The Autism Service

05/12/2025

𝗜𝘀 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱?

Following yesterday’s announcement that Health Secretary Wes Streeting has ordered a review into the rise of ADHD and autism diagnoses, our Clinical Director, Dr Lisa Williams, shared concerns many families and clinicians have felt for years:

💬 “There’s an elephant in the room people haven’t spoken about for fear of judgement.”
💬 “People who truly need support are struggling to access it because the system is overwhelmed.”
💬 “If we diagnose every other person with ASD or ADHD, the diagnosis becomes meaningless.”

This isn’t about gatekeeping.
It’s about protecting the integrity of diagnosis so that children, adults and families get the right support at the right time.

🎧 You can listen to the full interview here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxafdbt

28/11/2025

𝟱-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

We’re delighted to share this thoughtful feedback from Cisje, who recently completed an adult autism screening with us:

“𝘐 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.”

What stands out here is something we prioritise every day: meeting people where they are. Whether that means adapting communication, reducing anxiety triggers, or offering clear and compassionate guidance.

Thank you Cisje, for trusting us and for sharing your experience!

If you’re considering an Autism or ADHD assessment and want a service that listens, adapts and supports throughout, we’re here to help.

26/11/2025

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

Families often come to us feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or stuck on long NHS waiting lists. A high-quality ADHD assessment can be the turning point, giving children the understanding and support they deserve.

Our Private Child ADHD Assessments provide:

✅ A gold-standard diagnostic process
✅ Clear, practical recommendations for home and school
✅ Fast access with no waiting lists
✅ Clinics across the UK & online options for convenience

Early identification doesn’t just explain behaviours, it shapes a child’s confidence, learning, and wellbeing for years to come. If you’re exploring an ADHD assessment for your child, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

Find out more: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/services/child-adhd-assessment/

Book a Child ADHD Assessment with our expert clinicians. Fast diagnosis, no waiting lists, & recognised reports to support your child.

25/11/2025

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘄...

With the festive season only weeks away, many families are preparing for busy gatherings, bright lights, crowded spaces and big routine changes. For autistic individuals or those with sensory sensitivities, this time of year can be particularly overwhelming.

Our Clinical Director, Dr Lisa Williams, has written an essential guide on what sensory overload is, how it affects children and adults, and the practical steps that can make a real difference.

From recognising early signs to creating calmer environments and preparing for sensory-heavy situations, this article offers clear, evidence-based support just when people need it most.

Read the article here: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/news/what-is-sensory-overload/

Understand what Sensory Overload is, its signs in Autism and ADHD, and discover effective ways to manage and reduce daily sensory challenges.

24/11/2025

𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟱-𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

We’re proud to share this fantastic feedback from Amanda, who recently used our service for an assessment:

“Incredibly thorough, highly organised and professional throughout the assessment. We were treated with constant respect, kindness and compassion. Everyone we dealt with was attentive and helpful. What can sometimes be a rather challenging and difficult experience, this couldn’t have been more different. I cannot recommend this organisation enough. Worth every penny.”

Comments like this genuinely matter, assessments can be daunting and our clinicians work hard to ensure every family feels supported, listened to and cared for from the first conversation to the final report.

Thank you Amanda! Your words mean a great deal to our team.

If you’re seeking a professional, compassionate Autism or ADHD assessment with no waiting lists, we’re here to help: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/contact/

21/11/2025

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀

Teenage years are challenging enough, but when ADHD is part of the picture, the signs can be subtle, misinterpreted, or simply missed altogether. Our Clinical Director, Dr Lisa Williams, has written a clear and insightful guide to help parents, teachers, and carers recognise the key indicators early.

From difficulties with focus and organisation to emotional regulation and social challenges, this article breaks down what to look for and why timely support matters.

If you work with young people, have a teenager at home, or simply want to better understand ADHD in adolescence, this is well worth a read.

Read the full article: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/news/adhd-signs-in-teenagers/

Raising awareness means getting the right support in place sooner and that can make all the difference!

Spot the key signs of ADHD in teenagers. Learn common symptoms, early indicators, and when to seek support to help your teen thrive.

18/11/2025

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲?

At The Autism Service, adults come to us for many reasons; difficulty concentrating, burnout, trouble with organisation, or simply the feeling that things have always been harder than they should be. A high-quality assessment can be life-changing.

✅ Gold-standard diagnostic process
✅ Experienced clinicians specialising in adult ADHD
✅ Clear, actionable recommendations
✅ Fast appointments with no waiting lists
✅ Nationwide clinics

Whether you’re seeking answers for the first time or revisiting an earlier diagnosis, our team offers a supportive and professional environment from start to finish.

Learn more or book an appointment: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/services/adult-adhd-assessment/

Expert ADHD assessments for adults. Get the support you need to manage your symptoms with our team.

12/11/2025

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘆!

Our mission has always been to make high-quality Autism and ADHD assessments accessible across the UK and Derby is the latest step in that journey.

Whether you’re seeking a diagnostic assessment, ongoing support, or simply advice on where to begin, our Derby team is here to help.

📍 Located in the heart of Derby
📅 Short waiting times
👩‍⚕️ Professional, compassionate clinicians

Learn more or book an appointment today: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/clinic/derby/

10/11/2025

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Our free online tests can help you gain a better understanding of common traits and challenges. They’re quick, confidential and designed by clinicians as a useful starting point before seeking a full assessment.

Take your free online test today: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/tests/

Struggling to know if an assessment would be helpful? Our online tests have been written by our psychologists and get to the core of what ASD and ADHD are, and what they are not…

07/11/2025

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗱𝗼𝗻!

We’re delighted to announce our new Croydon clinic, extending our mission to make gold-standard autism and ADHD assessments accessible across the UK.

Our multidisciplinary team provides expert diagnostic assessments for children, adolescents, and adults, with:

✅ No waiting lists
✅ Highly experienced clinicians
✅ Flexible appointment options

Families and individuals in Croydon and South East London can now access trusted support and clear answers sooner.

Learn more or book an assessment: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/clinic/croydon/

05/11/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱?

For many Autistic and ADHD individuals, everyday environments can sometimes feel overwhelming, bright lights, loud noises, strong smells or even certain textures can all trigger intense sensory discomfort.

In this article, Dr Lisa Williams, Clinical Director at The Autism Service, explores what sensory overload really is, how it affects both children and adults, and the practical strategies that can help manage it, at home, at school, and in the workplace.

Read the full article here: https://www.theautismservice.co.uk/news/what-is-sensory-overload/

Understand what Sensory Overload is, its signs in Autism and ADHD, and discover effective ways to manage and reduce daily sensory challenges.