Autism Diagnosis and Assessment

Autism Assessment Services

Finding Your Framework

If you have spent years feeling “different,” questioning whether autism might be the key to understanding your life experience can be both daunting and deeply hopeful. I believe that an autism diagnosis should never be the opinion of just one person; it requires a balanced, evidence-based, and multi-agency approach.

I offer a gentle starting point. An academic, non-clinical gateway assessment, designed to help you explore whether autism provides a meaningful framework for your identity. For many, this offers the reassurance that they are “barking up the right tree,” while for others, it serves as the essential first step toward a formal clinical diagnosis.

Gateway Autism Assessment

This structured exploration provides clarity and validation without the immediate pressure of a clinical setting.

My gateway assessment includes:

Developmental History: A careful look back at your early years and growth.

Sensory Profile Review: Understanding how you experience and process the world around you.

Communication Patterns: Exploring your unique way of sharing and connecting with others.

Social Cognition & Relational Dynamics: Looking at how you navigate the complexities of social interaction.

Masking & Coping Strategies: Identifying the ways you may have adapted to fit into a neurotypical world.

Co-occurring Mental Health: Considering how autism might overlap with other life experiences like anxiety or trauma.

What you will receive: A detailed written report (typically 28+ pages) that maps out these findings and offers clear direction for your next steps.

Cost: £500 (including the full report). Please note: This is an academic assessment and does not constitute a formal clinical diagnosis. However, it is a powerful tool for validation and planning.

Clinical Autism Diagnosis Pathway

For those who wish to proceed to a formal, clinical diagnosis, I work as a second clinician in collaboration with Dr. Miranda Gaylor, a highly respected Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

About Dr. Gaylor:

  • HCPC Registered Forensic Psychologist

  • BPS Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Together, we ensure that your assessment meets the highest professional standards, providing you with a robust clinical diagnosis that is recognised across healthcare and professional sectors.

Clinical Autism Diagnosis Pathway

For those who wish to proceed to a formal, clinical diagnosis, I work as a second clinician in collaboration with Dr. Miranda Gaylor, a highly respected Chartered Clinical Psychologist.

About Dr. Gaylor:

  • HCPC Registered Forensic Psychologist

  • BPS Chartered Clinical Psychologist

Together, we ensure that your assessment meets the highest professional standards, providing you with a robust clinical diagnosis that is recognised across healthcare and professional sectors.

Elaine Nicholson MBE, Autism diagnosis and assessment, neurodivergent relationship counselling, family therapy for parental alienation, individual counselling sessions, counselling for all ages, autism-informed therapy, expert neurodivergent relationship support, one-on-one client counselling, specialised family therapy, autism assessment with clinical psychologist, empathetic therapy for neurodivergent clients, supervision for counsellors and psychotherapists working with parental estrangement,

Integrating Your Discovery

A formal diagnosis is often a powerful turning point, bringing a deep sense of relief and clarity. However, it also marks the beginning of a period of adjustment. Understanding how this new framework fits into your past, present, and future is a journey that doesn’t have to be taken alone.

Both Dr. Miranda Gaylor and I offer dedicated post-diagnostic support to help you navigate this transition. This work is uniquely tailored to you and may focus on:

  • Identity Integration: Merging your new understanding of autism with your sense of self.

  • Communication Understanding: Exploring how your neurodivergent style interacts with the world around you.

  • Workplace Adjustments: Identifying practical changes to help you thrive in your professional life.

  • Family Conversations: Helping loved ones understand your needs and finding new ways to connect.

  • Emotional Processing: Navigating the complex feelings that often arise after a lifetime of “feeling different”.

Support Fees:

  • Elaine Nicholson MBE: £75 per session.

  • Dr. Miranda Gaylor: £120 per session.

Therapy sessions: £120 per session

ADHD Assessment & Coaching

In addition to our work with autism, Dr Miranda Gaylor provides specialist support for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Whether you are seeking a formal diagnosis or practical strategies to manage your daily life, Dr. Gaylor offers a professional, evidence-based pathway.

  • Full ADHD Diagnosis: £850

  • ADHD Coaching: £120 per session

Psychological Therapy with Dr. Miranda Gaylor

Dr Gaylor provides comprehensive psychological therapy, drawing upon a wide range of clinically proven approaches to support your mental health and wellbeing.

Therapeutic Modalities include:

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

  • DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)

  • ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

  • Hypnotherapy

Therapy Sessions: £120 per session.

Ready to take the first step?

If you would like to discuss whether a gateway assessment is the right path for you, please feel free to reach out. We can think it through together.

The Sanctuary, A Space for Embodied Healing

Whether we meet to explore your neurodivergent identity or to process deep-seated trauma, the environment we work in is a vital part of your therapeutic journey. My practice in Weldon, Northamptonshire, is more than just an office; it is a sensory-informed sanctuary designed to support both traditional talking therapy and deep, somatic work.

A Room That Listens to Your Needs

I believe that your physical surroundings should offer the same validation and safety as our conversation. The therapy room features:

Comfort and Choice: Most clients enjoy our exceptionally comfortable “snuggler” chairs, which provide a relaxed yet supportive space for dialogue.

A Grounded Environment: For those engaging in body psychotherapy, a floor-based mattress configuration is available. This low-hierarchy arrangement enhances your sense of grounding and proprioceptive awareness, helping you feel truly supported by the earth beneath you.

Nature as a Co-Therapist: Large windows offer a calming view of the garden, providing a connection to the natural world that many find deeply grounding.

Sensory Warmth: During the colder months, the gentle visual rhythm and warmth of a log-burning stove provide an extra layer of sensory comfort to support our work.

If you would like to learn more about my dedicated somatic practice and the philosophy behind this embodied approach, I warmly invite you to visit my Body Psychotherapy website.

In-Person Connection

While I continue to offer secure video consultations for accessibility, there is a unique, relational depth found in working together in person. As a body psychotherapist, I value the shared energy of a physical space where we can fully attend to the “wisdom of the body” and facilitate experiences of embodied peace

Discover my Services

Individual Autism Counselling

Autism-informed therapy for adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, burnout, masking, trauma or identity challenges.

Neurodivergent Relationship Counselling

Support for couples navigating communication differences, emotional misunderstanding and the unique dynamics of autistic–non-autistic partnerships.

Autism Diagnosis and Assessment

A structured, thoughtful exploration of developmental history, sensory patterns and lived experience, guiding individuals toward clarity and appropriate diagnostic pathways.

Professional Supervision

Specialist supervision for counsellors and psychotherapists working with complex parental estrangement and parental alienation cases and autism-related dynamics.

Family Therapy

Support for families experiencing communication breakdown, parental strain or estrangement within neurodiverse systems.

Publications

  • Dangers of Sharenting

  • Autistic Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic