Thank you for your interest in our ASD and ADHD combined assessment services for adults. Please see below the relevant information regarding our Adult ADHD Assessment.
1. What is included in the adult ASD and ADHD combined assessment?
Our adult ASD and ADHD combined assessment includes a thorough evaluation of your symptoms, medical history, personal history and family history. The assessment is split into two parts across two separate days and typically lasts 3 hours in total across the two days. The assessment is a 2 in 1 assessment with one of our consultant psychiatrists, which will look at assessing for a potential diagnosis of the two conditions where there are symptoms that may indicate comorbidity. The advantage of this assessment is that it is 3 hours in total and is an in-depth discussion about the patient's symptoms and is available at a lower price than doing the two stand-alone assessment for each condition separately. The current rice of this assessment can be found on our latest pricing page.
2. How are the two appointments structured?
Day 1 of the assessment is 2 hours in total, which will all be completed within one slot, in one video call. Part 1 of day 1 of the assessment is a 1.5-hour ASD assessment with the patient only, where the psychiatrist will discuss the results of the pre-assessment questionnaires, as well as exploring personal history and current situations in more depth. Following the first 1.5 hours, part 2 of day 1 of the assessment is a 30-minute ASD initial information gathering session with the patient's relative. This part of the assessment can be done with the patient present if this is preferred, but this is down to patient choice. We strongly recommend that this part of the assessment is done with a parent if possible, or someone who was an adult when the patient was a child and knew the patient well as a child.
Day 2 of the assessment is 1 hour in total and is also completed within one appointment. Day 2 does not have to be done on the very next day but most patients are keen to get this part done very soon after the first where possible. Day 2 will be a 1 hour ADHD assessment, which will also include next steps being discussed. Following this appointment, a clinic letter will typically be sent within a week, often faster. Further chargeable review appointments may be required if the patient would like to discuss treatment options.
3. What happens during the combined ASD and ADHD appointment?
The assessment is conducted across two days via video call appointments. Prior to the appointment, we will request certain forms to be completed and submitted. These forms provide valuable information to assist the consultant in making an accurate diagnosis. Once the assessment is complete, you will receive a clinical letter outlining the assessment findings.
Registration forms are triaged to ensure suitability for the service. Where we feel we are not the most appropriate service for you we will let you know and will provide signposting to a more suitable service.
Once the appointment has taken place, the consultant will, having discussed the outcome of the assessment in the appointment, write a report providing a diagnosis. On some occasions, the Consultant may only be able to provide a differential diagnosis, and may need to spend additional time with you to complete a comprehensive assessment, where there are several areas that require further exploration.
If you go ahead and book a review appointment to discuss treatment options, a treatment plan will cover recommendations around behavioural tools that may assist in an educational, home or work setting, advice regarding talking therapies that may be helpful such as family therapy, individual therapy, CBT or EMDR or any number of other therapies available. Referrals can be made within Psymplicity or we can liaise with a 3rd party of your choice in collaboration with you.
Medication options will be discussed during a review appointment and can often be initiated following the appointment. The fee for the first prescription processing is included in the cost of the review appointment. Many medications prescribed for ADHD will require a blood pressure and heart rate reading and weight reading to be supplied to the clinic prior to a prescription being issued. Where there is a personal or family history of early cardiovascular disease, or there are cardiovascular symptoms such as feints or palpitations or chest pain a referral to a cardiologist may be necessary prior to issuing a prescription.
Medication for ADHD will typically need close monitoring and adjustment over a few review appointments during the first few weeks/months of treatment until a stable dose is reached. There can often be an initial treatment trialled on one type of medication which may not work or have side effects, before a second or third similar but different medication is trialled successfully and continued. In adults there is very high response to rate to medication, with significant improvement in areas that off medication cause difficulties.
4. What is the fee for the combined ASD and ADHD assessment and clinic letter?
The fee for a typical combined ASD and ADHD assessment and clinic letter including a diagnosis where appropriate is provided on our latest pricing page. In most instances, the initial assessment provides sufficient time to arrive at a diagnosis, with a clinical report confirming the assessment outcomes typically being sent within a week, often faster than this, after the initial appointment, dependent on report complexity.
5. What happens if I have complex symptoms?
When a patient presents with more complex or a wider range of difficulties, the psychiatrist may need more time to fully assess and diagnose. In such cases, you may be asked to book a further appointment, to complete the assessment process prior to booking a review appointment to discuss treatment options. Follow up appointment pricing is also available on our website.
6. Can I get a prescription for medication?
If deemed appropriate, the psychiatrist may prescribe medication as part of your treatment plan. A prescription will be posted to the pharmacy of your choice. Please note that as the prescription is private, the pharmacy will charge for the medication. Prior to prescribing medication, we will require blood pressure and heart rate readings, as well as your weight.
In some instances, we will require the opinion of a cardiologist prior to prescribing certain types of medication for ADHD. We would require the opinion of a cardiologist prior to issuing medication if any of the following apply:
- history of congenital heart disease or previous cardiac surgery
- history of sudden death in a first-degree relative under 40 years suggesting a cardiac disease
- shortness of breath on exertion compared with peers
- fainting on exertion or in response to fright or noise
- palpitations that are rapid, regular and start and stop suddenly (fleeting occasional bumps are usually ectopic and do not need investigation)
- chest pain suggesting cardiac origin
- signs of heart failure
- a murmur heard on cardiac examination
- blood pressure that is classified as hypertensive for adults.
If a cardiology opinion is required, we can write to your GP and ask them to make a referral via the NHS. In instances where the GP is unable to make a cardiology referral or if it is your preference, your doctor at Psymplicity can refer you to a private cardiologist of your choice.
7. Can my GP prescribe the medication?
Most GPs are willing to take over prescribing after around 3 months when a patient is considered stable on the medication. You would need to return for follow ups lasting 25 minutes until the GP is willing to take over. You would normally need around 3-4 follow ups depending on your response to medication. Please find the most up to date fees for our follow up appointments on our latest pricing page.
We recommend you contact your GP to ask them if they would be willing to enter into a Shared Care Agreement at the earliest opportunity.
Although you will receive a prescription as part of the fee (if applicable), again the pharmacy will charge for the actual medication.
Occasionally a GP may prescribe based on the diagnosis provided by the psychiatrist. This is something you would need to confirm with your GP.
8. Can I request repeat prescriptions and follow-up appointments?
Once you are stable on your medication but not quite at the shared care agreement stage, you can request repeat prescriptions via the website. Where prescriptions are issued within appointments, there is no prescription charge. However, when issued outside of appointments, which will typically occur on a monthly basis when a patient is on stable dose of medication being prescribed by the doctor at Psymplicity, prescriptions are subject to an administrative fee as per our website. See our latest pricing page.
As Psymplicity will be issuing a private prescription, the cost of the medication issued by and invoiced by the pharmacy will require payment by the patient to the pharmacy. If you choose to continue your treatment with us, you can request repeat prescriptions and have regular follow-up appointments with the psychiatrist. Indicative pricing for the costs of the medication itself can be found by looking at the BNF website, selecting a medication, going to the medicinal form section where the baseline price of each branded and generic medication is available. Pharmacies will typically charge more than this and charge for direct home delivery where this service is requested. Please see the BNF section on the NICE website for more details.
9. What if I have insurance coverage?
If you have insurance coverage, we recommend contacting your insurer before booking an appointment to confirm if the appointment will be covered. You will need to obtain an authorization code from your insurer. Psymplicity will invoice you for the appointment with payment required prior to your appointment taking place. We will provide all necessary documentation for you to submit a claim for reimbursement to your insurance company. Please note that we do not reclaim the clinic fee on your behalf.
We hope these FAQs have provided you with the information you were seeking. If you would like to go ahead and book the appointment, please click here to book.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information. We look forward to assisting you on your ASD and ADHD assessment journey.