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Assessments and Therapies » NHS referrals for Autism Diagnostic Assessments in Birmingham and Solihull
St Andrew’s Healthcare provides NHS adult autism assessments for people in Birmingham and Solihull.
Our role is to assess adults and adolescents (16 years of age and over) for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We are an assessment and diagnostic service, therefore, any post-diagnostic treatment that you may need will be provided by your local NHS trust or GP.
Referrals for assessments can only come from a GP or the Community Mental Health team. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept direct NHS referrals from patients.
Autism assessments consider whether an individual meets the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Our assessments are virtual, and consist of a thorough observation, developmental history, and clinical interview conducted by autism specialists within a multi-disciplinary team (MDT).
The activities carried out during the assessment allow our expert clinicians to assess and observe key behavioural traits, using diagnostic tools that will help them determine whether you have autism.
There are life experiences and other conditions which may lead to difficulties, often associated with people with autism. Diagnosis therefore requires that there are no other more plausible explanations, such as physical illness/disability, learning disability or the impact of trauma, abuse and neglect (developmental trauma). It is possible for these to also co-occur with autism, and so a careful assessment is made of early history and across a range of contexts.
It is possible to experience a number of differences associated with autism, but not to a degree that would meet diagnostic criteria. So a thorough diagnostic formulation and multi-disciplinary approach is completed to ensure an accurate and in-depth assessment has been completed.
The demand for adult autism assessments is very high, with a current waiting time of approximately two and a half years.
We appreciate that this may be longer than you expected to wait, and it may be a challenging time for you and those supporting you, such as family, friends and carers.
Our ‘support while you wait’ section below includes a range of local and national information and resources that may help you, and those supporting you, while you are waiting.
We conduct our autism assessments virtually, so you do not need to travel to a clinic. The assessment takes place online, via a video call on Microsoft Teams so it is like a face to face conversation, but using either a computer, iPad, tablet or laptop – making some observations requires a large screen so a smartphone is not suitable.
We are commissioned by the NHS to offer virtual assessments, but we can provide a small number of face-to-face appointments if there is a specific need (for example if you do not have a computer). Please contact us before your appointment if you need a face-to-face appointment.
An assessment typically takes around 4.5 hours, and you will have time to work through at your own pace, taking breaks when needed. The assessment team will support you to feel as comfortable as possible and will do their best to answer any questions you might have.
We will keep in touch with you as you progress up the waiting list, and be in touch via a telephone call shortly before your assessment takes place. Please do ensure that your keep us updated if your details change, including your telephone number, email address, postal address or GP practice. Also, please let us know if you no longer require/want an appointment?
Assessments are completed by a lead clinician with support from a second colleague – usually an Assistant Psychologist.
Everyone on the call will introduce themselves and support you throughout the process.
After the call the clinician will consider your assessment alongside our wider multi-disciplinary team of qualified health professionals, including Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
The team have extensive professional experience and training in autism and other co-occurring conditions.
Prior to the assessment, the following takes place:
1. We will call you to confirm the assessment date and time, and your details (including your current GP practice).
2. A confirmation email will then be sent containing some pre-assessment paperwork (questionnaires) for you to complete before the assessment, and a leaflet which explains the assessment process in more detail.
3. We will call you for a more in-depth pre-assessment telephone call, to prepare you for the assessment.
4. Before meeting you, the assessors will review the paperwork you have provided and attend a pre-assessment meeting to discuss the information you have given and consider any clinically relevant factors.
1. The first part of the assessment will take place with yourself, the lead clinician and assistant psychologist. They will ask you some questions about yourself during a relaxed conversation, while also observing your behaviour, communication and social interactions. This will last for approximately an hour.
2. The second part will be with yourself and your informant (a friend, family member or co-worker who can help recall your childhood/history). The lead clinician will spend time asking you questions about how things are for you currently and what your experiences were like as a child. This part of the assessment can last up to 2 to 3 hours, depending on how much information you share.
1. All of the information provided will be reviewed and then taken to a multi-disciplinary team meeting for careful consideration in relation to the diagnostic criteria (ICD-11 - more information on this is available here).
2. You will receive an outcome over the phone within two weeks unless further information is required.
3. Following this, you will receive a report outlining the assessment outcome, which will also be shared with your GP. The report will include recommendations for further investigations, support, therapeutic interventions and care, whether or not you have a confirmed autism diagnosis.
We have included some frequently asked questions below.
We recommend using this link here to receive advice and support in the meantime for if you believe you may have autism. Further information about support available is in the section above.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect the way a person communicates and interacts with the world around them.
It can impact people in different ways, and like all people, those with autism have their own strengths and weaknesses. Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease – it means that your brain works in a different way from other people, and you may need support to help you with certain things.
Around 1 in every 100 people in the UK has ASD - Estimate by the NHS and The National Autistic Society
Receiving a diagnosis can help individuals and families better understand their needs.
Getting a diagnosis could make it easier to access a range of support services that may be available locally. You can search for local autism support services using the Autism Service Directory. These may include social learning programmes, leisure activity programmes or skills for daily living programmes.
NHS referrals for Autism Diagnostic Assessments in Birmingham and Solihull to St Andrew’s Healthcare can only come from a GP or the Community Mental Health team. Unfortunately we are unable to accept direct NHS referrals from patients.
If you have been referred and accepted for an autism assessment we will confirm this with your GP. Once you are on our waiting list we will keep you informed as you move up the queue, but do note that currently, the average waiting time for an assessment is approximately 2.5 years.
You can contact us at any time for an update as to how long we estimate you will be waiting.
We are working through our waiting list chronologically, based on the date of referral. The current waiting time is approximately 2.5 years.
We appreciate waiting for an assessment can be a difficult time. On some occasions, a person’s assessment may need to be brought forward. Please be advised that these requests can only be considered if coming directly from a GP, who outlines the clinical reasons that a quicker assessment may be necessary.
Once we receive this information from your GP we will review it. However, please be aware that due to lengthy waiting lists and ongoing demands, it is often not possible for us to facilitate these requests.
Please see our 'support while you wait' information below, including local and national resources and support services.
After you are booked in, you will be sent forms to fill out via email. There will be one for yourself to complete, and another for your informant. Shortly before your assessment (2-4 days), one of the team will call you to tell you more about the assessment process.
The assessment is held virtually via Microsoft Teams, in the form of a video call so you can see and hear the people you are speaking to, and they can see and hear you. This means you can have the appointment at home or in familiar surroundings, rather than coming to one of our clinics.
To join the call you will need a computer with internet access, or a tablet or iPad and stable internet access. If you have any queries, please contact our team.
In order to make a diagnosis we need to see evidence that there were differences present in childhood. We appreciate that there may be various reasons why someone may not be able to identify a person that can fulfil this role. In these cases we would to try to gather early childhood information from yourself. We would also ask that you identify someone who currently knows you (a friend/co-worker etc) who can share information with us about their interactions with you. Please bear in mind that without sufficient collateral information, we may not be able to make a diagnostic decision.
Please do contact us if you need to rearrange your appointment; we have a very long waiting list and are working hard to support as many people as possible.
If you do not turn up to your appointment, this will be classed as a DNA (did not attend). We will get in touch to rebook you, however if you DNA again, you will be discharged from our service. Similarly, if you cancel within 72 hours of your appointment time, this will be classed as a late cancellation. If you have two late-cancellations, you will be discharged. After a DNA or late cancellation, you will need to wait six weeks before being offered another appointment slot.
The Autism Spectrum Quotient – known as the AQ-50 - is a widely used screening tool designed to measure autistic traits in adults. The AQ-50 consists of 50 statements that the person being assessed can rate based on their agreement or disagreement. You will likely have completed this before being referred to us, or a shorter version known as the AQ-10.
We cannot guarantee you will receive a diagnosis of autism as this will depend on whether you meet the diagnostic criteria for autism according to the current international classification of diseases (ICD-11). However, whatever the outcome, we will offer recommendations and signpost you to the relevant services if necessary.
If you are on the waiting list and have any additional questions or anxieties around the assessment, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. You can call our team on 01604 616543 or email us on adultasdconnect@stah.org.
Should you have any mental health concerns while you are waiting for the assessment, please contact your GP.
If you are a referrer or professional who has made a referral for an individual, we have provided support information for you - click below.