Testing & Assessments

For many parents, the journey into testing and assessments begins with a single, confusing feeling: something isn’t quite right — but we don’t know what.

You may notice differences in your child’s behaviour, learning, communication, emotions, or attention, but turning those observations into clear answers is rarely straightforward.

This page explains why the process feels so complicated, what decisions parents are often faced with, and how to begin making sense of it all.

Children rarely fit neatly into one category. A child might struggle with attention and communication, be academically able but emotionally overwhelmed, or show traits of ASD, ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing differences, or learning difficulties — sometimes all at once.

Many conditions overlap, and behaviours can look similar. This makes it hard to answer the first big question:

What exactly should we be testing for?

At this stage, it’s completely normal not to have a label — and you don’t need one yet.

Parents are often presented with a long list of possible assessments, such as developmental, autism (ASD), ADHD, speech and language, occupational therapy (sensory), or educational psychology assessments.

Not every child needs every test — but many children need more than one, and the order matters.

A good assessment pathway should look at the whole child, consider overlapping needs, and involve professionals who communicate with each other. Unfortunately, families are often left to coordinate this themselves.

One of the biggest decisions parents face is whether to use the NHS, private assessments, or a combination of both.

NHS assessments are free but often involve long waiting times. Private assessments are usually quicker and more detailed, but can be costly and are not always automatically accepted.

Many families choose a combined approach to gain clarity now while staying on NHS waiting lists for long-term support.

A separate page will explain the differences between NHS and private assessments in more detail.

Beyond the practical decisions, this journey carries a heavy emotional load. Parents often feel guilt, fear of labels, frustration with systems and delays, and anxiety about their child’s future.

These feelings are normal. Needing assessments does not mean you have failed your child — it means you are advocating for them.

The assessment journey is a process, not a single step. Understanding evolves over time, and needs may change as your child grows.

In the next sections, we’ll break down different types of assessments, how to decide what to do first, and how reports are used to access support.