Oxford Paediatric Autism Assessments

Get to know Oxford Paediatric Autism Assessments

From Oxford Paediatric Autism Assessments's website.

• Our approach

  Oxford PAA provides comprehensive multidisciplinary autism assessments in a single, combined appointment led by a speech and language pathologist and an educational developmental psychologist. During the assessment, your child will complete the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale – 2nd Edition, followed by informal observations and free play in a welcoming, safe and fun environment designed to put children at ease. Parents are interviewed separately in an adjoining room about their child's development, while educators or teachers are asked to complete questionnaires beforehand. The team aims to understand your child, their unique qualities and your pathway to the assessment. The entire appointment takes approximately 2 hours, and a comprehensive diagnostic report is provided to the referring professional and your family within four weeks.

• Working with families

  Parents are actively involved throughout the assessment process, starting with pre-appointment preparation including questionnaires and submission of relevant reports from school and previous assessments. On the day, parents are interviewed separately about their child's development history while the assessment takes place. Sarah, the Assessment Coordinator, works to lessen parental anxiety about booking the assessment and is responsive to your needs throughout the entire process. The comprehensive diagnostic report is provided directly to your family within four weeks, helping you understand the results and move forward with support.

• Meet the team

  The team consists of Brooke Purslowe, an Educational and Developmental Psychologist with 15 years of experience in disability and diagnostics and a keen interest in autism spectrum disorders, and Anthea Dobson, a speech pathologist with over 30 years of experience working with children and teenagers across multiple countries and settings including Child Development Services and private practice. Sarah Bakovic serves as the Assessment Coordinator and brings 25 years of experience in healthcare and disability sector administration, providing compassionate communication and support throughout the assessment process. Together, they bring combined expertise in multidisciplinary assessment, neurodevelopmental difficulties and mental health issues affecting children.

• Your first visit

  Prior to your appointment, you'll be asked to complete a pre-assessment questionnaire and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Assessment Online, and to provide any relevant reports such as school psychology or speech and language assessments. Your child's school or educators will also complete a pre-assessment questionnaire. On the day of the appointment, your child will complete standardised autism diagnostic testing followed by informal observations and play-based activities. Parents are interviewed separately about their child's development while the assessment takes place. The diagnostic report will be provided to both your child's referring professional and your family within four weeks of the assessment date.