Autism For Children

Autism Services for Children

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can affect each child differently. The right diagnosis means your family can move forward with confidence, knowing your child can access the expert support they need to thrive.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder glowing psychology
We’re with you every step of the way

How an autism assessment works

To be able to help your child in the most positive way, we first need to fully understand their neurodevelopmental makeup and needs. Our specialist team will conduct a thorough, expert assessment to ascertain if your child is or is not autistic.

Step
1

Screening

If you’re worried that your child may be autistic, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of autism, we’ll recommend a full diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.

Step
2

Information Gathering - school/pre-school report

If you’re worried that your child may be autistic, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of autism, we’ll recommend a full diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.

Step
3

Multi-disciplinary assessment

If you’re worried that your child may be autistic, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of autism, we’ll recommend a full diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.

Step
4

Diagnostic Report

If you’re worried that your child may be autistic, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of autism, we’ll recommend a full diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.

Step
5

Support

If you’re worried that your child may be autistic, our free screening process will give clarity and insight. It will be carried out by our psychology team, led by a consultant clinical psychologist. If the results are indicative of autism, we’ll recommend a full diagnostic assessment to give a definitive answer.

Cherishing Amazing minds
Understanding Autism

Cherishing Amazing minds

Neurodiversity is part of being human; a fact of life for many millions of children and adults alike. And having a neurodevelopmental (ND) condition doesn’t mean you have a disease that needs to be cured, but that your neurological functions are organised differently to people who are neurotypical. It’s your unique mind.

However, neurodevelopmental differences can cause great distress when not recognised or understood. Once fully assessed and diagnosed, we can offer tools, support and therapies to help individuals move forward with positivity, peace and productivity.

Autism Signs

Your child may be experiencing…

Although there are many things that autistic people share, every person’s brain is unique, so autism can be experienced in different ways.

Sensory Sensitivities

Social isolation

Disconnection from the family

Deep interests

Frequently Asked Questions

We're here to answer your questions

Taking the first steps to understanding why your child feels different, unhappy, or is struggling takes courage. We’re here to help you make sure you find the right support for your child and your family.
What are the common treatment options for children with autism?
Common treatments for children with autism include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, social skills training, and medication management. You can find more information on these treatments here.
How early should intervention for autism begin in children?
Early intervention should ideally start as soon as autism symptoms are recognized, typically around 18 months of age. Initiating therapy at this early stage can lead to better developmental outcomes. Learn more about early intervention here.
What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, and how does it benefit children with autism?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy focuses on teaching desired behaviors and reducing challenging ones through structured methods and positive reinforcement. It has been shown to improve communication and social skills in children with autism. You can find more about ABA therapy here.
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Book your appointment now to embark on a path towards positive change and growth. Our team is ready to provide the support and guidance you need to thrive.

Sensory Sensitivities

Autistic children can be very sensitive (hyper-sensitive) or have low levels of sensitivity (hypo-sensitive) to certain senses. This can mean they avoid some foods, clothes, noises, or smells or seek them out in a way that can interfere with daily life. A simple hug can cause huge discomfort for an autistic child because of how it physically feels to be touched or in very close proximity to another person. As it’s not always easy for younger children to articulate this, it can become very challenging for parents to understand a child’s sensory needs. Having a diagnosis can begin a more informed conversation around those needs and help the young person to stay regulated and happy.

Social isolation

Being autistic doesn’t necessarily mean that your child doesn’t want any friends, but it might mean that they prefer social contact on their own terms. So maybe team sports or hanging out with friends are not activities that bring any pleasure. This could be due to how confusing social communication can be, the sensory overwhelm from lots of people talking or just wanting to avoid looking different. While we might feel having contact with friends is healthy (and it often is), exactly how we encourage autistic children and young people to socialise is worth considering.

Disconnection from the family

If children and young people don’t derive the same shared pleasure from activities as their parents or siblings do, they can distance themselves from ‘normal’ family life. Being autistic means that family occasions, parties or any group activity can be draining and anxiety-provoking. This might be because of sensory overload or overwhelm at all the social communication happening around them. Understanding if a child is autistic helps us to better understand why they don’t enjoy these kinds of events and to support them to engage on their own terms, even if that’s not what others might want or expect from them.

Deep interests

Autistic children and young people can develop very passionate and deep interests in certain topics. Because they’re able to engage in these things so deeply, they can become experts at a young age! They might want to tell their parents, siblings or friends about what they know as it is so important to them. They can often see that their special interest has relevance in everything and might keep bringing the conversation back to it. This can be very difficult for those around the child as things can get very repetitive! However, knowing this comes from being autistic can really help. We can learn to embrace those special interests and use them as a way of effective engagement and communication, rather than feeling the need to inhibit them.