Adult Autism Assessment Process at EBTC

Adult Autism Assessment Process

1. Call or E-mail our office at Evidence Based Therapy Centre:

  • If you’re interested in an adult (16 years or more) autism assessment, please call our office at 091-727777 or email us at admin@ebtc.ie.

2. Check your Post:

  • After your email or call, we will post (1) a copy of a consent form for you to review, complete, and sign; and (2) questionnaires for you to complete.
  • At this point, we will also book you in for an initial consultation with a Clinical Psychologist, where you will discuss your concerns leading you to seek an autism assessment.

3. At your initial consultation

  • You will be asked to come to the EBTC office to meet with Dr Emer Downey.
  • This appointment will last for 1 hour and will be an opportunity 
    • to discuss the screening measures
    • speak about any concerns you have and the reasons for coming for assessment
    • to consider what you want from the process
    • to reflect on what a diagnosis will mean and how you may feel if you don’t meet the criteria
    • to discuss who might be a reliable informant for you to nominate for the full assessment
    • Please note: This consultation will be incorporated into the cost of the full assessment – you will pay for the consult at the point of booking but if you go on for full assessment, this fee will be taken off the full price of the assessment. 
  • At the end of the appointment, you and Emer will decide whether to go ahead with the full autism assessment or not. If you do decide to go ahead, we will schedule the assessment date with you directly. 
  • You will be required to pay 50% of the fee at the point of booking and the balance will need to be paid when you attend for the assessment. (Please see our booking and cancellation policy regarding our fees.

4. At your assessment visit:

  • You will attend the EBTC office along with your nominated informant. 
  • You and Emer will then review what the visit will look like, which will include time to get to know you better and get comfortable, the autism assessments, as well as any breaks you may request.
  • The autism assessment will include a structured diagnostic interview and some activities.
  • You and your informant will be given the opportunity to present your perspectives.
  • When appropriate, you or your informant may be asked to wait in the waiting room while we speak alone to you or your informant.
  • The whole assessment visit usually lasts up to 3 hours.
  • At the end of the assessment, we will book in a time to meet to discuss the findings of the assessment and share the report. Our aim is to schedule this for 2 weeks after your full assessment, however, this depends on missing information, co-existing problems, or a requirement for further assessment from another professional (e.g., speech-language, occupational therapist).

5. Possible follow-up assessment visit:

  • Occasionally, we may provide a second office visit to complete a further diagnostic interview or tests to better understand your needs (namely cognitive, adaptive, and/or mental health) to enable a more accurate identification of the presence of autism, as well as to guide the preparation of recommendations for you.
  • This would incur additional costs that would be discussed with you, if appropriate. 

6. Assessment Feedback and Recommendations:

  • You will be asked to come back to the EBTC office to meet with a clinical psychologist. 
  • This appointment will last for up to 1 hour and will cover
    • The findings from the assessment
    • Recommendations following the assessment
    • Space for you to ask any questions you might have 
  • After the feedback appointment, Emer will send a copy of your report to your GP, for their information. If there are any other professionals involved that you would like to share the report with, this can also be arranged. 

7. Post-diagnosis review 

  • If you would like additional support or to discuss the outcome of the assessment further, your clinical psychologist will be happy to meet with you. There would be an additional charge for these sessions.