Child Autism Assessment
A thorough, child-centred autism assessment delivered by experienced private clinicians in Bristol, designed to give your family clear answers and a confident next step.
Private Child Autism Assessment
If you have noticed your child is communicating, perceiving or interacting with the world differently from other children their age, you are not alone. Many parents reach this page after a long wait on the NHS pathway, a conversation with the school, or a quiet sense that something is different. A private child autism assessment with Spectrum Assessments gives you clarity, a clear next step and a written report you can use with schools, your GP and your local authority.
We offer a comprehensive, NICE-aligned private child autism assessment in Bristol, delivered by experienced clinicians who work exclusively with children and young people. If you have been searching for a private autism assessment near you, our Bristol clinic offers a clear, time-bound process from first enquiry to final report. You can read more about our autism assessment process or meet our clinical team before deciding to enquire.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from an Autism Assessment
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference. It affects how a person communicates, processes information and experiences the world around them. Every autistic child is different, and signs often look very different in girls compared with boys, which means many girls go undiagnosed until much later in childhood.
You may consider an autism assessment for your child if they show several of the following signs across more than one setting.
Social Interaction Differences
- Preference for one sided conversation, preferring deep conversations over small talk and/or talking passionately about interests
- Difficulty knowing when to enter or leave a conversation
- Having a direct and honest communication style
- Requiring direct communication (e.g. difficulty understanding hidden meaning or indirect hints)
- Feeling exhausted after social interaction
Differences in Play and Interaction with Peers
- Preferring structured or interest-based friendships
- Finding group dynamics confusing
- Intense loyalty to one friend
- Difficulties maintaining friendships
- Enjoying parallel connection rather than constant interaction
- Preferring arts, crafts, logic or construction play rather than imaginative play
Behaviour Patterns and Interests
- Repetitive movements, such as hand flapping and rocking but can be more subtle such as fidgeting, skin picking or hair twirling
- Repeating words, phrases or accents
- Rewatching or relistening to favourite media
- Lining up toys, sorting items, or playing with objects in unusual ways
- Intense passion for specific topics
- In-depth knowledge of topics of interest
- Niche interests
Routines and Thinking Style
- Needing to know things in advance
- Anxiety when plans change
- Creating systems, rituals or structure
- Perfectionist thinking
- Strict rule following
- Strong sense of right and wrong
- Preference for sameness in environments
Nonverbal Communication Differences
- Reduced, intense or intermittent eye contact
- Reduced or forced use of facial expressions
- Reduced intonation or highly expressive tone of voice
- Reduced use of gestures alongside speech
Sensory Processing Differences
- Strong reactions to specific sounds, textures, lights or smells
- Sensory seeking, e.g. deep pressure, touching textures, visual fascination with movement and light
- High pain tolerance, not noticing hunger, thirst, body signals or temperature change
A list of traits is not a diagnosis. NICE clinical guideline CG128 sets out the formal indicators clinicians use during referral and assessment, and only a multidisciplinary clinical team can confirm whether a child meets the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Our Child Autism Assessment Process
Our autism assessment for children follows the multidisciplinary approach recommended by NICE CG128. This is the same framework used by the NHS, applied within a private pathway that removes the long wait. For a full step-by-step explanation, see our autism assessment process page.
Initial enquiry.
You contact us using the form or by phone. We arrange a free 15-minute pre-assessment call to talk through your concerns, your child's history and whether a full assessment is the right step.
Information gathering.
We send you parent and carer questionnaires, and request school contact details to send a teacher report form for the school to complete where applicable. We also ask for any previous reports from speech and language therapists, paediatricians or educational psychologists.
Clinical assessment.
Your child attends an in-person assessment with our multidisciplinary team. Parents and carers will complete a developmental history lasting 2-3 hours via video conference. We use validated tools such as the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised) alongside clinical observation.
Multidisciplinary review.
The clinical team reviews all of the evidence together, including questionnaires, school reports, developmental history and the assessment findings, to reach a consensus diagnostic decision.
Report.
You will receive a full written diagnostic report within 6 weeks of the ADOS-2 and ADI-R appointment, often sooner depending on when school information or other requested information is received. Whether or not autism is diagnosed, we signpost you to local services, school support and family resources. We may recommend further assessment if we identify potential co-occurring conditions or feel that another diagnosis should be considered.
Feedback session.
We meet with you and your child where appropriate, to talk through the findings, answer questions and discuss next steps.
Who Carries Out the Assessment?
Our child autism assessments are led by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians who specialise in working with children and young people. The team typically includes a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and a Speech and Language Therapist, all of whom are registered with the relevant professional regulator, including the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). .
Every clinician on our team has significant experience assessing children specifically, including girls and children with co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, anxiety and learning differences. You can meet our clinical team to read full bios and credentials.
Our Bristol Clinic
Face to face assessments are based at The Practice Rooms, Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol and serves families across the South West, including those travelling from Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester and the wider region. Our child autism assessment Bristol service is delivered in a calm clinical space.
What’s Included and How Much Does It Cost?
Our child autism assessment is a single, fixed-fee service. The fee includes all clinical hours, the use of validated diagnostic tools, the multidisciplinary team review, the feedback session and the full written diagnostic report. There are no hidden charges. For our current fee and payment options, please see our assessment costs and pricing information or contact us directly.
Choosing the private route does not replace the NHS pathway. Many families choose Spectrum because waiting lists are long and the impact of delay on a child's school experience and well-being can be significant. If you suspect your child may also have ADHD, we offer a combined autism and ADHD assessment that covers both in a single pathway.
Child Autism Assessment FAQs
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From your initial enquiry to receiving the written report typically takes 6 to 8 weeks. The in-person assessment takes around an hour and the developmental history session takes between 2-3 hours.
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We assess children from 31 months upwards. For children under 4, we may recommend a developmental review first.
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Yes. Our diagnostic reports are produced by registered clinicians and follow NICE CG128 standards. They are accepted by schools, GPs and local authorities, and they can be used to support EHCP applications and access to reasonable adjustments.
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Autism and ADHD are different neurodevelopmental conditions, although many children have both. An autism assessment focuses on social communication, behaviour and sensory processing. An ADHD assessment focuses on attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. If you are unsure which is right for your child, we offer a combined autism and ADHD assessment that covers both at the same time.
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The diagnostic criteria are the same, but autism can present very differently in girls. Girls are often more skilled at masking their differences in social settings, which means they are frequently missed by standard screening. Our clinicians are experienced in recognising autism in girls and use this experience throughout the assessment.
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Yes. Our combined autism and ADHD assessment is a single, integrated pathway that looks at both conditions in one process. This is often quicker and less disruptive for the child than two separate assessments.
Get in touch to arrange an assessment.
Yes. Our combined autism and ADHD assessment is a single, integrated pathway that looks at both conditions in one process. This is often quicker and less disruptive for the child than two separate assessments.