NHS Right to Choose:
Children and Young People’s Autism Assessment Service
Psychiatry UK’s Children and Young People’s Autism Service provides NHS-funded autism assessments through Right to Choose for children and young people aged 8 to 18 years.
This page is written for young people aged 11 to 18. You can read it on your own or with a parent, guardian or another adult who supports you.
It explains how the service works for this age group, how to ask your GP for a referral and what happens next.
Who is this service for ?
Our Children and Young People’s Autism Service is for young people who:
- Are aged 8 to 18 years.*
- Are registered, and remain registered, with a GP in England.
- Are living in England while receiving care through the service.
- Meet the clinical requirements for an autism assessment.
- Can take part in a fully online assessment, with your support and reasonable adjustments where appropriate.
Because our service is fully online, it may not be suitable for everyone.
We will look at the information sent with your referral to make sure we can offer you an assessment safely and provide the support you need.
If the young person is aged 8 to 10, we have a version of this information written for parents and guardians.
Right to Choose Autism – Ages 8–10
Please note: If you are aged over 17 years and 9 months, you will be referred to our Adult Autism Service.
What is NHS Right to Choose ?
If you are registered with a GP in England and your GP thinks an autism assessment may be helpful, NHS Right to Choose may allow you to choose which healthcare provider you are referred to.
This means you may be able to ask your GP to refer you to Psychiatry UK instead of a local NHS service.
Your GP will first decide whether a specialist referral is needed.
Right to Choose is available in England only. It is not currently available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Will I have to pay ?
No.
If your GP refers you to Psychiatry UK through NHS Right to Choose and your referral is accepted, your autism assessment will be funded by the NHS.
What can I expect from Psychiatry UK?
Your assessment is a chance for us to understand more about you and what life is like for you.
We will take time to understand:
- Your experiences.
- Your development.
- Your strengths.
- Things you may find difficult.
- How different parts of everyday life affect you.
Your views are an important part of your assessment. We will listen to you and involve you in decisions about your care.
How do I ask for a Right to Choose autism referral?
1. Think about what you want to talk about
You do not need to complete any Psychiatry UK forms before speaking to your GP.
It may help to think about what has made you consider an autism assessment and how different parts of everyday life feel for you.
You might want to think about your experiences with:
- School, college or education.
- Friendships and social situations.
- Communication.
- Interests and routines.
- Changes to routine.
- Sounds, lights, textures or other sensory experiences.
- Emotions and wellbeing.
- Everyday activities.
You do not need to have everything worked out before you speak to your GP.
2. Speak to your GP
Tell your GP why you are considering an autism assessment and how your experiences affect everyday life.
You may want a parent, guardian or another trusted adult to support you with this conversation.
If your GP agrees that an autism assessment is appropriate, you can ask them to refer you to Psychiatry UK through Right to Choose.
You cannot refer yourself to our NHS Right to Choose service. A GP must send the referral to us.
3. Your child’s GP sends your referral
If your GP agrees to refer you, they will send the referral directly to Psychiatry UK.
Once we receive it, we aim to process your referral within around two weeks.
If any information is missing, we may need to contact your GP before we can accept your referral.
4. How will I know if my referral has been accepted?
Once your referral has been processed and accepted, we’ll contact you or the adult supporting you, where appropriate.
We’ll explain what happens next and how to use our MedQare patient portal.
You do not need to contact us to check the progress of an accepted referral. We’ll let you know when there is an update or something you need to do.
For a full step-by-step guide:
How long will I have to wait?
There is currently no waiting list for our Children and Young People’s Autism Assessment Service.
Once your referral has been accepted, we’ll explain what information we need before your assessment can go ahead.
Appointment availability can change, so we’ll give you the latest information as your referral progresses.
Will my parent or guardian need to be involved?
Your views and choices are important.
A parent or guardian may need to be involved in some parts of your referral or assessment. This will depend on your age, what you understand and your individual situation.
We will explain:
- Who needs to be involved.
- What decisions you can make yourself.
- What information we need from other people.
- Who we may need to share information with and why.
Even when a parent or guardian needs to be involved, we will still listen to you and include you in decisions about your assessment.
Is what I tell you private?
Most of what you tell us is private.
We will explain what information may need to be shared, who it may be shared with and why.
Sometimes we may need to share information without your permission. This would only happen if we were worried that you or someone else could be at risk of serious harm, or because we have a legal duty to share it.
We will explain this to you as clearly as we can.
Can I speak to my clinician on my own?
Where it is appropriate and safe, you may be offered some time to speak to your clinician privately.
You can also tell us if there is something you would prefer to talk about without someone else in the room.
If your clinician needs to share something because they are worried about your safety or someone else’s safety, they will explain this to you.
Is an online service right for me?
Psychiatry UK is a fully online service.
This means:
- We communicate with you through our MedQare patient portal.
- Forms and questionnaires are completed online.
- Your assessment appointments take place by secure video call.
- At some appointments, we may need to check where you are and who is with you.
You will need to be able to take part by video, either independently or with help.
If you have a disability, sensory need, learning need, communication need or anything else that may make taking part more difficult, please tell us.
We can talk with you about changes or extra support that may make things easier.
Find out more about accessible communications and assessment adjustments
What happens during my assessment?
We have a separate step-by-step guide explaining what happens before, during and after your assessment.
It covers:
- Forms and information we need.
- How appointments are booked.
- What happens during your assessment.
- How the clinical team reaches an outcome.
- What happens afterwards.
Find out more
You may also find these resources helpful:
What to Expect from Your Autism Assessment
