West Midlands Autism and ADHD
Assessment Service
Multidisciplinary assessments for adults, children and young people
Meet the people behind your assessment
Meet our Clinical Psychologist-led team, with specialist perspectives from psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. We bring evidence together to understand the whole person, with meaningful explanations and recommendations.
Clinical leadership: Dr Laura Onens leads the autism pathway; Dr Victoria Crooks leads the ADHD pathway. Both are HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologists.
Who you meet depends on your pathway and individual needs. Clinical assessment, formulation, report and feedback are part of the full diagnostic pathway; optional ongoing support and medication care are separate.
Dr Laura Onens
Clinical Director · Co-Director · Autism pathway lead
HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist · PYL37718
Experience: Over 17 years across NHS and independent healthcare, including neurodevelopmental, physical health and complex psychological services.
Clinical interests: Subtle autism and ADHD presentations, masking, compensatory strategies and later identification in girls and women. Laura is pursuing Lifestyle Medicine accreditation; this is ongoing training.
How Laura contributes: Autism pathway leadership and a whole-person approach to assessment and formulation—understanding how development, health, context and everyday experiences fit together, with recommendations beyond the diagnostic conclusion.
Dr Victoria Crooks
Co-Director · ADHD pathway lead
HCPC-registered Consultant Clinical Psychologist · PYL04183
Experience: Over 25 years in psychological assessment and intervention, including leadership in an NHS hospital psychology department and independent mental health practice.
Clinical interests: Exploring whether neurodivergence helps explain a person’s experiences, while considering other possible explanations, emotional wellbeing, relationships and everyday functioning.
How Victoria contributes: ADHD pathway leadership, clinical assessment and thoughtful interpretation of evidence, helping people develop a clearer understanding of themselves and their next steps.
Committed to Compassionate Neurodiversity Support
Our Story
Founded in 2020 at the Moat House in Sutton Coldfield, our service was established to provide accessible private assessments and ongoing support for Autism and ADHD. Since then, it has grown into a trusted resource across the West Midlands. In 2025, the service expanded through the acquisition of Lyndon House Clinic, enabling both the development of our services and the creation of a welcoming, home-from-home environment for clients.
Our aim is to support individuals and families through high-quality diagnostic assessments, alongside ongoing care delivered in a respectful and understanding setting. We are guided by values of integrity, empathy, and collaboration, and seek to recognise and respect the unique experiences of neurodivergent people in all aspects of our work.
We place strong value on an in-person diagnostic and post-diagnostic journey, while also offering flexible hybrid services. This blended approach, combining face-to-face and online support, is intended to enhance accessibility, support engagement, and promote meaningful outcomes.
Clinical Psychologists
Clinical Psychologists bring training in development, psychological functioning, mental health and psychological formulation: explaining how a person’s experiences fit together. This supports careful consideration of autism, ADHD, coexisting needs and other possible explanations.
The usual UK training route includes a psychology degree or equivalent preparation followed by a three-year clinical doctorate combining academic study, research and supervised practice. HCPC registration requires relevant professional standards; recognised equivalent routes also exist.
NICE recommends trained, competent professionals and multidisciplinary expertise for autism, and appropriately qualified healthcare professionals with specialist training for ADHD. WMAAAS is led by Clinical Psychologists with relevant neurodevelopmental experience.
Check the HCPC Register · NICE adult autism guidance · NICE ADHD guidance
Meet Our Dedicated Team
Professionals Who Care About You
Your assessment draws on the professionals whose skills are relevant to your needs. Clinical and counselling psychologists help assess and interpret the evidence; speech and language therapists contribute communication expertise in autism assessments; occupational therapists offer perspectives on sensory, motor and everyday functioning needs where appropriate.
Assistant psychology and administration staff support the pathway. Clinical decisions are made by qualified clinicians within their scope of practice. Ask us who you will meet and how each appointment contributes to your assessment.
Lauren
Speech and Language Therapist · ADOS-2 Assessor
HCPC-registered · Member of the RCSLT
Experience: Over 12 years in NHS and independent autism assessment services with children, adolescents and young adults.
Contribution: Specialist communication and interaction perspectives in autism assessment, helping families understand communication differences, strengths and support needs.
Dr Jenny
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Experience: 20 years across NHS and independent services, with senior roles in child and adolescent mental health services and autism pathways.
Contribution: Autism and ADHD assessment expertise, clinical formulation and collaboration with education and social care. Training includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR).
Tracey
Specialist Occupational Therapist
Advanced Sensory Integration Practitioner
Experience: Over 30 years in children’s occupational therapy across the NHS, private practice, schools and international settings.
Contribution: A child- and family-centred view of sensory, physical and developmental needs, including autism and ADHD, within multidisciplinary assessment and support.
Dr Jennifer
Chartered Clinical Psychologist
HCPC-registered · Member of the BPS
Qualifications: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology. Further training in autism and neurodivergence is ongoing.
Clinical interests: Masking, burnout and helping people across the lifespan understand their neurodivergence and support needs.
Alex
Speech and Language Therapist · ADOS-2 Assessor
Experience: Over 10 years with children and young adults in autism assessment settings, including child and adolescent mental health services.
Contribution: Specialist communication and autism assessment input, working collaboratively with individuals and families to make the assessment journey meaningful.
Dr Robin
Consultant Psychiatrist
Experience: Adult community mental health and ADHD, including work across several NHS Trusts.
Contribution: Dr Robin Garai supports the separate post-diagnostic medication pathway, including assessment for treatment, titration and monitoring where appropriate. Medication care is separate from the diagnostic assessment fee.
Gordon
Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Experience: 22 years supporting young people with autism and neurodiversity, with a focus on sensory and motor differences.
Contribution: Occupational therapy perspectives in multidisciplinary assessment and support planning, considering how everyday environments fit a person’s needs. His approach draws on inclusive-design training and professional and lived experience.
Jessica
Specialist Occupational Therapist
Experience: A background in psychology and occupational therapy, with over six years across NHS and independent neurodevelopmental and mental health services for young people and adults.
Contribution: Understanding strengths and needs in everyday activities, and supporting meaningful participation through a neuroaffirmative approach.
Danielle
Assistant Psychologist
Qualifications: MSc in Developmental Disorders and BSc in Psychology. Research interests include masking and camouflaging in autistic adults.
Contribution: Assessment and support tasks within the clinical team, drawing on experience with children and young people with neurodivergent and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Nicki
Administration and Assessment Co-ordinator
Experience: Clinic administration and appointment coordination, alongside a background as a special educational needs teacher.
How Nicki helps: A welcoming reception at Lyndon House and practical support with appointments and clinic arrangements for children, adults and families.
Jo
Administration and Registrations Co-ordinator
How Jo helps: Friendly, practical assistance with general enquiries and provisional registration, helping you understand the administrative next steps and keeping the service running smoothly.
Jane
Administration Manager
How Jane helps: Leads the administration team, coordinates processes around client needs and supports reception. Her role helps make the practical side of the pathway organised and approachable.
Dr Jaleesa
Clinical Psychologist · Child and Adolescent Therapist
HCPC-registered
Experience: Health, education and social care, with particular experience supporting looked-after and adopted children.
Contribution: Assessment and therapeutic support across ages, bringing expertise in trauma, neurodiversity and understanding recovery and wellbeing.
Dr Eleanor
Clinical Psychologist
Experience: 17 years across NHS and independent services, from infancy to adulthood, with additional neurodevelopmental assessment training.
Contribution: Assessment and therapy, with particular interests in neurodivergence and parenthood alongside her NHS perinatal work.
Dr Nav
Counselling Psychologist
Experience: Over 15 years working with people with complex needs.
Contribution: Assessment, psychological formulation and multidisciplinary interpretation of evidence, bringing information together into clear reports and a person-centred understanding.
Dr Natalie
Counselling Psychologist
HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologist
Qualifications and experience: Doctor of Counselling Psychology, with over 10 years across public, charity and independent settings. Her qualifications support eligibility for chartered BPS membership.
Contribution: A psychological perspective grounded in clinical training and professional ethical standards.
Joanna
Assessment Support and Liaison Administrator
How Joanna helps: Practical assistance throughout the pathway, including appointment questions and support with forms, so clients and families know where to turn.
Dr Jen
Practitioner Psychologist
HCPC-registered
Experience: A longstanding background in NHS mental health services, with a specialist interest in the relationship between neurodiversity and mental health.
Contribution: A psychological perspective on overlapping experiences and support needs. Her qualifications support eligibility for chartered BPS registration.
Our Shared Values
As a neurodiversity-affirming service we ensure that all of our clinicians hold the same values about neurodiversity. In simple terms, we view autism, ADHD, and other neurological diversities as unique differences to be respected, supported and embraced. We hope to normalise neurodivergence while assisting clients to find the understanding, accommodations, and services they need.
Accepting new clients.
No waiting lists.
Appointments within days.
Delays in accessing assessment and support are known to impact quality of life, limit opportunities, and affect mental health. For this reason, we prioritise providing timely assessments. Always.
