Appointment Structure & Investment
Initial Consultation
Who attends: Parents only
An in-depth discussion about your child's background, strengths, and areas of concern. Together, we'll explore early patterns, school feedback, and developmental history. Includes a review of height, weight, head circumference and growth trends, a general medical examination, and a directed systems review as clinically indicated. Possible next steps, including medical, developmental, or allied health investigations, will be discussed.
Diagnostic Assessment
Who attends: Child only (parents welcome for comfort and clarity of process)
Play-based, age-appropriate activities and standardised tools (e.g. Molteno, CARS-2, SNAP, CBCL, VMI) to better understand learning, attention, emotional regulation, and social communication. Conducted in a calm, supportive, child-led environment.
Collateral Information Gathering
A rich, 360-degree understanding of your child cannot be achieved from the consulting room alone. This includes conversations with teachers and school staff, reports from allied health professionals, school visits and classroom observations, and attending school feedback or multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. Charged pro rata at the regular hourly rate.
Formal Diagnostic Report & Action Map
A thorough, professionally prepared document that tells the full story of your child's development, in clear language for parents, teachers, and therapists. It includes an "Understanding Your Child" section and a personalised, prioritised Action Map for therapy, school, medication (where indicated), home strategies, and follow-up.
Feedback Session
Who attends: Parents
A dedicated, unhurried conversation to discuss results, diagnostic impressions, and the full report and Action Map. We'll answer your questions and agree on a plan that feels realistic, meaningful, and empowering for your family.
6-Week Medication / Intervention Review
An early check-in after starting a new medication or significant intervention. Focuses on initial response, tolerability, side effects, and any fine-tuning of dosage or approach, with parent and, where appropriate, teacher feedback.
3-Month Review
Once initial adjustments have been made, this review assesses ongoing progress, medication efficacy, therapeutic gains, and emotional or developmental growth. Prescriptions may be renewed where your child is stable and progressing well.
6-Monthly Review
A structured mid-year review for children established on a treatment and support plan. Includes progress discussion, any new concerns, prescription renewal as indicated, and updated support recommendations.
Annual Review
A comprehensive yearly review of your child's developmental progress, with updated measurements, a general medical examination, re-evaluation of the support plan, repeat screening as appropriate, and an opportunity to celebrate your child's growth.
Repeat Prescription Without Consultation
A repeat script between scheduled reviews for children who are stable on their medication. A Prescription Review Form must be completed and reviewed before the script is issued. Billed per script.
Your child may not require all of these appointments. Each pathway is individualised based on your specific concerns and initial findings.
Specialised Diagnostic Tools
Some children's profiles are clear after the Diagnostic Assessment. For others, the picture is more nuanced, and a specific, standardised diagnostic tool gives the clarity needed to reach a confident conclusion. These tools are not part of every child's pathway. They are recommended only where the initial assessment is inconclusive or a more detailed review is needed, are over and above the 90-minute Diagnostic Assessment, and are charged at the regular hourly rate.
ADOS-2 Autism Assessment
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition: an internationally recognised, standardised observational assessment of social communication, interaction, play, and restricted or repetitive behaviours. Your child takes part in structured, play-based activities matched to their age and language level.
DISCO
The Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders: a detailed, structured interview with parents or caregivers that maps your child's development, skills, and behaviour across all areas, from infancy to the present. It supports a dimensional understanding of autism and related neurodevelopmental profiles.
Griffiths III Developmental Assessment
For children up to 6 years old. A comprehensive, standardised developmental assessment across five areas: foundations of learning, language and communication, eye and hand coordination, personal-social-emotional, and gross motor. It provides a detailed developmental profile to guide diagnosis and intervention planning.
The need for any of these tools will always be discussed with you first, with a clear explanation of why it is recommended and what it will add to our understanding of your child.
Before Your First Appointment
Before the Initial Consultation, parents are asked to complete and submit:
Patient Intake Form
Including consent and confidentiality agreement
Reason for Consult Form
Outlining current concerns and attaching any previous reports (school, therapy, or medical) or referral letters
Extended History Form
Detailed background and birth history, essential for understanding your child's development over time.
These forms help us make the first session more focused and meaningful. During this process, parents and teachers may also be asked to complete validated questionnaires, such as the SNAP-IV, CBCL, or ASSQ, so we can gain a well-rounded, 360-degree view of your child's daily functioning.
Detailed Process Overview
The Initial Consultation is a compassionate, collaborative conversation with parents about your child's development, health, and family context. During this session, we will:
- Review concerns across home, school, and social settings
- Take a detailed, focused history of your child and their socio-emotional context
- Explore family context, medical conditions, daily habits and behaviours
- Set objectives and priorities for a targeted diagnostic assessment, and agree on next steps
This is not a one-size-fits-all process. Each plan is designed for your child's unique strengths and challenges.
The 90-minute Diagnostic Assessment focuses on your child and includes:
- Observation of play, attention, and self-regulation in a calm, supportive environment
- Standardised developmental and psychological assessment tools (e.g. Molteno, CARS-2, SNAP, CBCL, VMI)
- Height, weight, head circumference, and a review of growth trends
- A general medical examination and directed systems review as clinically indicated
- Assessment for ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning differences, and emotional regulation challenges, as indicated
- Planning of next steps, which may include:
- Specialised diagnostic tools (ADOS-2, DISCO, or Griffiths III)
- Hearing or auditory assessment
- Vision or ophthalmology assessment
- Targeted blood tests (e.g. thyroid, iron, metabolic, nutritional)
- EEG for unusual movements or possible seizures
- ECG (heart rhythm screening, e.g. before starting certain medications)
- Genetic testing if indicated by features or family history
Parents are welcome to attend for comfort or clarity of the process. Activities are age-appropriate, engaging, and designed to be minimally stressful for your child.
The Formal Diagnostic Report is a comprehensive, professionally written document that integrates all assessment findings, in clear language that parents, teachers, and therapists can all use. It has three parts:
- Neurodevelopmental Report: brings together history, parent and teacher questionnaires, direct observation, and standardised tools into one clinical narrative, including which diagnoses were confirmed, which were considered and excluded, and why
- Understanding Your Child: explains the neuroscience and developmental basis of your child's profile, moving beyond labels toward real understanding of how your child learns, feels, and engages with the world
- The Action Map: a prioritised, stepwise plan covering allied therapy referrals (with the reason for each), school strategies and accommodations, medication guidance and monitoring where indicated, home strategies, and a structured follow-up plan
Families leave this process with clarity, direction, and confidence, not just a diagnosis.
The 50-minute Feedback Session is an unhurried, supportive conversation where we:
- Discuss results, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations in detail
- Walk through the Formal Report and Action Map together
- Answer all your questions
- Set collaborative goals
- Create a plan for intervention that feels realistic and empowering
This session is designed to ensure you feel informed, supported, and confident moving forward.
Yes. Collateral information gathering is an important part of coordinated care. It can include conversations with teachers and learning support staff, reports from occupational, speech and other therapists, school visits and classroom observations, and attending school feedback or multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. This work is charged pro rata at the regular hourly rate.
These provide valuable insight into how your child learns, interacts, and copes in their daily environment. It means home, school, and therapy are all working in the same direction, and our recommendations are rooted in real-world observation.
Follow-up appointments depend on your child's needs:
- 6-Week Medication / Intervention Review (30 min): an early check-in after starting a new medication or intervention, looking at effectiveness, tolerability, side effects, and any adjustments
- 3-Month Review (30 min): assesses ongoing progress and medication efficacy, with prescription renewal where your child is stable
- 6-Monthly Review (30 min): a structured review for children established on a treatment plan, with prescription renewal as indicated
- Annual Review (50 min): a full developmental review to re-evaluate progress, update the care plan, and celebrate growth
In appropriate circumstances, yes. To make sure every medication stays safe and effective, a short Prescription Review Form must be completed and submitted before any repeat script is issued. It helps us:
- Confirm the medication is still working and well tolerated
- Screen for any new or emerging side effects
- Monitor growth, sleep, appetite, mood, and behaviour over time
- Flag any concerns that may need a formal review appointment
This is not an administrative formality. It reflects our commitment to your child's safety. If the form raises any concerns, we will recommend an in-person review before prescribing. Repeat prescriptions without consultation are billed per script.
Our Commitment to Your Family
Our practice is guided by compassion, curiosity, and connection. We see every assessment as the start of a shared journey: a partnership between families and professionals, built on honesty, respect, and care.
Through open dialogue, evidence-based practice, and consistent support, we aim to help your child (and you as parents) feel seen, understood, and empowered.
Together, we'll make sense of who your little person is, and how they engage with the world around them, step by step, with science, empathy, and measurable outcomes.