The outcome report: what to expect

Summary: After your child’s assessment, your clinician will prepare an outcome report – which we’ll send to you within a week. It'll say whether an ADHD or autism diagnosis has been reached, explain the reasoning behind it, and set out our recommended next steps. 

• The outcome report

• How the report is prepared

• What’s included in the report

• School support and recommendations

• Explaining your child’s diagnosis to them

• Onward referrals

• Safeguarding

• FAQs 

After your child's assessment, we'll bring together the clinician's findings into what we call an "outcome report". We aim to get this to you by email within a week. 

The report will say whether an ADHD or autism diagnosis has been reached, explain the thinking behind that decision, and set out what we'd recommend next. 

We follow these steps to make sure the outcome report is thorough and accurate: 

• The clinician reviews everything shared throughout the assessment, carrying out a full clinical review – and may consult other specialists if helpful.

• Once it's finalised, we'll email you the report and send a copy to your child's GP so it's there on record.

• If your child's has been assessed for both ADHD and autism, two clinicians will be involved – they'll review everything together and agree the diagnosis jointly. One of them takes the lead on writing up the report, but it reflects both their input.

The report includes a full summary of the assessment process, the evidence gathered, and the clinical reasoning behind the outcome. This covers: 

• Developmental history – how things have looked for your child over time, from early childhood to now

• Day-to-day life – how things are for your child right now

• Strengths – what your child's good at, and what comes naturally to them

• The tools used – which questionnaires and assessments were part of the process

• The diagnosis – how the clinician brought everything together to reach their decision and any recommendations for next steps 

• School support and diagnosis 

Schools should put support in place based on what a child needs day to day – whether or not they have a formal diagnosis.

That said, plenty of families find a diagnosis makes it easier for others to understand their child, spot tricky situations coming and plan support measures. It can also help conversations with professionals, and feed into SEN processes. It won't automatically change what a school has to provide, but it can help everyone get on the same page about what will really help. 

• Recommendations for school 

Every report comes with clear, practical recommendations for school, tailored to your child – things like classroom strategies, pointers for conversations with teachers, and support for SEN processes. 

You're welcome to share the report with your child’s school and other professionals. We also include a shorter letter confirming the diagnosis or outcome, ready to support an EHCP if you need one. 

Explaining your child’s diagnosis to them 

You know your child best. You'll have a good sense of what they'll understand, and what will feel reassuring to hear. We can help with age-appropriate language, examples, and resources, so you can have that conversation with confidence. 

Lots of families find it helps to focus on strengths, on how the diagnosis helps everyone understand their child a bit better, and on what support they’ll have going forward. 

In your child’s outcome letter, we’ll also include some child-friendly materials you can share with them. If it feels right for your family, we can offer an appointment where we explain the diagnosis together with your child.  

• Referrals to other services 

If it helps, we can point you toward an onward referral, such as mental health services, speech and language therapy, or other specialist support, along with written guidance for the GP or local services. 

Like any healthcare provider, we're responsible for the safety of the children and young people we see. If a safeguarding concern comes up during the assessment, the clinician may refer directly to the local Children's Services team. 

We'll always try to talk this through with families first. However, if raising it beforehand could put a child at greater risk, we may need to make that referral without consent, simply to keep them safe. 

Are the diagnoses you make officially recognised? 
Yes. We're registered with the CQC and accredited by the NHS to provide NHS services, so any diagnosis we give is fully and formally recognised. 

What should I do if I have questions about the outcome report? 
Get in touch by emailing hellocyp@careadhd.co.uk and our team will help however they can.