We offer assessment of children between the ages of 5 – 18. Autism assessments are carried out by our team of specialist clinicians at our assessment centre based at the school.
Assessments are led by a Clinical Psychologist and Speech Therapist who both specialise in and have many years of experience working with and assessing young people with social communication disorders.
Our assessment suite is both spacious and welcoming to help settle your child.
We allow plenty of time for your child to relax and we carefully consider his anxiety levels when assessing him.
Our clinicians are sensitive to the needs of the children they assess and try their best to build rapport and trust to enable them to build a true picture of each child and to best understand their presenting needs.
The Assessment Process includes meeting with parent(s) or carers to obtain a detailed developmental history, this can take 2-3 hours. The assessment may include the child being observed in the school setting or at home if the child is currently out of school.
We use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) as a key part of the assessment process. For this the child is invited to our assessment centre where they will undergo a series of play-based observational assessments.
The ADOS takes about an hour to administer. Additional assessments may be conducted dependent on the child’s presentation such as standardised speech and language therapy tests and sensory assessments carried out by out Occupational Therapist.
We aim to provide a thorough assessment of each child and produce a detailed report that summarises the assessment, its outcomes and most importantly offers advice and recommendations on how to help support and better understand the needs of the young person.
Once the report has been written we invite parents back for a feedback session in which we talk through the findings of the assessment and provide opportunities for questions.
Cognitive assessments are carried out by our Clinical Psychologist. We use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC V).
The assessment process includes taking background information about the young person’s general presentation, needs and academic progress.
A cognitive assessment will typically take about an hour to administer.
We will provide a comprehensive report with recommendations that will help support the child and better inform others trying to support the young person at home and in school.
Dr Chris Morrell is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with an Honours Degree in Psychology, a Masters Degree in Health Psychology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Universities of Coventry and Warwick.
He is registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPS).
Dr Morrell has worked at Swalcliffe Park School for many years providing advice and consultation in his specialist area of autism. Dr Morrell has a lead role in the school’s Autism Assessment team and offers training on behalf of the school. Dr Morrell has delivered training and workshops at many schools and colleges in the West Midlands.
Prior to joining the team at Swalcliffe Park School, Dr Morrell worked for the NHS for nearly 15 years. The last 9 years were spent working for Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Worcestershire. In his time working for the NHS, Dr Morrell’s work focused specifically on assessing ans supporting children and adolescents on the autistic spectrum and with learning difficulties and learning disabilities.
He has facilitated adolescent Asperger clinics, sibling groups, taken a lead role on the neurodevelopmental assessment team and was responsible for assessment and diagnosis of social communication conditions. He also took a lead role in developing and award-winning disability service within Worcestershire CAMHS.
Sue Moon qualified from Birmingham City University with a first-class Honours degree in Speech and Language Therapy in 2012. I work with children, teenagers and adults, supporting them with a range of communication needs including, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pathological Demand Avoidance, Language delay/disorder and a range of mental health difficulties. I also work with schools and parents, helping them to create the most supportive environment possible for the young person.
I specialise in working with women and girls with Autism and am skilled in identifying and addressing the more subtle signs of Autism that girls often present with. I have a wealth of experience in supporting families and schools and often act as a link between the two. I regularly attend conferences, related to Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, to keep my knowledge and skills up to date. I am on the steering group of the SWAP Network, an innovative group of professionals working with women and girls with Autism.
I am a practising member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and am DBS (CRB) checked.