If you’re registered with a GP in England, you have the legal Right to Choose your specialist healthcare provider - including for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments. This scheme allows your GP to refer you to a qualified provider of your choice to help you access faster, NHS-funded support at no extra cost to you as the end user.
But with so many Right to Choose (RTC) providers on the market, how do you know which provider is right for you? In this short guide, we’ll be covering the main things you should consider as you weigh up your options, and some helpful resources that make the process a little easier.
Before we begin
ProblemShared is a registered Right to Choose provider, and we would be delighted if you decided to pursue a neurodevelopmental assessment with us. However, our first and greatest priority is ensuring you find the right provider for your circumstances.
In this article, we will of course be telling you what sets our service apart from other providers, but our mission is to help you understand your options and access the right care for you, whether that’s with ProblemShared or somewhere else.
In-person vs. Online assessments
The first step is establishing whether you would prefer an in-person or virtual neurodevelopmental assessment. Some people prefer the more intimate nature of a one-to-one, in person assessment; others may find the idea of travelling to and attending a physical session anxiety-inducing.
Here are a few simple questions that may help inform your decision:
- Do you have a local, in-person service near you?
- Does the idea of sharing your experiences in person make you feel more or less comfortable with the assessment process?
- Would the convenience of joining an online call from a familiar environment make the assessment process feel more comfortable?
- Do you have a laptop or PC you can join a virtual call from?
- Do you have stable internet access and a working webcam?
A common concern around virtual assessments is that the format may make it harder for clinicians to spot ‘masking’ - the act of hiding neurodiverse traits to fit neurotypical expectations.
However, our highly qualified clinical teams are specifically trained to identify these nuances, even through a screen, and ensure that you or your child can feel comfortable enough to open up and be yourselves throughout the session.
Ultimately, there’s no wrong answer when it comes to deciding between in-person or virtual. Online autism and ADHD assessments are just as safe and effective as in-person sessions. The most important thing is choosing the environment where you feel most comfortable.
Checking your suitability
When you’ve decided between a virtual and in-person assessment, you’ll also need to review the provider’s suitability criteria to ensure the service is safe and appropriate for you. Our criteria is available on our suitability page.
As a responsible healthcare provider, our priority is ensuring you receive appropriate care for your individual circumstances. We will always be transparent if we are not the right provider for you.
However, it's important to remember that if we are unsuitable for your care, it does not mean you are unsuitable for care elsewhere. In this instance, we would encourage you to explore other healthcare providers, review their suitability criteria, and find the service that best meets your needs.
Check Trustpilot reviews
When it comes to autism and ADHD assessments, Trustpilot reviews are a vital component in the decision-making process.
Connecting with peer experiences
When you dive into these reviews, you aren't just looking for a star rating; you’re hearing from other neurodivergent voices. There’s something uniquely informative about reading feedback from people who share your specific anxieties and challenges.
Whether the reviewer received a diagnosis or not, their perspective can provide a mirror for your own concerns. If they mention that the provider handled their ‘sensory processing issues’ or ‘executive dysfunction’ with grace, it offers a level of reassurance that well-intentioned copy on a webpage simply can't.
Checking common themes
Trustpilot allows you to look for recurring themes and specific keywords that signal a provider’s internal culture. The site offers both an AI summation of the common themes of a company’s reviews, and allows you to search for reviews that contain specific keywords.
The keyword function is especially helpful in this instance. Here are a few terms you can search for to get a better understanding of the provider’s service and the assessors they employ:
- Positive indicators: Caring, comfortable, validating, human, empathetic, respectful, responsive, feel/felt heard
- Negative indicators: Hostile, detached, dismissive, uncaring, uninterested, condescending
Take the time to read both the positive and negative reviews and consider how many of these indicator terms pop up.
Two-way conversations
While platforms like Reddit are excellent for raw, unfiltered community experiences, they often only present one side of the story. Trustpilot offers a unique window into a provider's client management through their public responses.
How a business handles a one-star review can sometimes tell you more about a company than a five-star review. Are they defensive and rigid, or are they receptive and empathetic?
Seeing how a provider navigates friction gives you a clearer idea of their professional integrity and whether they truly value the feedback of the neurodivergent community they serve.
Understanding wait times
Waiting for a neurodevelopmental assessment can feel like life is on pause. However, while wait times across the board can look daunting, the Right to Choose pathway remains the fastest route to an assessment.
As of 2024, the national average wait times for those seeking an assessment through community health services reached sobering levels:
- Autism assessments: The average wait time was 2 years and 2 months.
- ADHD assessments: The average wait time was 2 years and 5 months.
While Right to Choose wait times have also increased due to high demand, they typically remain significantly shorter - often measured in months rather than years.
Where to find Right to Choose wait times
Wait times for RTC providers can change frequently based on their current capacity, so it’s important to check the most up-to-date figures before making your choice.
- For a full comparison: We recommend visiting ADHD UK’s wait times page. They maintain a comprehensive list of all RTC providers for both autism and ADHD, including the latest wait times reported by each provider.
- For our service: You can find our current, up-to-date wait times listed on our Right to Choose page.
An important note on ADHD wait times
If you’re seeking an ADHD assessment, it’s important to know that your journey with your service of choice often involves two separate waiting lists:
- Assessment wait times: The time from your GP referral until your ADHD assessment with your clinician
- Medication wait times: If you receive a diagnosis and wish to explore medication, you enter a second queue. Please note that a positive ADHD diagnosis does not guarantee eligibility for ADHD medication, as you will need to meet your provider’s medication criteria.
Having to be placed on two separate wait lists for assessment and medication means there may be a gap of several months between your diagnosis and starting treatment.
For more information on accessing ADHD medication, as well as shared care and titration, please visit our ADHD medication page.
Additional services
When selecting a Right to Choose provider, it’s tempting to focus solely on the diagnostic assessment itself. However, it’s also important to look past that appointment and ask yourself: ‘What happens the day after I get my answer?’
For some, the validation of a diagnosis is the primary goal - a way to finally understand the unique ways they experience the world. For others, the diagnosis is simply the first step towards a long-term support plan.
Not all providers are equipped to go the distance with you, so you’ll need to weigh up two key areas of post-diagnostic care:
Medication
If you’re seeking an ADHD assessment, you may be considering medication as part of your treatment. It’s a common misconception that all diagnostic providers also handle the ‘titration’ process (the period where you find the right dose).
Some providers only offer the diagnosis and then discharge you back to your GP for further care. If your GP isn't comfortable managing specialised ADHD stimulants, you may find yourself with a diagnosis but no way to access treatment.
Look for a provider that offers ADHD medication through a shared care agreement, which you can read more about in our standalone ‘What is shared care?’ article.
It’s important to remember, however, that if you are diagnosed with ADHD by ProblemShared or another provider, it does not guarantee you will be eligible for medication, as you will also need to meet our medication criteria before we could begin the titration process.
Psychoeducation
A diagnosis provides the ‘why’, but not necessarily the ‘what next’. Many RTC providers end their journey with their clients once they’ve delivered their assessment, which can leave some people wondering what to do next. That’s where psychoeducation sessions come in.
Psychoeducation sessions are about learning practical strategies to manage symptoms of autism and ADHD, like executive dysfunction, sensory processing, or emotional regulation, to help you better understand how you experience the world and how you can make those experiences more comfortable.
Currently, we are the only provider offering dedicated psychoeducation sessions as a form of post-diagnostic support.
Why choose ProblemShared?
Our focus on strength-based, person-centred neurodevelopmental assessments sets us apart.
- Rather than focusing solely on any perceived weaknesses, we equip our clients to navigate the challenges they face, while recognising and championing their individual strengths.
- We aim to deliver a same-day diagnosis to our clients following assessment.
We’re held to the highest standards of care.
- We’re regulated by the CQC, and are currently one of the UK’s largest providers of neurodevelopmental assessment and support services.
- We’re a fully qualified NHS provider, and are committed to excellence across our entire service.
Our clinicians are certified experts.
- Our neurodevelopmental team includes occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists.
- They are all highly qualified, accredited by their relevant professional bodies, and follow the codes of conduct drawn from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
We’re the only provider to offer a neurodevelopmental service that includes post-diagnostic care.
- Our unique psychoeducation sessions are a space for you to better understand your diagnosis and receive ongoing support from our clinical team. Sessions are available for adults, parents of teens aged 12-17, and parents of children aged 7-11, and can be accessed on demand if you miss or are uncomfortable attending a live webinar.
- For every client, we provide recommendations about how they can make positive changes to improve their lives, whether at school, work, or home.
- Our clinicians can prescribe ADHD medication where appropriate.
We're fully online.
- Our remote service ensures the end-to-end assessment process is convenient and secure, meaning you can access support from the comfort of your own home.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the Resources section of our website, or explore our FAQs.
You can read more about the Right to Choose scheme on the NHS' website.
