Our entire team - many of whom are Autistic, ADHD, or neurodivergent themselves - considers it a great privilege to guide you through this process. We're here to provide the expert, compassionate support you need and it's very important to us that you feel prepared and comfortable throughout. If you are unsure about anything at any point, please email us at info@adultautism.ie and we'll do our utmost to help.

If you're ready to proceed, please click 'Next' to continue.

Here's what we'll ask you to share

Consent and Getting to Know Each Other

First, we'll introduce ourselves and explain how we will work together. We'll gather some basic information about you and ensure you feel comfortable giving your informed consent before moving forward.

Your Lived Experience

Next, we'll invite you to share your lived experiences. This is the most important part of our work together. We will ask about your lived experiences that might possibly indicate being Autistic and/or ADHD. You can share as much or as little detail as feels comfortable. There are no right or wrong answers. Your story matters to us, and we are here to understand it.

Your Current Wellbeing

Last, we will ask you some specific questions to see how your current wellbeing and mental health is. This helps us to look after you best during your experience with us. 

It's important you take your time when sharing your lived experience

Reflecting on and articulating your experiences will take time - that's completely normal and to be expected. You can save your progress and return whenever you need. Please complete everything when you're ready. Remember to click 'Submit' at the end so that we receive all of your necessary information. 

Please note: incomplete submissions are automatically deleted after 60 days for privacy and security.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice is not an adult mental health service. Our focus is solely on adult, autism identification (alongside ADHD identification). If you are experiencing significant mental health issues (e.g., suicidal thoughts or self-harming), for your own safety and well-being it is vital you seek support from the right services/professionals, before attending with us.

 
If UK based, you can contact:

1. Your GP, who can help you access a referral for psychological talking therapy in your area. 
2. Samaritans freephone 116-123 
3. Via TEXT www.crisistextline.uk 24/7 text servive
4. Text SHOUT to 85258 www.giveusashout.org

If based in Ireland, you can contact:

1. Your GP (or out of hours GP)
2. Samaritans freephone 116-123
3. TEXT Crisis Textline Ireland: 50808 is a free 24/7 text service. Text 3TS to 50808 
4. The Psychological Society of Ireland
5. The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

If you feel actively unable to keep yourself or others safe, please attend your nearest A&E department, where urgent mental health support is available. 

Confidentiality

All sessions are confidential with The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice, and this is very important to us. We will always respect your right to confidentiality.

However, there are certain limits to confidentiality. In circumstances where concerns arise regarding your safety and well-being or that of another adult or child, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. This includes information provided in your submitted forms and/or emails, as well as information provided during sessions with your psychologist. 

This means for example that should you give us information which indicates that a child may be at risk, this is something that we are ethically mandated to follow up and possibly report. 

In the event where we feel we must break confidence, we will endeavor where possible and appropriate to discuss this with you beforehand.  

For clients in Ireland, psychologists are legally obliged to report all situations of potential risk or harm to those under 18. 

Note: Online sessions will not be recorded in any format by us, and it is not permitted for sessions to be recorded by you. 

Limitations to Confidentiality

Please be aware that there are some occasions when if past abuse/risk is reported to us we are legally obliged to report it to the relevant authority/agency, for example if there is the ongoing risk to others. We would seek to discuss this with you first. If you have concerns about the limits of confidentiality then please do discuss with your psychologist.

Where You Live is Important

We mostly see clients from the UK, Ireland and wider Europe.

However, we do see people living in other countries. If you currently live in a country that is not in the UK, Ireland or Europe, please email us at info@adultautism.ie, to see if your country can be covered.

If you live outside the UK or Ireland and hope to use your formal Autistic identification to access disability supports or other assistance, please check local legislation regarding the acceptance of a diagnosis from outside your country of residence.

Unfortunately, we cannot see clients residing in the USA or Canada, as regulations in these countries require your psychologist be registered in the specific US state or Canadian province in which you live.

If you are living in an eligible country that is not the UK or Ireland and are hoping to use your documentation for example to access disability supports, please make sure to check the requirements for accepting a diagnosis in the country you are living in. While we may be able to see and assess you, different countries have different rules around assessments and reports.

Location of Online Sessions

The platform we use for online sessions is Microsoft Teams. You might like to download and install Microsoft Teams (free of charge) prior to your session to become familiar with it, alternatively, if you are using a computer, you can also open the link in your browser without downloading Microsoft Teams.

Once set up, you will be able to book sessions directly with your psychologist and they will email you the Teams meeting details.

Confidentiality of Online Space

Due to the nature of working online, we cannot control all aspects of confidentiality as we can in face to face therapy sessions in a physical space. We have chosen to conduct online sessions through Microsoft Teams because they adhere to the HIPAA and EU GDPR standards for data protection.

Linking in with Other Services

It is important for you to let us know if you are currently linked with NHS or HSE adult mental health service (or similar).

The form provides a space for you to enter contact details for your service we will request your consent at this end of this form to contact the service and request information and/or collaboration.

It is important for us to collect these details and access consent to contact. 

However, we generally do not contact these services unless there is an emergency and with your request under specific circumstances. It is not standard practice.

We understand you may have had negative experiences of services in the past, and been misunderstood or dismissed. Please be assured, you are at the centre of everything we do and we recognise you as the expert in your own experience.

Looking After Yourself

Consultations and assessments with us are usually a positive experience. The vast majority of the feedback we have gained from previous clients is that they found the process hopeful, supportive and much easier and less stressful than anticipated.

However, going on a personal journey of discovery such as this can surface difficult feelings, be tiring and overwhelming.

Because everything is online and we will not be physically present, it is important to have a plan for what to do in case you become distressed following a session. Please make sure to have a plan with a list of options to follow, if you do become distressed, e.g., phoning family members, friends or helplines. If you become concerned about your own safety and can’t access the support you need, you should attend an A&E department.

It would be a good idea to schedule relaxing activities on the days you have assessment sessions, particularly after sessions.

If you feel that the experience is going to be particularly overwhelming, you could also consider accessing some therapeutic support outside of The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice either before, during or after the assessment. 

If you experience significant distress during the period of the assessment, or just after it, please do let us know so that we can link you in with the right support.

Please note, we may recommend pausing your assessment journey, until you access some therapeutic support.

You will be asked later to provide the name and contact details of someone we can contact in an emergency. We will only contact this person if we are concerned for your safety and we are not able to get in contact with you.

Post Assessment Support Session

It is very important to us that the people we work with are well supported following what for many is a life transforming experience. 

While we are an assessment (collaborative identification) and not a support service, we have been proactive in ensuring there is a solid support pathway in place for our clients.

Tara O’Donnell-Killen is our Support Lead at The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice. She is an Autistic integrative psychologist who founded Thriving Autistic (and the Neurodivergent Practitioner Directory which is part of that) in 2020, at the same time we started The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice. Thriving Autistic (and the Neurodivergent Practitioner Directory) is a team of professional coaches, psychologists, therapists and occupational therapists who are all themselves autistic or otherwise neurodivergent. The team at Thriving Autistic follow the same neurodiversity affirmative commitment to practice as our team. They are also highly skilled and experienced in the area of ADHD and neurodivergence in general. 

As part of our assessment/collaborative identification package at The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice, we offer one post assessment/identification support session with one of Tara's team at Thriving Autistic.

The follow up support session is designed to offer a supportive space for you to explore your feelings about the process and outcome of your sessions with us, to provide you with signposting to connect you to resources you may need and assist you with any immediate areas of concern.

The process is as follows:

If you are identified as Autistic and/or ADHD, your psychologist (with your consent) will email Thriving Autistic with a brief outline about your strengths and what you hope to focus on in the session. Thriving Autistic will then contact you by email to arrange your session.  

Documentation

If you are identified as Autistic (and/or ADHD) during an assessment, you will be provided with strengths based, Neuro-Affirmative documentation that confirms your identification and which helps you understand how you met the criteria. We will also provide you with documentation to help with reasonable accommodations in work or college if you need it. This documentation will be emailed to you in PDF format. 

Our "diagnosis" letters are accepted in health and education institutions in both Ireland and the UK. As stated previously, if living in a different country you will need to check their requirements. 

There is an additional fee if you intend on applying for PIP (in the UK) or Disability Allowance (in Ireland). See our website for info on fees. Please let us know in advance as there are specific report requirements to access these that we can help you with if needed. A robust letter of this kind means that we spend additional time gathering relevant information from the material that you share with us. We need to go into detail doing this to make sure we provide evidence, where appropriate, to support you being awarded points. In order that we can provide you with a detailed letter we need to charge a higher amount to cover the additional staff costs and admin time of producing this detailed letter

Please note that if you opt for a single consultation rather than a full assessment, there will be no written documentation provided.

Also, please note that if you require additional documentation/letters outside of what we typically provide there will be an additional fee. In addition, if you require documentation in the future after some time as passed (i.e. several months) there will be an additional fee for all of this documentation. 

We do not provide documentation for court purposes or legal proceedings. We also do not see clients actively engaging in most legal proceedings. Contact us by email if you have any particular circumstances you need to check with us about.  

Cancellation Fee

Due to high demand for our services, a cancellation fee for individual sessions will be applied if less than 48 hours notice is given. If you cancel within 48 hours of your appointment or fail to attend without notifying the psychologist, a fee of €100/£84 will be charged.

Professional Records

It is a requirement to keep appropriate records of the services provided. Your records are maintained by our staff on a secure Microsoft server, secured by use of a password and a firewall with a secure access log and are accessible only to our team.  Any paper forms (e.g., if you choose to send a questionnaire in the post) are secured in locked filing cabinets in line with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) ethical guidelines. All personal information is treated with respect and privacy to be read only as needed, in accordance with GDPR and the Psychological Society of Ireland guidelines.

Your session will not be audio or video recorded. Any notes we take during or after our session will be held securely in accordance with GDPR guidelines, we utilize a Microsoft suite of services as they are fully GDPR and HIPPA compliant. 

You may always request to see what information is held about you at any given time – allowing notice to gather and share as per GDPR guidance.

Please note that by agreeing to be emailed copies of any documentation being transmitted to you, you are acknowledging there is a small risk of information being accessed by a third party during this transmission.

Our Psychologists

We have a wonderful mix of psychologists from both the UK and Ireland on our team, who see a mix of clients from both regions (and abroad).

All UK based psychologists are registered with the HCPC (The Health and Care Professional's Council) (this is a requirement in the UK).  

If you are based in the UK and see one of our Irish based psychologists, please be aware that they are not registered with the HCPC. This means that in the unlikely event of you having a concern you would need to raise it within the Irish system (e.g. the Psychological Society of Ireland) and not the HCPC.

Our Irish psychologists are Chartered Members of the Psychological Society of Ireland.  If you are currently based in Ireland and see one of our UK based psychologists, similarly you would need to raise concerns within the HCPC. 

In no other way are the services provided by our psychologists any different.

When you are sent the selection of psychologists to choose from that have availabiliy, you may be able to choose between a UK or Irish based psychologist. However, please be aware that we cannot guarantee availability with a psychologist from a particular region. 

We have a mix of Counselling, Clinical and Neuro Psychologists on our team. All psychologists are fully qualified for the work they are doing and working within their competencies.

All reports from all of our psychologists will be accepted by all major organisations (e.g. NHS and colleges) as they comply with best practice guidelines.   

The only thing to keep in mind here is if you are attending for ADHD identification, while the documentation is valid, if you wish to access medication this will not be possible from any assessment from a psychologist but we will be able to signpost you to a psychiatrist that accepts documentation from other practices. 

Any queries or requests in this area please email us. 

A note on insurance

If you have private insurance, we can provide all the necessary details for you to claim on your insurance.

Please note: for claims, when choosing your psychologist, you will likely be required to choose a psychologist based in your country of residence.

Please note: if you are based in Ireland, you must choose a Chartered Member of the PSI if you want to claim on insurance.

Information about each psychologist will be given to you clearly at the time of booking.

Please check with your insurance provider before booking if you have any queries.

By providing your consent below, you agree to receive emails from The Adult Autism & ADHD Practice. These communications may include, but are not limited to, updates on our services, newsletters, promotional offers, and research-related information. Your participation in receiving these emails is entirely voluntary.

You can opt-out of receiving these communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email or contacting us directly. Your consent will remain valid until you withdraw it, and you may choose not to receive marketing or research emails without affecting your care or services provided by the Adult Autism & ADHD Practice.

Note: Your email address will only be used for the purposes outlined above and will not be shared with third parties without your explicit consent.

Parent Signature

Parent signature is required if this application is for a child who is 17 now but wishes to go on our waitlist in the understanding that they will not be seen by us until that are 18 years old.

Note: When the child turns 18 years old they will need to sign another consent before being seen. 

Why Sharing Your Lived Experiences Now Really Helps You

• Say everything you want to say: Many of our clients have told us they worry they won't get everything out during sessions. Writing about your lived experience gives you the time and space to share things in your own way, at your own pace.
  
  
• Take the pressure off: There's a lot to cover, and we don't want your sessions to feel rushed. When you share your lived experience beforehand, we can use our time together focusing on what matters most to you.
  
  
• Help us prepare thoughtfully: Understanding your lived experience helps your psychologist identify which areas are most important to you, so they can create a meaningful plan for each session.
  
  
• Work together: Your lived experience is key to helping us create the clarity you're seeking. Sharing your story helps us collaborate and make the very best use of your time with us.

Some Reassuring Points About Sharing Your Lived Experience

• Go at your own pace: You don't need to share everything in one sitting. Click 'Save' at the end and we'll email you a link to continue whenever you're ready.
  
• Who reads this: Your psychologist will read about your lived experience once you've booked your session. Sometimes our Assistant Psychologists or Client Support Team may also read it to make sure you're getting the right support throughout your time with us.
  
  
• There's no "right" amount to share: Seriously - there's no perfect length or ideal amount of detail about your lived experience. Share as much or as little as feels comfortable. Need to write more? Just follow up with an email - we're happy to read it.
  
  
• Write however feels natural: Please don't worry about spelling, grammar, or making things "perfect." Bullet points, single words, phrases, stream of consciousness - whatever works for you to express your lived experience is absolutely fine.
  
  
• No need to repeat yourself: If you've already shared something about your lived experience in an earlier section, there's no need to write it again. We'll remember!
  
  
• You're in control: You never have to share anything about your lived experience that doesn't feel right. You can write "I'd prefer to talk about this in person" or "I'm not comfortable sharing this yet." You can leave sections blank. We trust you to share what feels safe, and we'll work with whatever you give us.

The following question asks

"Have you ever experienced any significant events in your life that may have been traumatic (please only give as much detail as you feel comfortable providing)."

Please note:

We welcome you to share information with us in relation to significant events/experiences in your life that you feel are important to your assessment process, if you feel comfortable doing so. We will treat the information you share with us respectfully and confidentially. Please be reminded that there are some occasions when if past abuse/risk is reported to us we are legally obliged to report it to the relevant authority/agency, for example if there is ongoing risk to others. We would seek to discuss this with you first. If you have concerns about the limits of confidentiality, then please do discuss with your psychologist

 Why Sharing Your Lived Experiences Now Really Helps You

• Say everything you want to say: Many of our clients have told us they worry they won't get everything out during sessions. Writing about your lived experience gives you the time and space to share things in your own way, at your own pace.
• Take the pressure off: There's a lot to cover, and we don't want your sessions to feel rushed. When you share your lived experience beforehand, we can use our time together focusing on what matters most to you.
• Help us prepare thoughtfully: Understanding your lived experience helps your psychologist identify which areas are most important to you, so they can create a meaningful plan for each session.
• Work together: Your lived experience is key to helping us create the clarity you're seeking. Sharing your story helps us collaborate and make the very best use of your time with us.

Some Reassuring Points About Sharing Your Lived Experience

• Go at your own pace: You don't need to share everything in one sitting. Click 'Save' at the end and we'll email you a link to continue whenever you're ready.
• Who reads this: Your psychologist will read about your lived experience once you've booked your session. Sometimes our Assistant Psychologists or Client Support Team may also read it to make sure you're getting the right support throughout your time with us.
• There's no "right" amount to share: Seriously - there's no perfect length or ideal amount of detail about your lived experience. Share as much or as little as feels comfortable. Need to write more? Just follow up with an email - we're happy to read it.
• Write however feels natural: Please don't worry about spelling, grammar, or making things "perfect." Bullet points, single words, phrases, stream of consciousness - whatever works for you to express your lived experience is absolutely fine.
• No need to repeat yourself: If you've already shared something about your lived experience in an earlier section, there's no need to write it again. We'll remember!
• You're in control: You never have to share anything about your lived experience that doesn't feel right. You can write "I'd prefer to talk about this in person" or "I'm not comfortable sharing this yet." You can leave sections blank. We trust you to share what feels safe, and we'll work with whatever you give us.

Ready To Share Your Lived Experience?

We know articulating your lived experience in writing can sometimes feel overwhelming.

How to Complete

For each question below, start by asking yourself: "Is this like me?" If yes, give us examples from at least two areas of your life. Choose from:

• Education
• Work
• Social situations
• Home life
• Hobbies and interests
• Relationships

We have given you some possible areas after the heading that you can use as prompts to guide your thinking and help us understand your lived experience. 

Remember that you only need to give a minimum of 2 examples in each area.

If you can't think of any even with the prompts, that's ok! Just move on to the next question.

Don't forget: Save your progress as you go and come back whenever you're ready.

For this section, think about:

• Your experience of organising tasks and activities in different contexts.
• Your experience of time awareness and time management.
• Your experience of money management.

Please expand under the headings below.

How to Complete 

You're doing great. The questions below work the same way as previously- choose yes or no, and if they resonate with you, share examples from at least two relevant areas of your life. Pick whichever areas feel most relevant to you using the prompts under each area to guide your thinking.

If no, that's fine - just move on to the next question.

Don't forget: Save your progress as you go and come back whenever you're ready.

Almost there! You've shared so much already, and we're really grateful. This last part explores ADHD lived experiences that often get overlooked in traditional assessments. Just like the previous sections, complete what feels relevant to you and skip anything that doesn't apply. Take your time, and remember you can save your progress.

The following question asks:

"Have you ever experienced any significant events in your life that may have been traumatic (please only give as much detail as you feel comfortable providing)."

Please note:

We welcome you to share information with us in relation to significant events/experiences in your life that you feel are important to your assessment process, if you feel comfortable doing so. We will treat the information you share with us respectfully and confidentially. Please be reminded that there are some occasions when if past abuse/risk is reported to us we are legally obliged to report it to the relevant authority/agency, for example if there is ongoing risk to others. We would seek to discuss this with you first. If you have concerns about the limits of confidentiality, then please do discuss with your psychologist.

If you have shared this information previously in this form you do not need to do so again and can leave below blank.  

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ THIS FIRST

This form has 34 statements about how you have been OVER THE LAST WEEK.

Please read each statement and think how often you felt that way last week. Then choose an answer from the drop-down, which best fits this feeling.

© CORE System Trust: http://www.coresystemtrust.org.uk/copyright.pdf