ProblemShared
Early concerns
As a family, we had always wondered if our eldest son was neurodivergent. We picked up on a few early signs, but we were never certain, as we often thought his behaviour was typical of boys - especially one who had endured the challenges of COVID-19 lockdowns.
ADHD was first suggested as a possibility by my son’s teacher when he was six years old. He had trouble sitting still in the classroom, was easily distracted, found it difficult to follow instructions, and fidgeted often. He would also steal Blu-tack from classroom displays so that he had something to fiddle with!
We also noticed similar challenges at home, with my son finding it difficult to concentrate on daily tasks, showing frequent hyperactive behaviour, and having difficulty with regulating his emotions. However, we could not pursue a formal diagnosis until he turned seven years old.
Making this stage easier:
- During this time, I found it helpful to have an initial meeting with my son’s school. Together, we discussed his challenges at school and implemented some strategies to help him as we waited for a formal assessment. For instance, he was allowed to have fidget toys to play with in the classroom to channel his excess energy more productively.
- I also wrote down as much information as I could about my son’s strengths, challenges, and neurodiverse traits so that I had these ready for the assessment process.
The assessment process
When we first started the screening and assessment journey, I felt relieved that we may finally get access to the appropriate support for my son and have a greater understanding of his daily needs. When filling out the initial screening questionnaire, I had much greater clarity about how my son's brain worked. With each recognisable statement, things became clearer.
My child's school also filled out the screening questionnaire, and together, these results enabled us to pursue a formal assessment. During the next stage of my son's assessment, we provided greater detail about his childhood and developmental background, as well as the daily challenges and signs of ADHD that he faced. Receiving a diagnosis of ADHD has enabled us to put the support mechanisms into place that our son requires.
Tips for navigating this stage:
- Be open and honest with the medical professionals conducting the assessment, and don't be afraid to ask questions or voice any concerns you may have.
- Remember that you know your child best, and your input is invaluable in forming an accurate diagnosis and support plan.
- Find out as much as you can about ADHD and the assessment process. By staying informed, you will be better equipped to advocate for your child and make important decisions about their treatment.
- Be accurate and honest when filling out assessment questionnaires, and use past documentation, if required, to jog your memory about developmental milestones.
- Speak to other parents who have been through a similar experience for practical and emotional support.
- Work closely with your child’s school during the assessment process. Keep the school updated on the progress and any diagnosis or support plans that are put into place.
Talking to your child about their ADHD assessment
Explaining the ADHD assessment process to my son proved challenging, but we had always felt that it was important to keep him fully informed along the way. We had a conversation with him about what was happening and used age-appropriate and neuroaffirming language. We focused on the strengths and positives of his characteristics rather than highlighting any perceived weaknesses.
Based on my experience, here are some practical tips to consider when talking to your child about their ADHD assessment:
- Start by creating a safe and non-judgmental space for your child to talk to you about their thoughts and feelings.
- Use simple and plain language to explain ADHD and the assessment process to your child. The language you use must be appropriate for the age of your child.
- Always use neuroaffirming language when speaking to your child, focusing on their strengths and abilities instead of talking about “symptoms” and “deficits.”
- Encourage your child to ask any questions and express any concerns they may have about the ADHD assessment process, and practice active listening as they talk to you.
- Remind your child that you are there to support them every step of the way and that they can always come to you with any questions or concerns.
In my experience, speaking to my son openly about his ADHD has enabled him to become an advocate for both himself and his neurodivergent peers!
Final thoughts
Going through the ADHD assessment process has given me the opportunity to learn more about neurodivergence and the strengths and challenges that come with it. It has also helped me to better understand my son, and shown me how to adapt my parenting style to suit his unique needs. Remember that the assessment process is designed to help your child receive the support they need, so try to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn.
How to pick your Right to Choose provider
What is the NHS Right to Choose scheme?
If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and are referred by your GP for specialist healthcare, including neurodevelopmental assessments (such as for autism or ADHD), you have the legal right to select the support provider that best meets your individual needs.
This is known as your Right to Choose. It means you can decide which organisation will oversee your care, as long as they are located in England and are fully qualified. The scheme allows the NHS to better manage its wait lists and means you can access support faster, and at no cost to yourself. You can follow this link to read more about it on the NHS website.
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 are regulated by the CQC, and are currently one of the UK’s largest providers of neurodevelopmental assessment and support services.
- We are a fully qualified NHS provider, and are committed to excellence across our entire service.
Our clinicians are certified experts.
- Our neurodevelopmental team include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, clinical psychologist 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 workshops are a space for you to better understand your diagnosis and receive ongoing support from our clinical team.
- 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 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.
Why is ProblemShared eligible for Right to Choose?
ProblemShared is eligible to offer RTC because we have contracts with NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) for both ADHD and autism services. This means we can provide the same service for any client who is registered with a GP in England.
ProblemShared is also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which means that we provide consistently safe, high-quality, compassionate care, and meet the highest level of legal and regulatory standards.
Right to Choose assessments with ProblemShared, step-by-step
Here's what you can expect from your client journey with us:
1. Pre-assessment information requested
After we have reviewed and accepted your referral, we will ask you to complete some important pre-assessment forms.
2. You are moved to our wait list
Once you have completed the pre-assessment forms, we will move you onto our wait list for an assessment. Your assessment will occur between 12-24 weeks of you joining the wait list. After the duration of our wait list has elapsed, we will notify you of the date of your assessment and the time of each session.
3. Assessment occurs
Your assessment will consist of several sessions over the same day, with both yourself and your informant(s), overseen by our clinical team.
4. Outcome and report
You will be given the outcome of your assessment during the final session of the day. We will send you a full assessment report no later than 4 weeks after this.
5. Post-diagnostic care
If you are diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition, you will be offered ongoing care including medication (where appropriate) and psychoeducation.
Need more information?
If you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.
What care does ProblemShared provide through Right to Choose?
We currently provide the following services through the NHS Right to Choose scheme:
ADHD
- ADHD assessments for adults and children
- ADHD psychoeducation workshops
- Medication (where appropriate)
Autism
- Autism assessments for adults and children
- Autism psychoeducation workshops
- Ongoing post-diagnostic care
What is the NHS Right to Choose scheme?
If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and are referred by your GP for specialist healthcare, including neurodevelopmental assessments (such as for autism or ADHD), you have the legal right to select the support provider that best meets your individual needs.
This is known as your right to choose. It means you can decide which organisation will oversee your care, as long as they are located in England and are fully qualified. The scheme allows the NHS to better manage its wait lists and means you can access support faster, and at no cost to yourself. You can follow this link to read more about it on the NHS website.
Right to Choose with ProblemShared
If you suspect that you or your child might have autism or ADHD, ProblemShared offers assessment, diagnosis, medication, and post-diagnostic support to clients who come into our care through the NHS Right to Choose scheme.
We are currently one of the UK’s largest providers of neurodevelopmental assessment and support services. We are a qualified NHS provider, CQC-registered, and operate short wait lists, ensuring you get access to the support you need quickly and efficiently.
Let’s take a look at each part of our service in more depth, so you know exactly what to expect.
Neurodevelopmental assessment & diagnosis
- Once we have accepted your referral into our service, and you have provided us with some important pre-assessment information, we will move you onto our wait list for an assessment.
- After the duration of our wait list has elapsed, we will notify you of the date of your assessment and the time of each session.
- Your assessment will consist of several sessions over the same day, with both yourself and your informant(s), overseen by our clinical team.
- You will be given the outcome of your assessment during the final session of the day. We will send you a full assessment report no later than 4 weeks after this.
ADHD medication
If you receive a diagnosis for ADHD, we will offer you the option of exploring the use of medication as a treatment. Our specialist nurse practitioners can prescribe medication where appropriate, which can then be dispensed by your local pharmacy. We will also work with you to alter the dosage of your medications based on how you respond to the medication – a process known as titration.
Post-diagnostic support
Our care for our clients extends beyond diagnosis. We offer unique psychoeducation sessions, which are a space for you to better understand your diagnosis with our clinical team.
Suitability criteria
Our assessment process is carried out entirely remotely. We feel you will be better off being referred by your GP for a face-to-face assessment if:
- You are non-verbal and/or selectively mute
- You are not fluent in English
- You have a diagnosis of global development delay or a diagnosed intellectual disability (IQ below 70)
- You are currently receiving treatment for an active eating disorder, and/or in active family-based therapy or eating disorder therapy
- You are a person who is looked after, or under the guardianship of a local authority
- You are currently receiving treatment for drug or alcohol addiction
- You have experienced a current, or recently (within 3 months) resolved, psychotic episode
- You have a significant visual or hearing impairment
- You are undergoing safeguarding investigations
- You currently have high levels of risk in terms of your behaviour and mental health
- You require emergency treatment
- You have already received care or treatment for the neurodevelopmental condition for which you are seeking an assessment
- You are detained in a hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983, or on a Community Treatment order
- You are seeking a second opinion assessment, and have already been assessed for autism within the last year (this does not apply to assessment for ADHD)
- You do not have access to a laptop or computer (please note that an iPad which is at least 10” in size and can be propped up to be used handsfree can also be used to access our service, but handheld devices such as mobile phones cannot)
- You do not have access to an internet connection in a private place
- You or your child are not willing to conduct the assessment with your camera turned on for the duration of the assessment
- You are currently serving a prison sentence, or are on temporary release
- You serve in the armed forces
- You have had a head injury, brain surgery, or have a neurological condition that has left you with significant cognitive impairments
- You are unable to look after your self-care needs, or the needs of your dependants (e.g., washing, feeding, not taking prescribed medications)
Our quality care
ProblemShared is a community of people who care. Our standards of excellence are at the core of everything we do.
- Our assessments are strength-based and person-centred
- We’re the only provider to offer a neurodevelopmental service that includes post-diagnostic care
- Our clinicians are certified experts, and include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, clinical psychologist and psychiatrists
- Our neurodevelopmental team 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
- ProblemShared is regulated by the CQC, meaning we are held to the highest standards of care
Need more information?
If you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.
What does a Right to Choose adult autism assessment look like?
If you think that you may be autistic, seeking a diagnosis and support can be a life-changing experience. In this article, we explain the assessment process in detail to help you feel prepared.
What to expect during your autism assessment with ProblemShared
After being referred to our service by your GP, getting an autism assessment with ProblemShared is simple. Here are the steps you can expect to take on your assessment journey:
- Pre-Assessment Questionnaire
- You will receive an email confirming that your referral to our service has been accepted, and asking you to complete some pre-assessment forms.
- One of these forms is the Pre-Assessment Questionnaire. Take some time to complete it carefully, as it will help our clinical team to get to know you and understand your situation better.
- Informant Questionnaire
- The second form is called the Informant Questionnaire. This needs to be completed by your informant.
- An informant is someone who has known you since early childhood, like a parent or carer.
- You need to download the Informant Questionnaire from your client dashboard and send it to your informant to complete. When they are finished, they can send it back to you to re-upload onto your client dashboard.
Once both your Pre-Assessment Questionnaire and Informant Questionnaire have been completed and uploaded onto your client dashboard, you will receive another email with the date and time of your autism assessment sessions.
- First session: Informant Interview
- One of our clinicians will interview your informant in a session called an Informant Interview. The Informant Interview will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and last approximately 3 hours.
- You can be present too, if you wish, but you don't have to be.
- The Informant Interview helps our practitioners to get a clearer picture of the challenges you faced during childhood. This information, combined with information gathered during your observational assessment, will help our practitioners with the process of diagnosis.
- Second session: Observation Session
- The observation session will be overseen by a different clinician to the one who completed your Informant Interview. This is because of our commitment to quality of care. It's a way to achieve a second expert opinion during your autism assessment.
- The observation session will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and consist of some activities and tasks that the practitioner will ask you to complete. These are not tests, and there are no right or wrong answers. Our clinicians are simply trying to discover more about your situation to ensure they can conduct a robust assessment.
- Third session: Feedback Session
- During your feedback session, the practitioner who carried out your observation session will discuss the outcome of your autism assessment with you. They will tell you whether you have been diagnosed with autism or not.
- A full report of your autism assessment will be sent to you via email no later than 4 weeks after your feedback session.
How to prepare for your autism assessment with ProblemShared
Seeking a formal assessment can be a daunting process. However, preparing for your autism assessment can help ease some of the anxiety surrounding it.
Here are some tips on how to best prepare for your assessment with ProblemShared:
- Do some research. Before embarking on an autism assessment journey, you could take some time to familiarise yourself with the common traits and behaviours associated with autism, to gain a better understanding of the condition.
- Keep a journal. It can be helpful to keep a journal or diary leading up to your assessment where you write down any observations or experiences that relate to social interactions, communication, or social sensory sensitivities. This information could be helpful during your assessment, as it provides concrete examples of how these challenges affect your daily life.
- Gather information about your childhood. As an adult seeking an autism diagnosis, providing information about your childhood is crucial in aiding professionals in making an accurate diagnosis. Try reaching out to family members or caregivers who knew you as a child and ask them about any potential developmental delays or differences they may have noticed. Our clinicians recommend looking at childhood photographs to help jog your memory of your early development.
Ongoing care and support for clients who are diagnosed with autism
If you receive an autism diagnosis following your assessment with us, we offer a range of ongoing support options to our clients. Our clinicians can prescribe medication where appropriate, and we provide psychoeducation workshops where you can learn more about your diagnosis.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.
