If you’re considering an autism assessment in Ireland, you may be wondering what the process involves and how best to prepare. An autism assessment is a structured, compassionate process designed to understand your child’s development, strengths, needs and whether an autism diagnosis is appropriate.

At Constellation Healthcare, every autism assessment is tailored to your child — their comfort, needs and communication style — ensuring we build the fullest picture of who they are.

Getting Your Child Assessed for Autism in Ireland

To arrange a private autism assessment for your child, start by contacting our team. We’ll explain pricing and appointment availability, and answer your questions before you decide whether to book. A GP referral is not required.

Find out more about our private autism assessments for children and teenagers.

What is involved in a Child Autism Assessment?

An autism assessment includes a number of appointments with our multidisciplinary team. This process helps determine whether a diagnosis is appropriate and what supports will best help your child thrive.

Our private autism assessment service at Constellation Healthcare typically involves:

• Make an appointment enquiry with our team
• A comprehensive 2-part assessment
  • An online parental consultation
  • An in-person assessment for your child in our clinic
• Detailed clinical report preparation
• Online feedback session

These steps give our clinicians the information needed to produce a thorough, clear, and evidence‑based report

Step 1: Make an appointment enquiry with our Team

Your assessment journey begins when you make an enquiry with the Constellation Healthcare team. Once your enquiry is received we will contact you and explain our assessment process, pricing and answer any initial queries you may have.

If you wish to proceed, you will receive online questionnaires for you to complete and for your child’s teachers to complete where relevant.

Step 2: Comprehensive Assessment and Diagnosis

This detailed evaluation takes place across two appointments, which provide our psychologist and multidisciplinary team the information they need to write an autism assessment report for your child.

The first appointment is an online parental consultation with you and our Psychologist. The second appointment is an in-person assessment with you and our child in one of our clinics.

Step 2 A: Online Parental Consultation

The consultation is carried out online with one of our expert Psychologists. It is designed to get a broad understanding of your child and possible diagnoses.

A key component is the ADI‑R (Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised) — a structured interview covering:

• Early childhood history
• Communication development
• Social interaction differences
• Repetitive or restrictive behaviours

This conversation helps establish when you first noticed concerns and what day‑to‑day challenges your child experiences.
Duration: 1–2 hours, depending on your child’s age and history.

Step 2B: In-Person Autism Assessment with your Child

The in-person assessment is where you and your child will attend our clinic for an in-person observational assessment with one of our psychologists and either a speech and language therapist or an occupational therapist. The session provides an opportunity for the clinicians to understand how your child communicates, interacts, and expresses themselves in a supportive and comfortable setting. In most cases, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) will be used. This is a structured, activity [play based]- and conversation-based assessment tailored to your child’s age and communication style. In some cases, the clinical team may consider an alternative approach more appropriate, depending on your child’s individual profile          Duration: typically 30 to 60 minutes (shorter for younger children).

How to prepare for your child’s Autism Assessment

What information will I need?

An autism assessment involves gathering information and asking questions about your child’s history. Before your first contact with Constellation Healthcare, these are some things to think about (depending on how old your child is):

• How your child communicated and interacted when they were younger
• How they communicate and interact now
• How they experienced starting school or moving to a new school
• Differences you noticed in your child’s approach to the world when they were younger
• Differences you notice in your child’s approach to the world now

You may find it helps to write this information down to bring with you to appointments. It is also helpful to have:

• Copies of school reports
• Copies of medical notes or interactions
• Videos of your child in everyday situations can be useful to see your child’s usual behaviour in a familiar place.

You are likely to have many questions. Again, you may find it helpful to write these down in advance

How to prepare your child for an Autism Assessment

An autism assessment is not a test your child passes or fails.

The appointments are all an opportunity to get to know your child and understand the supports they need to help them thrive. Your primary aim is to help your child feel safe, relaxed and comfortable. You will know the best way to do this for your child, but the following tips may help. Read more about Getting Your Child Assessed for Autism in Ireland.

Preparing younger children

It can help to tell younger children they are going to meet someone new who will play some games, do some activities and get to know them.

If your child has a favourite toy, bring it with you. If they have a particular interest, bring along their favourite books or information sources on the subject. These help the clinician engage with your child more easily

Preparing older children

Older children may already suspect they are autistic or may have asked for an assessment themselves. Some helpful approaches include:

• Being open and clear if they have expressed concerns
• Using language such as:
  “We’ve noticed school has been difficult, and an assessment may help us understand why.”

For children unfamiliar with autism, a gentler approach works well:
“We want to understand what things are like for you so we can get you the right supports.”

Introducing books or stories featuring autistic characters can also help spark discussion and reflection.

Our advice is always to trust your instincts and prepare your child in the way you think will work best for them.

We are here to support you through the assessment process. It is designed to be child and family centred.

Your Assessment Report and Feedback Session

Once the assessment is complete, our clinical team prepares a detailed written report outlining the findings. This includes a diagnosis where appropriate, along with personalised recommendations.

An online feedback session gives you the opportunity to discuss the findings with the psychologist, ask questions and explore the recommended next steps for your child.

Contributor

• Eoin Rickard, Principal Psychologist, Constellation Healthcare