private autism and ADHD assessments in London

Private autism and adult ADHD assessments

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Therapy servicers from SLPP

Therapy for individuals, couples and families

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Specialist mentoring support

Specialist Mentoring Support

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Why choose South London Psychology Partnership?

  • South London Psychology Partnership is committed to a compassionate and personalised approach
  • Our private autism assessments are comprehensive, robust and use a ‘gold standard’ assessment tool (Diagnostic Interview for Social and Communication Disorders (DISCO) (Wing, 2003) based on the DSM-V criteria for ASD
  • In our Adult ADHD assessments we use the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults (DIVA) based on the DSM-V criteria
  • We have particular expertise in assessing teenagers and adults (especially girls and women) who mask/camouflage their differences
  • Our clinicians offer consultancy to the National Autistic Society – Lorna Wing Centre in Bromley
  • As highly experienced mental health trained practitioners, we are extremely knowledgeable about autistic burnout and other mental health concerns
  • Our assessments provide so much more than a diagnostic label – we pride ourselves on helping people to make sense of their unique story as well as their differences and strengths through the lens of neurodiversity
  • We provide personalised and detailed recommendations which help people to make real changes in their lives
  • We offer psychological support/therapy following assessment and diagnosis
  • Our team includes a highly experienced autism mentor who provides invaluable support to students, universities, employers and employees

Identifying autism in women and girls

It was thought that women and girls were less likely to be autistic. It is now recognised that many autistic females or those who demonstrate the less traditionally obvious traits of autism are not recognised. This can result in misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, or women and girls not being diagnosed at all.

Some autistic women and girls feel that they are masking their autism to try and hide the fact that they feel different. They may copy behaviour from others around them, and can be exhausted by the constant effort to appear similar to other people, or might be unaware they are ‘masking’ in the first place. This more subtle presentation of autism is also a major barrier to clinicians and other professionals recognising autism and understanding the experiences of autistic women and girls.

As a result of this many women report feeling unsupported and not fully understanding themselves potentially resulting in mental health difficulties (National Autistic Society). At South London Psychology Partnership we are highly experienced in diagnosing autism in girls and women.

Dr Caroline Gratton - South London Psychology Partnership

Dr Caroline Gratton

HCPC registration number PYL24174
BPS membership number 098338

Dr Kate Davis - South London Psychology Partnership

Dr Kate Davis

HCPC registration number PYL03462
BPS membership number 221602

"I found Dr Caroline Gratton and Dr Kate Davis to be insightful, sensitive, understanding and very compassionate. By the time you get to my age it can be extremely difficult to untangle behaviour that’s symptomatic of an unusual neurotype from a personality that’s been formed by the interplay of nature and decades of life experience. But Caroline and Kate did an immensely thorough and expert job, making me understand my behaviour in ways I'd never even considered and giving me a diagnosis I can now use as a framework to understand myself and to avoid the ongoing misinterpretation of myself by others. Seeing them was nothing short of life-changing and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone else wanting to know more about their neurology and searching for a better level of self-understanding."

Matt Cain MBE | mattcainwriter.com

Read the article on The Guardian

"I cannot recommend South London Psychology Partnership highly enough for the life-changing support they have given me. Having an assessment for ASD can be a daunting process, but Caroline immediately put me at ease with her professional and reassuring manner, and it is clear what a wealth of experience and knowledge she has, in particular about how ASD can present in women and girls."

“Caroline is a caring and empathic counsellor with a deep understanding of autism and the challenges it presents. Thanks to Caroline I have come to understand how living with autism has affected me over many years. I feel that many of the problems in my path have been removed and I am much more contented with my life” – Anonymous

"I simply couldn't have asked for a better team on my assessment day. Kate and Caroline were extremely thorough and professional but managed to be simultaneously warm and compassionate throughout. They changed my life that day, set me up with a bunch of very useful advice & recommendations, and steered me towards a positive track moving forwards; I'm not sure this would have been the case had I gone elsewhere and it's made all the difference to my onward journey. I have since recommended them to a friend & continue to work with Kate to learn how to better serve my needs and further my understanding of my awesome, albeit tricky, autistic brain! She is super smart, extremely approachable & dedicated to arming me with the tools I need to make the next chapter of my life the best one yet. I wish all late discovered autistic women could find their way to The South London Psychology Partnership."

“Thank you so much to both Kate and Caroline. I felt so understood and seen. I really feel as if all my questions have begun to make some sense. I am so grateful for the recommendations”

"I reached out to the South London Psychology Partnership because of their expertise with autism in women. It was an incredible process: I went into the assessment feeling anxious that they would see the real me and judge me, but I came out feeling like I've never been so understood and supported. They catered to so many of my needs before I even knew them: explaining the whole process thoroughly to a T, creating a safe sensory space, and including my cuddly in the assessment report. The recommendations they made are slowly transforming my life and I only wish I'd done it sooner."