Autism assessments
Autism Assessments
At Meridian Therapy, we understand how important it is for parents to gain a clear understanding of their child’s developmental needs. Based right here in Galway, we are proud to support local families with a compassionate and professional approach tailored to help you navigate your child’s unique journey. Guided by expert clinicians, we offer thorough evaluations designed to identify your child’s strengths, challenges, and needs, empowering you with the insights and support needed to make informed decisions. Together, we aim to create a pathway for your child to thrive.
Why Might Your Child Benefit from an Autism Assessment?
An Autism assessment can provide valuable insights into your child’s development, helping to explain behaviours or challenges you may have noticed, such as difficulties with communication, social interactions, or managing emotions. If your child is struggling to engage with others, adapt to new routines, or shows a preference for specific interests or repetitive behaviours, an assessment could help identify underlying reasons. A diagnosis can open the door to tailored supports, therapies, and educational plans that enable your child to reach their full potential. It also offers clarity and guidance for families, equipping you with tools and strategies to better support your child at home and in school.
What does an Autism Assessment involve?
Our ASD assessment process is thorough, supportive, and designed to guide you every step of the way. Here’s what to expect:
Step 1: Getting Started
You’ll start by filling out a questionnaire, and both parents or legal guardians will need to give consent and sign the Terms and Conditions. If your child is in school or crèche, their teacher may also need to complete a Teacher Questionnaire. Once everything is ready, send the forms to us, along with any relevant medical or professional reports (like Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy reports).
Step 2: Review of Forms
A clinician will review the forms to make sure an ASD assessment is the right next step for your child. If it is, our admin team will contact you to arrange an appointment. If the clinician has any concerns about whether an autism assessment is suitable, they’ll get in touch with you to discuss this further.
Step 3: Clinical Interview
Next, we’ll arrange a clinical interview with you, which can be done over the phone or through a video call (Skype or Zoom)—whatever works best for you. This conversation usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours and helps us gather a detailed understanding of your child’s development and behavior.
Step 4: ADOS-2 Assessment
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) is a play-based assessment that gives us valuable insights into your child’s social and communication skills. Two trained clinicians will carry out the assessment—one leading and the other observing. It usually takes 60–90 minutes but may take a little longer if your child needs breaks.
Step 5: Reviewing the Results
Once the assessments and questionnaires are complete, we’ll analyze all the information. In some cases, we may suggest a school observation to gather additional insights, which we’ll discuss with you beforehand. This might involve an extra cost.
Step 6: The Final Report and Feedback
All the information is brought together into a clear, detailed report. If the results confirm a diagnosis of autism, we’ll share this with you during a feedback session. The report will include personalized recommendations for therapy, education, and any other supports your child may benefit from. If needed, we can also guide you on next steps, like referrals to other specialists or accessing educational supports.
Our goal is to provide you with a report that follows international best practices and gives you the tools and knowledge to support your child. We also offer follow-up therapy tailored to your child’s needs, helping you take the next steps with confidence.
Who carries out the assessment?
Dr. Ciara Raleigh
Surnaí Laverty
Ciara is a highly experienced Child and Educational Psychologist (M12972C), C.Psychol., Ps.S.I with over 17 years of expertise working with children, adolescents, and young adults with special educational needs and their families. She holds a Professional Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology, an MA in Special and Additional Learning Needs, and a postgraduate diploma in Psychology. Ciara has worked with children aged 5–17 years, supporting their learning, behavior, and emotional development, and has extensive experience in autism assessment and support.
Ciara takes a strengths-based and solution-focused approach, helping families and educators understand each child’s unique learning profile, including their strengths and areas of need. She is committed to neurodivergent-affirming principles and providing therapeutic support that celebrates the strengths of neurodivergent individuals while acknowledging the challenges they may face.
Surnaí is a Galway native and a qualified Speech and Language Therapist with a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Essex and a BA specializing in Children’s Studies from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Since graduating, Surnaí has worked with children in Primary Care Paediatric SLT services, focusing on areas such as early language development, speech sound disorders, and communication challenges related to autism.
Passionate about family-centered care, Surnaí works closely with parents and teachers to identify goals that matter most to each child and their family. She is dedicated to providing motivating, functional, and client-centered therapy to help children achieve their full potential.
How much does and Assessment Cost?
The price of our assessments are €2100.
Many of the parents we work with take out private health insurance, which can cover up to 75% of the costs of both the assessment, and also any follow up therapies that your child might need. Our clinicians and admin staff can guide you through any question you might have.
You may also be able to avail of tax relief of up to 20%.
In the event that the team feel that a full assessment may not be needed, you may be refunded a portion of the costs, depending on the amount of time use up until that point.
How long will we be waiting for the results?
Typically, we will provide you with the results on the same day as the ADOS assessment, and a full report within two weeks. There may be times that further assessment is needed, but this will be discussed with you prior to moving any further.