NHS Right to Choose Autism & ADHD Assessments

Accessing Autism & ADHD Assessments Through Right to Choose

Under the NHS Choice Framework, if your GP refers you for specialist care—such as an autism or ADHD assessment—you have the legal right to choose your provider.

At National Neurodiversity Assessments, we offer:

Fully remote autism assessments for children (7 years+) and adults who are registered with a GP in any part of England.

Hybrid Autism assessments for children (2 years+) and adults who are registered with a GP in any part of England, but are willing to travel to Exeter for the in-person part of the assessment.

Hybrid Autism, ADHD and combined ASD/ADHD assessments for children and young people aged 6-18 years who are registered with a GP in any part of England, but are willing to travel to Norwich for the in-person part of the assessment.

Our hybrid assessments involve one face to face appointment in Norwich or Exeter, depending on the pathway you choose. Our clinics are conveniently located with train links and ample parking.

For fully remote assessments; all appointments will be online.

We do not currently prescribe ADHD medication, but can refer you on to a suitable service if required.

How Our Right to Choose Referral Process Works

Step 1: Complete a Self-Referral Questionnaire

Choose the appropriate screening tool and complete it before your/your child’s GP appointment:

Step 2: Book a GP Appointment

Bring your completed questionnaire to your GP. They'll discuss your/your child’s experiences, developmental history, current challenges, and how these affect your/their daily life.

Step 3: Request a Referral

If your GP agrees an assessment is appropriate, ask to be referred to National Neurodiversity Assessments under Right to Choose (or another provider if you prefer).

Step 4: GP Submits the Referral

Norfolk and Waveney GPs complete this N&W Referral Form and email it to us at rtcreferral.nna@nhs.net. GPs in Devon must refer to us via eRS. If your GP is not in Norfolk and Waveney or Devon, they can refer to us via eRS or complete our RTC referral form(child) or RTC referral form (adult) and email it to us at rtcreferral.nna@nhs.net. Please ensure your GP has your current contact details, including your preferred email address so we can contact you. If you live outside Norfolk and Waveney or Devon, we will need to contact your local ICB for them to agree to fund the assessment. However, this can be a slow process and you may have greater success by contacting your local ICB to request funding approval before referring to us, to prevent unnecessary delays. You can download this letter template and adapt it to your needs. Once you have received a response, you can share it with us by email rtcreferral.nna@nhs.net

Step 5: We Add You to the Waiting List

Once we review your/your child’s referral and confirm eligibility criteria is met; we’ll add you/them to our waiting list and contact you to arrange the assessment.

Our Step-by-Step Assessment Process

1. Referral Confirmation

Once we receive your GP's referral, you’ll get an email confirmation within 10 days. You’ll also be asked to complete a consent form and risk assessment.

2. Triage

Our clinical team will review the referral information to make sure we are able to work with you/your child to conduct an assessment. We will let you and your GP know if we are able to accept your referral.

3. Pre-Assessment Questionnaires

You’ll receive forms to complete. We may need information from an informant or third party. For a child, this will be someone who knows your child well, such as their school or other professionals. For an adult, we may ask for a questionnaire to be completed by someone who knows you well, such as a family member or friend.

4. Appointment Booking

Our team will contact you to schedule your/your child’s assessment and the parent/informant interview session. We aim to offer you an appointment within 16 weeks.

5. Clinical Assessment

Our experienced clinicians will guide you through the assessment, tailored to your/your child’s individual needs.

6. Feedback Session

You’ll have a dedicated feedback appointment where your Care Coordinator will explain the assessment findings and provide personalised recommendations. We aim to complete this within 2 weeks of the assessment completion.

7. Comprehensive Report

Within four weeks of your feedback session, you’ll receive a full diagnostic report, which you can share with other professionals, if you wish. Your GP will also get a copy of the report.

8. Discharge

Once you are satisfied with our assessment service and feel confident about your next steps, we will discharge back to the GP to continue with your care.

Which Assessment Pathway Should You Choose?

Child Age: Under 2 Years

Unfortunately, we are unable to conduct NHS autism or ADHD assessments for children under the age of 2 years.

Child Age: 2-5 years

We are not able to conduct ADHD assessments for children under the age of 6 years.

Before a young child can be referred for an autism assessment with National Neurodiversity Assessments, they must first be seen by a community paediatrician. Diagnosing autism in very young children can be difficult, and other conditions may look similar. To make sure everything is checked properly, all children aged 2–5 years must have a community paediatrician review before they can be referred.

If the community paediatrician rules out other conditions and thinks an autism assessment is needed, your child can then be referred to National Neurodiversity Assessments. Your GP will need to make this referral using the Hybrid Devon pathway, which requires you and your child to attend one in-person appointment in Devon.

Child Age: 5 Years

We are not able to conduct ADHD assessments for children under the age of 6 years.

For an autism assessment, the right option for your child is an autism assessment with an in-person observation in Devon.

Please ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway.

Child Age: 6 Years

For an autism assessment, the right option for your child is an autism assessment with an in-person observation in Devon or Norwich.

For an ADHD assessment or combined autism and ADHD assessment, the right option for your child is an ADHD / combined autism and ADHD assessment with an in-person observation in Norwich.

Choose the option that works best for you:

Option 1. Hybrid assessment pathway with an in-person observation in Devon
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway. This is for autism assessments only.

Option 2. Hybrid assessment pathway with an in-person observation in Norwich
Ask your NHS GP to contact us for the referral form to our ‘Hybrid Norfolk’ pathway. This is for autism, ADHD or combined autism & ADHD assessments.

Child Age: 7-18 Years

Does your child have a learning disability, a speech and language disorder, or selective mutism?

Children with any of these needs must have an in-person observation to make sure their assessment is accurate and high quality. To do this, you must choose either the Hybrid Devon or Hybrid Norfolk pathway.

If your child does not have a learning disability, speech and language disorder, or selective mutism, they can have their autism assessment remotely (Fully Remote) or through any hybrid pathway.

Please note: ADHD assessments are only available through the Hybrid Norfolk pathway.

Choose the option that works best for you:

Option 1. Fully remote assessment
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Fully Remote’ pathway. This is only available for autism assessments.

Option 2. Hybrid assessment pathway with in-person observation in Devon
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway. This is only available for autism assessments.

Option 3. Hybrid assessment pathway with in-person observation in Norwich
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Hybrid Norfolk’ pathway. This is available for autism and ADHD assessments.

Adult Age: 18 Years+

We are not able to conduct ADHD assessments for adults under Right to Choose at this time. We can offer adult autism assessments in Devon and fully remote.

Do you have a learning disability, a speech and language disorder or selective mutism?

A person with a learning disability, speech and language disorder or selective mutism requires an in-person observation session to ensure a high-quality assessment. You will need to select our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway to ensure you have an in-person assessment that meets your needs.

If you do not have a learning disability, speech and language disorder or selective mutism, you can have an autism assessment either through our ‘Fully Remote’ pathway or through our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway.

Choose the option that works best for you:

Option 1. Fully remote assessment
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Fully Remote’ pathway. This is only available for autism assessments.

Option 2. Hybrid assessment pathway with in-person observation in Devon
Ask your NHS GP to refer you to our ‘Hybrid Devon’ pathway. This is only available for autism assessments.