A collection of blogs, guides and articles from our team

What is the NHS Right to Choose scheme?

If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and are referred by your GP for specialist healthcare, including neurodevelopmental assessments (such as for autism or ADHD), you have the legal right to select the support provider that best meets your individual needs.

This is known as your Right to Choose. It means you can decide which organisation will oversee your care, as long as they are located in England and are fully qualified. The scheme allows the NHS to better manage its wait lists and means you can access support faster, and at no cost to yourself. You can follow this link to read more about it on the NHS website.

Why choose ProblemShared?

Our focus on strength-based, person-centred neurodevelopmental assessments sets us apart.

• Rather than focusing solely on any perceived weaknesses, we equip our clients to navigate the challenges they face, while recognising and championing their individual strengths.
• We aim to deliver a same-day diagnosis to our clients following assessment.

We’re held to the highest standards of care.

• We are regulated by the CQC, and are currently one of the UK’s largest providers of neurodevelopmental assessment and support services.
• We are a fully qualified NHS provider, and are committed to excellence across our entire service.

Our clinicians are certified experts.

• Our neurodevelopmental team include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, clinical psychologist and psychiatrists.

• They are all highly qualified, accredited by their relevant professional bodies, and follow the codes of conduct drawn from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

We’re the only provider to offer a neurodevelopmental service that includes post-diagnostic care.

• Our unique psychoeducation workshops are a space for you to better understand your diagnosis and receive ongoing support from our clinical team.
• For every client, we provide recommendations about how they can make positive changes to improve their lives, whether at school, work or home.
• Our clinicians can prescribe medication where appropriate.

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We’re fully online.

• Our remote service ensures the end-to-end assessment process is convenient and secure, meaning you can access support from the comfort of your own home.

Why is ProblemShared eligible for Right to Choose?

ProblemShared is eligible to offer RTC because we have contracts with NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) for both ADHD and autism services. This means we can provide the same service for any client who is registered with a GP in England.  

ProblemShared is also regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which means that we provide consistently safe, high-quality, compassionate care, and meet the highest level of legal and regulatory standards.

Right to Choose assessments with ProblemShared, step-by-step

Here's what you can expect from your client journey with us:

1. Pre-assessment information requested

After we have reviewed and accepted your referral, we will ask you to complete some important pre-assessment forms.

2. You are moved to our wait list

Once you have completed the pre-assessment forms, we will move you onto our wait list for an assessment. Your assessment will occur between 12-24 weeks of you joining the wait list. After the duration of our wait list has elapsed, we will notify you of the date of your assessment and the time of each session.

3. Assessment occurs

Your assessment will consist of several sessions over the same day, with both yourself and your informant(s), overseen by our clinical team.

4. Outcome and report

You will be given the outcome of your assessment during the final session of the day. We will send you a full assessment report no later than 4 weeks after this.

5. Post-diagnostic care

If you are diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition, you will be offered ongoing care including medication (where appropriate) and psychoeducation.

Need more information?

If you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.

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We currently provide the following services through the NHS Right to Choose scheme:

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ADHD

• ADHD assessments for adults and children
• ADHD psychoeducation workshops
• Medication (where appropriate)

Autism

• Autism assessments for adults and children
• Autism psychoeducation workshops
• Ongoing post-diagnostic care

What is the NHS Right to Choose scheme?

If you are registered with a GP surgery in England and are referred by your GP for specialist healthcare, including neurodevelopmental assessments (such as for autism or ADHD), you have the legal right to select the support provider that best meets your individual needs.

This is known as your right to choose. It means you can decide which organisation will oversee your care, as long as they are located in England and are fully qualified. The scheme allows the NHS to better manage its wait lists and means you can access support faster, and at no cost to yourself. You can follow this link to read more about it on the NHS website.

Right to Choose with ProblemShared

If you suspect that you or your child might have autism or ADHD, ProblemShared offers assessment, diagnosis, medication, and post-diagnostic support to clients who come into our care through the NHS Right to Choose scheme.  

We are currently one of the UK’s largest providers of neurodevelopmental assessment and support services. We are a qualified NHS provider, CQC-registered, and operate short wait lists, ensuring you get access to the support you need quickly and efficiently.

Let’s take a look at each part of our service in more depth, so you know exactly what to expect.

Neurodevelopmental assessment & diagnosis

• Once we have accepted your referral into our service, and you have provided us with some important pre-assessment information, we will move you onto our wait list for an assessment.
• After the duration of our wait list has elapsed, we will notify you of the date of your assessment and the time of each session.
• Your assessment will consist of several sessions over the same day, with both yourself and your informant(s), overseen by our clinical team.
• You will be given the outcome of your assessment during the final session of the day. We will send you a full assessment report no later than 4 weeks after this.

ADHD medication

If you receive a diagnosis for ADHD, we will offer you the option of exploring the use of medication as a treatment. Our specialist nurse practitioners can prescribe medication where appropriate, which can then be dispensed by your local pharmacy. We will also work with you to alter the dosage of your medications based on how you respond to the medication – a process known as titration.

Post-diagnostic support

Our care for our clients extends beyond diagnosis. We offer unique psychoeducation sessions, which are a space for you to better understand your diagnosis with our clinical team.

Suitability criteria

Our assessment process is carried out entirely remotely. We feel you will be better off being referred by your GP for a face-to-face assessment if:

• You are non-verbal and/or selectively mute

• You are not fluent in English
• You have a diagnosis of global development delay or a diagnosed intellectual disability (IQ below 70)
• You are currently receiving treatment for an active eating disorder, and/or in active family-based therapy or eating disorder therapy
• You are a person who is looked after, or under the guardianship of a local authority
• You are currently receiving treatment for drug or alcohol addiction
• You have experienced a current, or recently (within 3 months) resolved, psychotic episode
• You have a significant visual or hearing impairment
• You are undergoing safeguarding investigations
• You currently have high levels of risk in terms of your behaviour and mental health
• You require emergency treatment
• You have already received care or treatment for the neurodevelopmental condition for which you are seeking an assessment
• You are detained in a hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983, or on a Community Treatment order
• You are seeking a second opinion assessment, and have already been assessed for autism within the last year (this does not apply to assessment for ADHD)
• You do not have access to a laptop or computer (please note that an iPad which is at least 10” in size and can be propped up to be used handsfree can also be used to access our service, but handheld devices such as mobile phones cannot)
• You do not have access to an internet connection in a private place
• You or your child are not willing to conduct the assessment with your camera turned on for the duration of the assessment
• You are currently serving a prison sentence, or are on temporary release
• You serve in the armed forces
• You have had a head injury, brain surgery, or have a neurological condition that has left you with significant cognitive impairments
• You are unable to look after your self-care needs, or the needs of your dependants (e.g., washing, feeding, not taking prescribed medications)

Our quality care

ProblemShared is a community of people who care. Our standards of excellence are at the core of everything we do.

• Our assessments are strength-based and person-centred
• We’re the only provider to offer a neurodevelopmental service that includes post-diagnostic care
• Our clinicians are certified experts, and include occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, clinical psychologist and psychiatrists
• Our neurodevelopmental team are all highly qualified, accredited by their relevant professional bodies, and follow the codes of conduct drawn from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines
• ProblemShared is regulated by the CQC, meaning we are held to the highest standards of care

Need more information?

If you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.

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If you think that you may be autistic, seeking a diagnosis and support can be a life-changing experience. In this article, we explain the assessment process in detail to help you feel prepared.

What to expect during your autism assessment with ProblemShared

After being referred to our service by your GP, getting an autism assessment with ProblemShared is simple. Here are the steps you can expect to take on your assessment journey:

1. Pre-Assessment Questionnaire

• You will receive an email confirming that your referral to our service has been accepted, and asking you to complete some pre-assessment forms.
• One of these forms is the Pre-Assessment Questionnaire. Take some time to complete it carefully, as it will help our clinical team to get to know you and understand your situation better.

2. Informant Questionnaire

• The second form is called the Informant Questionnaire. This needs to be completed by your informant.
• An informant is someone who has known you since early childhood, like a parent or carer.
• You need to download the Informant Questionnaire from your client dashboard and send it to your informant to complete. When they are finished, they can send it back to you to re-upload onto your client dashboard.

Once both your Pre-Assessment Questionnaire and Informant Questionnaire have been completed and uploaded onto your client dashboard, you will receive another email with the date and time of your autism assessment sessions.

3. First session: Informant Interview

• One of our clinicians will interview your informant in a session called an Informant Interview. The Informant Interview will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and last approximately 3 hours.  
• You can be present too, if you wish, but you don't have to be.  
• The Informant Interview helps our practitioners to get a clearer picture of the challenges you faced during childhood. This information, combined with information gathered during your observational assessment, will help our practitioners with the process of diagnosis.  

4. Second session: Observation Session

• The observation session will be overseen by a different clinician to the one who completed your Informant Interview. This is because of our commitment to quality of care. It's a way to achieve a second expert opinion during your autism assessment.
• The observation session will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and consist of some activities and tasks that the practitioner will ask you to complete. These are not tests, and there are no right or wrong answers. Our clinicians are simply trying to discover more about your situation to ensure they can conduct a robust assessment.

5. Third session: Feedback Session

• During your feedback session, the practitioner who carried out your observation session will discuss the outcome of your autism assessment with you. They will tell you whether you have been diagnosed with autism or not.
• A full report of your autism assessment will be sent to you via email no later than 4 weeks after your feedback session.

How to prepare for your autism assessment with ProblemShared

Seeking a formal assessment can be a daunting process. However, preparing for your autism assessment can help ease some of the anxiety surrounding it.

Here are some tips on how to best prepare for your assessment with ProblemShared:

• Do some research. Before embarking on an autism assessment journey, you could take some time to familiarise yourself with the common traits and behaviours associated with autism, to gain a better understanding of the condition.

• Keep a journal. It can be helpful to keep a journal or diary leading up to your assessment where you write down any observations or experiences that relate to social interactions, communication, or social sensory sensitivities. This information could be helpful during your assessment, as it provides concrete examples of how these challenges affect your daily life.

• Gather information about your childhood. As an adult seeking an autism diagnosis, providing information about your childhood is crucial in aiding professionals in making an accurate diagnosis. Try reaching out to family members or caregivers who knew you as a child and ask them about any potential developmental delays or differences they may have noticed. Our clinicians recommend looking at childhood photographs to help jog your memory of your early development.

Ongoing care and support for clients who are diagnosed with autism

If you receive an autism diagnosis following your assessment with us, we offer a range of ongoing support options to our clients. Our clinicians can prescribe medication where appropriate, and we provide psychoeducation workshops where you can learn more about your diagnosis.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.

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Pursuing a diagnosis for ADHD can be a validating experience, but the thought of navigating the assessment process might feel overwhelming. In this article, we explain the ProblemShared ADHD assessment process in detail, and provide you with some tips for getting prepared.

What to expect during your ADHD assessment with ProblemShared

After being referred to our service by your GP, getting an ADHD assessment with ProblemShared is simple. Here are the steps you can expect to take on your assessment journey:

1. Pre-Assessment Questionnaires

You will receive an email confirming that your referral to our service has been accepted, and asking you to complete some pre-assessment forms.  

To be completed by you:

• A Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS-S)
• A self-report questionnaire
• A physical health questionnaire

To be completed by your informant:  

• Informant Questionnaire

Please note that you need to download the Informant Questionnaire from your client dashboard and send it to your informant to complete. When they are finished, they can send it back to you to re-upload onto your client dashboard with the rest of your pre-assessment forms.

An informant is someone who has known you since early childhood, like a parent or carer.

2. Assessment date given

Once both your pre-assessment questionnaire and informant questionnaire have been completed and returned to us, you will receive another email with the date and time of your ADHD assessment.

3. Assessment occurs

Your assessment will take place via our secure video conferencing platform and will last up to 2 hours. We aim to give you the outcome of your ADHD assessment on the same day.

4. Report

A full report of your ADHD assessment will be sent to you via email within 4 weeks.

How to prepare for your ADHD assessment with ProblemShared

Seeking a formal assessment can be a daunting process. However, ensuring you are well-prepared for your ADHD assessment can help ease some of the anxiety surrounding it.

Here are some tips on how to best prepare for your assessment with ProblemShared:

1. Do some research. Before embarking on an ADHD assessment journey, you could take some time to familiarise yourself with the common traits and behaviours associated with ADHD, to gain a better understanding of the condition.

2. Gather relevant information. Before your assessment, you could gather any previous evaluations or reports related to your symptoms or academic performance to support your assessment. This isn’t crucial, but it could provide valuable insights for our clinical team.

3. Keep a symptom log. Track the way that your ADHD shows up in your daily life leading up to the assessment, noting its intensity and impact. This record will give our clinicians a clearer picture of your experiences.

4. Prepare some questions. Write down any questions or concerns you have about ADHD or the assessment process beforehand so that you can ask your clinician when the time comes.

5. Be open and honest. During the assessment, be candid about your experiences without second-guessing yourself or trying to present yourself in a certain way - this will help to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Remember that it’s not a test – you can’t “fail”.  

Ongoing care and support for clients who are diagnosed with ADHD

If you receive an ADHD diagnosis following your assessment with us, we offer a range of ongoing support options to our clients. We can prescribe ADHD medication where appropriate, and provide psychoeducation workshops where you can learn more about your diagnosis with our team of expert clinicians.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about Right to Choose, referral, or the assessment process in general, you can head to the support resources section of our homepage, or explore our FAQs.

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Common mental health challenges at university

University life brings new experiences and challenges that can affect students' mental health. Some common mental health issues that students might face while studying at university include:

1. Anxiety

Students may feel overwhelming worry about exams, presentations, or social interactions, leading to symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweating, and avoidance behaviours. For example, a student might experience panic attacks before a test or skip classes altogether due to social anxiety.

2. Depression

A student might lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, struggle with low energy, or have difficulty concentrating on assignments, which can significantly impact academic performance.

3. Stress

The pressure to maintain good grades, secure internships or jobs, and plan for a career post-graduation can lead to chronic stress. This can manifest in both physical and psychological symptoms, such as headaches and irritability.

4. Sleep disturbances

Due to late-night studying or socialising, a student might develop irregular sleep patterns, leading to daytime fatigue and reduced academic performance.

5. Disordered eating

The desire to fit in or cope with stress might lead a student to adopt harmful eating habits, such as skipping meals or binge eating, which can have serious health consequences.

6. Substance misuse

To deal with pressure, a student might start drinking heavily during social events or using drugs, which can lead to dependency.

7. Isolation

International students or those far from home may struggle with loneliness, finding it hard to make connections in a new environment, which can exacerbate other mental health issues.

These issues can be managed through talk therapy, where experienced practitioners can create a safe space for students to navigate their challenges and find support strategies.  

Types of talk therapy on campus

Universities offer various forms of counselling to cater to the diverse needs of their students. Here are some commonly provided practices:  

• Individual therapy. One-on-one sessions with a therapist where students can discuss personal challenges privately.
• Group therapy. Facilitated sessions with groups of students who share similar experiences, providing a sense of community and mutual support.
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). A structured approach that helps students identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours.
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). A therapy that focuses on teaching emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
• Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). A specialised therapy used primarily for trauma, helping students process and integrate traumatic memories.
• Counselling. General counselling services that offer support with academic, career, and personal issues.
• Psychoeducation. Groups or workshops that provide information on mental health topics and teach coping strategies.
• Crisis intervention. Immediate assistance for students in psychological distress or experiencing a crisis.
• Peer counselling. Support services run by trained student volunteers who offer a relatable perspective and empathetic ear.
• Mindfulness and stress management. Programmes designed to help students learn how to manage stress and anxiety through mindfulness techniques.  

Benefits of talk therapy for students

Talk therapy offers a range of benefits, positively impacting both the mental health and academic performance of university students. The benefits are numerous:

• With the guidance of their practitioner, students are free to articulate their emotions, such as addressing homesickness or expressing fear about the future. Talk therapy can assist with understanding and communicating these feelings rather than letting them fester.
• For a student grappling with procrastination, CBT can help unravel negative self-talk and replace it with motivational thoughts, leading to a more productive approach to coursework.
• DBT offers students, perhaps overwhelmed by exam stress, techniques like mindfulness and distress tolerance, which help in maintaining calm and focus during high-pressure periods.
• EMDR can be a critical tool for students dealing with past traumas, enabling them to process distressing memories and concentrate on their present studies and campus life.
• After engaging in talk therapy, students often experience a boost in confidence, which might inspire them to take on new challenges, such as leadership roles in campus organisations.
• Therapy can enhance a student's ability to communicate with peers and professors, leading to more enriching academic collaborations and personal relationships.
• As mental health improves, so does academic performance, evidenced by more active class participation and a proactive approach to complex projects.
• A previously introverted student may find the confidence through therapy to join social groups and activities, fostering a sense of belonging and community on campus.
• Self-reflection encouraged in therapy sessions can lead to significant personal insights, prompting life-changing decisions like changing a major to pursue a true passion.

Common obstacles to seeking help at university

Students may face several challenges when seeking mental health support at university. However, there is always a way to navigate these obstacles.

1. Stigma

The stigma associated with mental health treatment is a significant barrier. Many students fear being judged, misunderstood, or labelled with stereotypes. However, seeking therapy is a sign of strength and self-care.

2. Lack of awareness

Many students are unaware of available resources and the importance of mental health care, delaying their access to support. While it is the responsibility of your university to ensure that wellbeing resources are made accessible to students, it’s likely that information is readily available on their website.

3. Financial constraints

Cost can be a significant barrier for students. Affording therapy sessions or necessary medications can feel impossible, which is why most universities will offer free counselling. Many private counselling practices will also offer heavily subsidised sessions if you can show proof of being a student.

4. Long waiting times

University counselling centres might have limited staff and high demand, leading to longer wait lists. This delay can discourage some students from pursuing treatment. However, it's always worth investigating, because wait lists can often move more quickly than expected.

5. Balancing academics

The demanding nature of university life leaves little time for personal commitments like therapy sessions. Finding a balance can feel like a challenge. But most courses of counselling only take up half an hour per week, and practitioners will likely be willing to fit sessions around student schedules.

What we offer at ProblemShared

ProblemShared was founded to enhance access to the highest quality mental healthcare and neurodevelopmental support. We are here to support university counselling services across the UK meet the growing demand for care.

Our community of exceptional practitioners are available to provide capacity, diversity, and additional specialisms to in-house student counselling services.    

For more information, you can explore our university webpage.

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What is an informant?

If you’re preparing for an autism assessment, it’s important that you choose a reliable informant to support you through the process.  

An informant is someone who can share important context about you and your childhood with our clinicians. This will help our clinical team to gain a wider understanding of how you experience the world. Your informant’s knowledge of your early development can contribute to an accurate autism diagnosis. They can also provide you with encouragement and solidarity as you navigate the assessment process.

Who can be an informant in an autism assessment?

Choosing the right informant is a crucial step in ensuring that your assessment runs as smoothly as possible. To ensure that the information provided is accurate and relevant, an informant should be somebody who has known you since early childhood.  Informants will be asked to do two things during the autism assessment process:  

1. Complete an Informant Questionnaire  

2. Attend an Informant Interview

If you like, you can ask two different people to be your informants; one person to complete the Informant Questionnaire, and another person to attend the Informant Interview. Or you can ask the same person to do both things, as long as they fit the below criteria:

Who can complete the Informant Questionnaire?

Ideally, this should be a parent or caregiver that has known you during childhood. In the absence of a parent or caregiver, the Informant Questionnaire may be completed by a sibling, a long-term spouse or partner, or a long-term friend.

Who can attend the Informant Interview?

Ideally, this should be a parent or caregiver that has known you during childhood. If this is not possible, your long-term spouse or partner may attend the Informant Interview.

In the absence of any of these options, please let us know as soon as possible, and a member of our clinical team will be in touch to discuss alternative options. Please note that in the interest of clinical best practice, it is not possible for a sibling or long-term friend to attend the Informant Interview.

How does the process work?

Your chosen informant(s) will be your companion(s) throughout the assessment process, providing valuable insights and perspectives to your clinician. Here is a brief overview of what they will be required to do:

1. Firstly, they need to complete a detailed Informant Questionnaire. This questionnaire will gather important details about your early childhood, developmental milestones, medical and educational history, social characteristics, and neurodivergent traits. You will need to download the Informant Questionnaire from your client dashboard and send it to your informant to complete. When they are finished, they can send it back to you to re-upload onto your client dashboard with the rest of your pre-assessment forms.

2. Secondly, they need to attend an Informant Interview, which will last approximately 3 hours. This interview will take place via our secure online platform. You can attend this interview alongside your informant if you wish to. This session is an opportunity for your clinician to gather more detailed information about your childhood, developmental history, and daily challenges, helping to guide their diagnosis.  

Making the right choice

Here are some factors to consider as you choose an appropriate informant:  

• If you can, choose somebody who has a basic understanding of neurodiversity or is willing to learn more. This will ensure that they share their insights in an empathetic and well-informed manner.

• Make sure that the person you choose is willing to commit to helping you through the entire assessment process.

• Your chosen informant should be somebody that you feel comfortable with and can trust. During the assessment process, you will be sharing personal and often sensitive information, so it's important that the dynamic between yourself and your informant is a safe space where everybody feels comfortable and respected.

• A well-chosen informant will approach your assessment with respect for you and your individual experiences.

• Ensure that your chosen informant understands the importance of confidentiality and respecting your privacy. All information shared during the assessment process should be treated as confidential.  

How to ask someone to be your informant

The idea of asking someone to be your informant might feel a bit overwhelming. Here are a few things to consider when initiating this conversation:

• Choose a suitable time and location to have this conversation. You should talk to your potential informant in a comfortable and private setting when neither of you is in a rush.  

• Before starting this conversation, learn as much as possible about the ProblemShared autism assessment process. You will then be able to explain to your potential informant what their specific role will be.  

• Emphasise the important role of an informant in the assessment process and ensure your potential informant realises how valuable their support is to the outcome.

• Give your potential informant plenty of time to consider your request.

What to do if you don’t have a suitable informant for your autism assessment

If you do not have a suitable informant for your autism assessment, please inform a member of our team at your earliest opportunity. A clinician will be in touch to discuss alternative options with you.

While this isn’t ideal, we endeavour to make the process of accessing a ProblemShared autism assessment as inclusive as possible. Therefore, although involving an informant is an important part of ensuring a clinically robust assessment, our team will never turn a client away for being unable to source an informant.

We may be able to come to an arrangement whereby you act as your own informant, or something similar. The sooner you communicate your situation to us, the more efficiently we will be able to find a solution.