Child Autism Assessment
Welcome to Lycali. This guide explains each stage of your child's autism assessment, from registration and questionnaires through to educational information, clinical appointments, feedback and ongoing support.
Important: Before Your Child's Assessment
All required registration, consent, developmental history, screening and educational-setting forms must be completed before the relevant assessment sessions can take place.
Please review your welcome letter, terms and conditions and invoice carefully. If mandatory documentation remains outstanding, appointments may need to be rearranged.
At a Glance
Follow the stages below to understand your child's autism assessment journey.
Initial Enquiry & Registration
Once you contact Lycali, our team will review your enquiry and provide information about the most appropriate autism assessment pathway for your child.
If you decide to proceed, you will be asked to complete our registration process so that we can securely register your child within our clinical management system.
- Child and parent/carer contact information.
- GP details.
- Relevant developmental and medical background.
- Education or childcare details.
- Communication and accessibility requirements.
- Consent preferences and parental responsibility information.
Please check all details carefully and let us know if your child requires reasonable adjustments or additional support during assessment.
Your Welcome Letter & Documents
Following registration, Lycali will issue your welcome letter explaining the next stages of your child's assessment.
Your welcome information will contain important documents that must be reviewed before the assessment can proceed.
Terms & Conditions
Information about the assessment service, bookings, fees, cancellations, non-attendance and service responsibilities.
Invoice
Details of the agreed assessment fee, payment requirements and any additional charges, if they apply.
Consent to Treatment
The relevant consent form for your child's assessment, including consent from the appropriate person where required.
Please read all documentation and complete the required forms, including the Consent to Treatment form, before your child's appointment.
All mandatory forms must be completed before any assessment session is carried out.
Payment & Assessment Booking
Your invoice will confirm the cost of your child's autism assessment and the relevant payment instructions.
Once payment has been received and required documentation completed, Lycali can progress the assessment arrangements.
Our administration team will coordinate appointment dates, times, locations and preparation requirements.
Child autism assessments involve more than one clinical component. Appointments may need to be coordinated with parents/carers, clinicians and other professionals.
All required documentation must be completed before the relevant assessment session.
Pre-Assessment Questionnaires Through WriteUpp
Before your child's assessment, parents/carers will be asked to complete questionnaires to help our team understand their developmental history, strengths and current support needs.
All required questionnaires will be issued through WriteUpp, Lycali's clinical management system.
You will receive the relevant questionnaire links separately. Please complete them as soon as they are issued.
Child Developmental History Questionnaire
This explores your child's early development, communication, social interaction, behaviour, sensory experiences, education, health, family background and everyday functioning.
We also request information about your child's current educational setting so that we can gather additional evidence where appropriate.
Child Autism Questionnaire
This explores social communication, friendships, routines, interests, sensory processing, emotional regulation, play, behaviour and daily life.
Please allow sufficient uninterrupted time to complete each questionnaire carefully in one sitting.
Questionnaires cannot be saved part-way through and cannot be resubmitted once submitted.
Please check your answers carefully before selecting Submit.
Allow Enough Time
Set aside uninterrupted time and have relevant developmental information available.
Cannot Save Progress
Partially completed questionnaires cannot be saved and resumed later.
One Submission Only
Once submitted, the questionnaire cannot be resubmitted using the same link.
If you would like a copy of the submitted questionnaire responses, please contact Lycali. We can share them, subject to appropriate identity and information-sharing checks.
If you need to correct information after submission, please contact our team.
All required WriteUpp questionnaires, registration documents and consent forms must be completed before any assessment session can take place.
Educational Setting Information
As part of your child's autism assessment, we will usually seek information from their nursery, school, college or other educational setting.
This helps clinicians understand your child's communication, interaction, strengths and support needs across different environments.
It may be completed by a teacher, SENCo, key worker, pastoral lead, teaching assistant or another professional who knows your child well.
The Educational Setting Questionnaire will be issued through WriteUpp.
Lycali will arrange for it to be issued to the relevant education professional where appropriate.
Providing Educational Setting Details
Please ensure that Lycali has the current contact details for your child's educational setting.
If there is likely to be a delay in completing the developmental history questionnaire, please send these details to info@lycali.co.uk as soon as possible.
The member of staff completing the questionnaire should allow enough time to complete it in one sitting.
WriteUpp questionnaires cannot be saved part-way through or resubmitted once completed.
Required educational-setting information must be received before the relevant assessment session can proceed.
Additional Screening Questionnaires
Additional screening questionnaires may be required as part of your child's autism assessment.
- AQ-50 Parent Questionnaire.
- SNAP-IV 26 Parent or Teacher Questionnaire.
- Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Any required additional screening questionnaires will be issued separately through WriteUpp.
If your child has already completed relevant autism pre-screening with Lycali, these questionnaires will not usually need to be repeated unless requested by the clinician.
Please check your inbox, junk and spam folders for questionnaires issued through WriteUpp.
If you have not received the expected questionnaires within five working days of booking, please contact Lycali.
Please remember that they cannot be saved part-way through or resubmitted once submitted.
Parent/Carer Developmental Interview
Your child's autism assessment will include a detailed developmental history interview, such as the ADI-R or an equivalent approach.
This appointment explores your child's early development, communication, social interaction, play, routines, interests, sensory experiences, behaviour and daily functioning.
Wherever possible, a parent or caregiver who knows your child's early developmental history should attend.
Both parents/carers may attend together where appropriate.
The child does not usually need to attend this appointment unless the clinician advises otherwise.
Lycali's administration team will arrange the appointment and confirm who needs to attend.
Your Child's ADOS-2 Assessment
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), is a structured assessment that involves activities and observations with your child.
It explores communication, social interaction, play and behaviours relevant to an autism assessment.
The appropriate ADOS-2 module will be selected according to your child's age, developmental stage and language level.
Understanding the ADOS-2 Modules
Toddler Module
Used for very young children with limited or emerging language.
Who attends? A parent or caregiver is normally present throughout the assessment.
Module 1
Used for children who are pre-verbal, use single words or have limited phrase speech.
Who attends? A parent or caregiver is usually present to support engagement and provide reassurance.
Module 2
Used for children who use phrase speech but are not yet verbally fluent.
Who attends? Parent/carer involvement will be agreed according to the child's needs and the standardised assessment requirements.
Module 3
Used for verbally fluent children and young people.
Who attends? The child usually completes the assessment directly with the clinician. Parent/carer attendance will be confirmed beforehand.
Module 4
Used for verbally fluent older adolescents and adults.
Who attends? The young person normally completes the assessment directly with the clinician.
Your clinician will determine the appropriate module based on your child's language, developmental profile and the assessment requirements.
You will be advised of the appointment arrangements and who should attend.
The ADOS-2 is one component of the wider autism assessment and is not used alone to determine a diagnosis.
Clinical Review, Report & Feedback
Following completion of the assessment appointments, our clinical team will review the information gathered throughout the assessment pathway.
This may include developmental history, questionnaire responses, educational-setting information, clinical observations and direct assessment findings.
- Relevant developmental and family background.
- Parent/carer information.
- Educational-setting information.
- Clinical assessment findings.
- Observations from the ADOS-2.
- Clinical formulation and diagnostic conclusions.
- Individual strengths and areas of need.
- Communication and sensory considerations.
- Home and educational-setting recommendations.
- Further support and next steps.
You will receive a written report and feedback in accordance with the agreed assessment arrangements.
An autism diagnosis is not guaranteed. The outcome depends on the clinical evidence gathered and consideration of relevant diagnostic criteria.
Regardless of the outcome, our aim is to provide meaningful recommendations based on your child's strengths and needs.
What Happens After Your Child's Assessment?
Following assessment, you may wish to explore practical strategies, specialist support, educational recommendations or post-diagnostic guidance for your child and family.
- Post-diagnostic psychoeducation.
- Lycali's Navigate Pathway.
- Parent/carer guidance and strategies.
- Speech and Language Therapy where appropriate.
- Psychological support or coaching.
- Sensory and emotional regulation strategies.
- School-based recommendations and adjustments.
- Further multidisciplinary support.
Lycali's Navigate Pathway offers structured psychoeducation, needs-led goal setting and practical strategies following a neurodevelopmental diagnosis.
Assessment Fees & Additional Charges (If They Apply)
The cost of your child's autism assessment will be confirmed before booking and outlined in your invoice.
Please refer to our fees page for information about current assessment prices and payment options.
Some appointments may involve additional travel or external clinic hire costs.
These charges do not apply to every appointment.
They may be relevant where a clinician needs to travel or where an alternative clinic space is required away from Lycali's main Broadstairs base.
If additional charges apply, they will be confirmed before booking and clearly outlined in your invoice.
Cancellation & Non-Attendance Policy
Lycali operates a 24-hour cancellation policy for assessment appointments.
We understand that circumstances may change. Please notify Lycali as early as possible if your child cannot attend.
At Least 24 Hours' Notice
Please provide at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment.
The full late-cancellation charge will not apply where sufficient notice is provided.
Less Than 24 Hours' Notice
Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are chargeable at the full session rate.
Did Not Attend (DNA)
If your child does not attend a scheduled assessment session and the appointment has not been cancelled, this is recorded as a DNA.
DNA appointments are charged at the full session rate.
How to Cancel
Please notify Lycali's administration team as soon as you know that your child cannot attend.
Email: info@lycali.co.uk
Please refer to your welcome letter and terms and conditions for the full cancellation arrangements, including any applicable statutory rights.
Useful Links & Information
Learn more about our autism assessment services, team, locations and fees.
Need Support?
If you have questions about registration, questionnaires, educational-setting contacts, appointments or payments, please contact Lycali.
If you have difficulty accessing questionnaires issued through WriteUpp or would like a copy of submitted responses, our administration team can help.
Email: info@lycali.co.uk
Website: www.lycali.co.uk
All required registration, consent, pre-assessment and educational-setting forms must be completed before the relevant assessment sessions can take place.
Questionnaires will be issued through WriteUpp. Please set aside enough time to complete them in one sitting, as they cannot be saved or resubmitted.
Please check your appointment confirmation, invoice, any additional charges (if they apply) and cancellation policy.