Initial Parent/Caregiver Consultation
Booking in for a consultation meeting allows our team members (psychologist or therapist) to gather information prior to scheduling any assessments. We find that meeting with parents/caregivers before scheduling in any assessments or supportive services is very beneficial for both our team, and parents/caregivers as it allows us to determine what level of support your child may require and in what capacity. If you have any concerns with regards to your child’s development, this meeting can be helpful in allowing our team to determine the best way to support your child and your family.
How the Initial Consultation Works
This initial consultation can take place in the practice, or over Zoom. Parents/caregivers will meet with our psychologist or therapist who is a member of our multidisciplinary team, and they will review all existing reports and notes provided. These reports could include notes from your child’s paediatrician, an assessment/session with a therapist, or perhaps a recommendation from your child’s school teacher.
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- Our team can liaise with other relevant professionals, e.g. your child’s occupational therapist (as appropriate, and only if our clinicians deem it necessary)
- Our team can liaise with pre-schools, schools and other services
- In some cases, parents/caregivers may not have any prior reports, and instead are seeking support for a concern that is playing on their mind. This meeting can be a helpful starting point
- During this initial consultation advice can also be given to parents regarding assessment pathways, various therapies and some supportive material which can be worked on at home prior to an assessment being carried out, or if an assessment may not be required at the time
School Visit or Home Visit
A school or home visit may be required as part of the initial screening process, or it may be needed in order to provide advice around the route of assessment(s) or therapy.
A school or home visit may be required as part of the initial screening process, or it may be needed in order to provide advice around the route of assessment(s) or therapy. Please note that the clinician will decide if a home or school visit is required, and it can also be requested by parents where necessary. For a school or home visit that may take place as part of a psychology assessment, the most suitable clinician will be determined by our psychologist. Additional fees and charges will be included.
Developmental/ Cognitive Assessment
When a parent/caregiver has concerns over their child’s behaviour, language or social/emotional development, it is important to determine if they have met their developmental milestones and to also examine their rate of learning.
A developmental/cognitive assessment provides an idea of how a child is functioning intellectually in comparison to their peers. This assessment can also help to highlight any particular strengths or particular needs that they may have in this area. This assessment provides valuable information about what way a child learns and will allow our team to make suggestions relating to school and other services. The assessment tool used will be determined by the child’s presentation, their language skills, and overall ability to partake in the assessment.
Benefits of the Assessment
This assessment can be carried out as a standalone assessment, or as part of the multidisciplinary autism assessment. There are many benefits to this assessment including:
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- Identifying strengths and areas that require support
- Results can identify if further assessments may be warranted
- Results can help to determine what personalised interventions may be of support
- Results can help to create tailored educational strategies and targeted support
- The assessment can help to identify barriers to a child's learning and please place the point second in order on the list rather than last
Multidisciplinary Autism Assessment
Our multidisciplinary autism assessment provides a thorough evaluation for autism spectrum disorder and involves a comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s social communication, behaviour and adaptive skills. This assessment is carried out by our multidisciplinary team members including our Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, and Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst.
This assessment can be carried out as a standalone assessment if a child has previously had a developmental or cognitive assessment carried out. Copies of all previous assessments will be requested and reviewed. If a child has not had a previous psychology assessment carried out, our full multidisciplinary autism assessment will include a developmental or cognitive assessment with the assessment for autism.
Assessment Components Include:
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- ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule). This assessment requires children to attend the practice along with 1 parent/caregiver. The assessment will take approximately 1 hour. This is a play-based assessment, and this appointment will involve our Psychologist and a second clinician as a co-scorer.
- ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised). This appointment will involve one of our clinicians who will meet with parents/caregivers to complete the ADI-R. This appointment will take approximately 2 hours and can take place in the practice or over zoom. Children do not attend this appointment. The purpose of this appointment is for parents and caregivers to provide detailed background information on your child’s early development, communication, behaviour and social interactions.
- After the assessment is complete, the multidisciplinary team will meet to discuss all information and assessment findings.
- The Post Assessment Review Meeting will be held approximately 2 weeks after the last appointment. The multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment report will be finalised and will be presented to parents. The feedback meeting will focus on the conclusion of the assessment, whether the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder was met and an outline of the child’s overall needs, and supports required.
- Following on from the Post Assessment Meeting, parents are welcome to return to the practice to receive support through our Follow Up Feedback Meeting where parents can be guided through the practicalities of receiving a diagnosis and following on from the assessment process.
- Parents can also avail of our supportive services before, during and after assessments.
Our multidisciplinary autism assessments and reports completed within the Childrens Natural Environment Assessment Practice meet criteria for assessment required by the HSE and the Department of Education.
