Step By Step Process
Here at Autism Assessment Centre Ireland we have a simple easy to follow process that our assessments follow:
Step 1
Parents/Guardians need to fill out a form to gather information on the child’s background and developmental concerns. Both parents/legal guardians must give consent and sign our Terms and Conditions.
Step 2
The information is reviewed by a clinician to ensure the assessment is the right pathway for your child. They might organize a consultation with you to discuss concerns and clarify some information.
Step 3
Clinicians might suggest further assessments in order to gain a complete picture of your child’s needs, but it will be your choice to proceed with these additional assessments or not. These could range from a cognitive assessment, a full Occupational Therapy Assessment, a full Speech & Language Therapy Assessment to a school or home visit.
Services package is agreed and our admin team will book you in for the assessments.
Step 4
We will organise a time with you to complete a standardised parent interview (ADI-R or DISCO). This is a key part of the autism assessment which takes the form of a video call with our clinician that lasts around 2 hours. The clinician will ask you lots of background questions about your child’s development and behaviour. It is important to be as honest and accurate as possible. The more information we have, the more in-depth our assessment can be.
Step 5
We will organise a time with you to come in to our centre to complete a standardised play-based assessment (ADOS-2). This takes the form of a series of structured play episodes which your child will take part in with our clinicians. Normally parents aren’t an active part of this assessment, but you will have the opportunity to watch and we’ll make sure you’re comfortable whilst you wait. This part of the assessment usually could last between 30-45 minutes for children aged 5 and below, and 45-60 minutes for older children.
Step 6
When all assessments have taken place our multi-disciplinary team will work together to create a final assessment report for you. This report will provide full background information and a professional write-up of any assessments that were carried out. It will also contain a diagnosis, if one is deemed to be applicable. The report is written to HSE guidelines and will contain all the information that your local HSE disability services or SENO should require.
Step 7
Once the report is finished we will organise a feedback meeting with you over Teams/Zoom, where our team will explain the report to you in detail, answer any questions you have, and provide you with information, support and guidance for the next steps on your child’s developmental journey.
