Why we're not on Right to Choose
Our decision is rooted in ensuring fast turnaround times, compliance, and neuroaffirmative high-quality care.
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Why we’re not a Right to Choose provider
At Autism & ADHD Assessment Hub, our priority is delivering gold-standard, neuroaffirming autism and ADHD assessments with the highest level of clinical quality. We know many families and adults consider the NHS Right to Choose pathway, so we want to clearly explain why we choose not to operate under this system and how this benefits the people we support.
Our decision is rooted in ensuring fast turnaround times, compliance, and neuroaffirmative high-quality care.
Faster Access to Assessment
While Right to Choose can be a helpful option, NHS-related providers often face long waiting times — typically 6 to 18 months depending on the area and if they are accepting referrals.
By remaining independent, we offer:
- Shorter waiting lists (usually within weeks to your first appointment)
- Flexible appointment scheduling
- Direct self-referral — no GP referral needed or strict evidence gathering required
This gives individuals and families quicker answers and earlier access to support.
Face-to-Face Assessments
— Minimising Diagnostic Risk
Unlike many RTC providers who offer fully remote assessments, AAH provides:
- Face-to-face appointments across our nationwide hubs
- In-person assessments for children and/or adults who would prefer this as an option
This helps ensure we don’t miss subtle or masked presentations, particularly in:
- Women and girls
- Highly camouflaged individuals
- People with complex, cooccurring or overlapping profiles
Our clinical directors specifically formulated our assessment pathways using their specialist training and experience to ensure subtle presentations groups are not overlooked or misdiagnosed.
Ensuring we can offer face-to-face assessments ensures we give the best care and the highest quality accuracy.
Gold-Standard NICE-Compliant Assessments
Every assessment at AAH follows NICE guidelines and uses the latest validated tools, including:
- ADOS-2
- ADI-R
- DIVA-5 / Young DIVA
- ACE / ACE+
We take the time needed to carry out comprehensive, multi-disciplinary assessments, without the time pressures often placed on NHS-linked providers. Ensuring that every person leaves feeling heard and not rushed.
Widely Recognised Reports
Because we follow the gold-standard NICE guidelines, the same guidelines followed by the NHS and use fully registered clinicians, our reports are accepted by:
- NHS services
- GPs
- Schools and SENCO teams
- Local authorities (including EHCP pathways)
- Employers and workplace adjustments teams
Your assessment should be clinically robust, and travel with you, no matter where you choose to access further support.
Fully Qualified, Experienced,
HCPC-Registered Clinicians
Our assessments are delivered exclusively by:
- Lead clinicians – HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologists or GMC registered Paediatricians
- Supporting clinicians – HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapist or Occupational Therapists
- Fully qualified specialist clinicians with extensive neurodevelopmental experience
Unlike some RTC providers, we do not rely on trainees, assistants, or non-clinical staff to conduct assessments.
This ensures:
- Clinical accuracy
- Consistency
- Confidence in the diagnostic outcome
- Reports that stand up to educational, legal, and medical scrutiny
Our Initial Consultation Process
We believe that pursuing an autism or ADHD assessment should be the right step, not just the next step. That’s why we never put anyone forward for a full assessment unless there is enough and clear evidence to support this decision.
Every journey begins with a thorough initial consultation, where you and our clinician explore your experiences, strengths, and concerns together. This collaborative conversation helps ensure that:
- a full assessment is genuinely appropriate
- there is enough clinical evidence to proceed, and
- you feel confident and informed about the next steps, and you know you’re on the right pathway
Often the initial consultation can answer so many unanswered questions, even before a full assessment.
This approach ensures our assessments remain ethical, responsible, and clinically robust and that no one is assessed unnecessarily. But everyone leaves with the answers they deserve with appropriate sign posting.
Making Assessments Accessible
We understand that an independent assessment isn’t always possible or an accessible option for everyone. Cost can be a real barrier, and we never want this to stand in the way of someone getting the clarity or support they need.
To help with this, we offer flexible payment plans designed to make our assessments as accessible as possible. These plans allow you to spread the cost in a way that works for you. That could mean spreading the cost over 3,6, 9 or 12 months – without any delay in accessing the support you deserve.
No GP Referral or Strict RTC Criteria
Right to Choose requires:
- GP approval
- Detailed evidence gathering
- Strict eligibility criteria
This can delay or prevent access for a lot of individuals and families who need support in the short term.
At AAH:
- Anyone can self-refer, with no GP or initial school involvement
- No in-depth evidence gathering is required beforehand
- You don’t have to “prove” your struggles, we listen your journey
- You stay in control of the process from the beginning
Our Commitment to Better Care
We choose not to be a Right to Choose provider so that we can:
- Keep waiting times low
- Offer face-to-face assessments
- Ensure subtle presentations are never missed
- Maintain gold-standard NICE-compliant practice
- Use only qualified, experienced HCPC/GMC-registered clinicians
- Provide comprehensive reports recognised nationwide
- Deliver ongoing support, not just a diagnosis
- Uphold a neuroaffirming, strengths-based approach
- Maintain service quality without NHS system constraints
Our mission is simple: to provide accurate, affirming, high-quality assessments and support that truly make a difference.
Ongoing Post-Diagnostic Support
Right to Choose providers often deliver a report and then discharge the individual back to the NHS, often without offering further support options.
AAH provides a full pathway of support, including:
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Mental health counselling
- Parent and family support
- Coaching and practical guidance
- ADHD medication pathways via trusted partner clinics
You’re not left in the dark after diagnosis. We’ll continue to support you or your family with personalised and meaningful post diagnosis care.
