Our Services
At Positive Perspectives, we try to simplify the process of assessing if you are autistic and offer structured post-diagnosis therapy, focused on your specific needs.
Our autism assessments are designed to provide you with a clear and accurate diagnosis, so that you can receive the support you need to lead a fulfilling life.
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Our post-diagnosis therapy programme is based on a 12-session format, helping you to explore and understand how your diagnosis may affect different areas of your life. We tailor the sessions for you personally, to examine the key parts of your life that you are concerned about, and generate actionable and pragmatic changes that will allow you to adjust and thrive.
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At the end of the our three stage process - Pre-Diagnosis, Assessment, and Post-Diagnosis Therapy - you should be able to embrace your identity, make sense of your place at home, work and socially, and form a positive perspective on your future, opening new doors in your life, and revealing new opportunities for you.
You will be invited to attend a 90 minutes appointment to discuss your reasons for seeking an assessment, what it may mean for you, and any support you may need along the way. Whilst the assessment should be a helpful and positive experience, you may find that it also carries with it some challenges such as accepting a late diagnosis and issues of identity.
You will be asked to complete several questionnaire assessments and briefly discuss factors such as why you think you may be autistic, your background, education, employment and relationships. If you have a loved one or friend to support you, they will be welcomed.
We then compile a brief report of the outcomes and decides whether we believe that continuing with the full process is recommended for you. There may be several reasons why continuing may not be indicated: the information shared may not support a likely diagnosis of autism, an alternative diagnosis such as ADHD may be present, or additional diagnoses or needs could require alternative support.
The Autism Assessment is a formalised and recognised assessment of whether you are autistic. Unsurprisingly, the assessment can only be carried out be fully qualified and authorised senior assessors - and ours are some of the best in the South of England.
Crucially, in line with NHS England, diagnostic decisions are agreed as a team which includes Clinical Psychologists.
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You will be invited to attend an interview appointment to discuss in more detail different aspects of your life including early development, school years, further education, employment, relationships, interests, and mental and physical health. Again, a loved one or friend is welcome to attend with you, and may, with your agreement, add to the information shared. This appointment is 60-90 minutes.
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You will be asked to complete several further assessment questionnaires. These may vary according to individual need but will include the Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale – Revised (RAADS-R) and Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). We will do these together, either during the interview appointment or during a separate appointment.
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Sensory processing issues are often a significant challenge for autistic people. As such, a sensory processing assessment is always offered. We complete the Spiral Foundation Adult/Adolescent Sensory History checklist together. We then interpret the results to formulate your sensory profile. This appointment is 60 minutes.
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Your autism assessment and sensory reports are completed and you will be invited to a feedback appointment to discuss the outcomes, recommendations and way forward. You will receive:
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​Full assessment report with recommendations
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Full sensory processing report with recommendations
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Formal diagnosis letter
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Workplace Passport to help you decide reasonable adjustments.​
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You will be invited to attend a single follow-up session to discuss your diagnosis and what this means for you, or you may choose to attend the post-diagnosis therapy programme.
For most of our clients, the affirmation that they do indeed have autism is both liberating and emotional.
On the one hand, confirmation that you have autism can help to explain much of your life experience and challenges to date. On the other hand, it can also lead to worries about how this may affect your future.
Our psychotherapists are highly experienced experts in helping people to manage this stage of their lives. We have supported many hundreds of people over many years to not just come to terms with their autism, but to embrace and celebrate their autism.
For many, their "super powers" - which are different from person to person - can be leveraged by them to achieve extraordinary things.
For others, simply understanding and knowing can help to make sense of relationships, reactions and emotions that have been difficult for a lifetime.
However, we try to provide structure to this process by exploring several different - and crucial - topics over a 12 session programme. For each person, the focus and time spent on each topic may be different, but the areas that we work on are as below:
Relationships and social interactions
Identity – past and future
Autistic burnout
Sensory processing
Managing anxiety
Emotional regulation
Workplace issues and plans
Masking and camouflaging
Managing day to day challenges
Positive attitudes to being autistic
General Mental Health and Wellness Therapy
Positive Perspectives therapists are experienced and able to support you across a variety of other general mental health and wellness matters.
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If you would like to discuss your specific situation and needs, we would be happy to help you - either therapeutically with our own team, or by guiding you to the right specialist for you.