"Thank you so much for the incredible work you do"

My daughter had her ADOS assessment with Mathew. He was excellent, very professional and I was struck by his ability to be completely neutral without influencing any of her answers. He was very calm and this helped with my daughter who is very shy. 

I then had the informant assessment with Kirsty. She was excellent and was extremely patient when I was having internet issues and the call dropped out several times. I was so sure she would abandon the assessment but she didn’t and each time reassured me that she would call me on the phone if I couldn’t get back online. The assessment went well over the allocated time (probably because of my own ADHD) but she never rushed me and was happy to give further context if I didn’t understand a question. She was incredibly kind when I spoke about distressing experiences and made a point to ensure I felt ok and to talk to me about how I feel. I particularly liked at the end she gave me an opportunity to share the wonderful things about my daughter and the focus throughout was on her skills and abilities despite her challenges. She could have easily said she didn’t have the time but she also asked me how I was feeling and offered the opportunity to ask questions.

I had the feedback call today which confirmed the diagnosis of autism. Kirsty was again so kind and calming and acknowledged the mixed emotions I was feeling. She again focused on all the wonderful things about my daughter and the things I had worked hard to put in place to support her. I really felt that Kirsty was an ally and a positive experience for me in a difficult time. 

I am now awaiting the report but based on the ADHD report from clinical partners I am confident this will be detailed and robust. I am so happy that I chose clinical partners and part of my decision was based on reading reviews and other peoples experiences where they did not receive a diagnosis. It was very important to me that the diagnosis was backed with strong evidence and would be respected as this will be essential in making my daughters needs known. 

To Matthew and Kirsty, thank you so much for the incredible work that you do.