autistic, ADHD or both.
This process is all about getting to know yourself, finding your people, and building a life that works for you.