Autism North East - Ryton

Amber W.

I had an incredibly positive experience as an adult getting assessed for autism. I was listened to, and all my concerns were addressed. I felt completely validated throughout and everything was ever so thorough. I was lucky enough to jump ahead of the waiting time due to a cancellation, and I can definitely say it was worth the cost because of the depth of every aspect of the assessment. I really felt at ease and was not pressured to make forced eye contact. All emails were replied to in detail and I am very impressed with my report. All appointments ran smoothly, on time and were met with friendliness. This is somewhere that really cares about supporting people and you can tell that these doctors have a genuine passion to guide people. There is shared communication between the therapists and I really couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I feel really validated and far more confident going forwards.

Lucy B.

Autism North East became a beacon in a time that as a family we found ourselves lost in many ways.

Dr Atkinson and all of the team gave us and our son reasons and understanding to his life and ours. We were all treated with genuine compassion, kindness and without judgement. We were all treated with respect. Our son felt valued and his behaviours were given validation and reason which helped him enormously and it gave our family understanding of him, who he is and his world. To have reason made sense to so many years of behaviour that at times we couldn’t understand. Our son now feels that he has an answer to why he feels different to others and why he finds some aspects of life challenging.His diagnoses helps others understand and provides him with a greater hope of fulfilling his dreams with the right support in place.

Our son finds face to face assessments difficult so Dr Atkinson tailored them to suit his needs. We used Teams with the camera off, audio recordings and finally he felt comfortable enough to meet in person, which he enjoyed.

Our son had been through an unimaginable year of pain and sadness. As parents we were desperate to help him and had explored too many avenues and we were on long waiting lists. Autism North East in no uncertain terms saved us in many ways.

Life is still difficult but we have a foundation now to build on. Reasons, knowledge and understanding.

Thank you to Dr Atkinson and the team.

Siobhan B.

Our daughter recently attended Autism North East at Clara Vale. I chose to take my daughter here as we are currently on a five year waiting list with CAMHS and due to the difficulties my daughter has I did not feel we could wait five years.

We had to wait a while for our initial appointment but once we had this all of our other appointments were booked within a week or two of each other, some of them on the same day so we didn't have to travel up and down for separate appointments and some over Zoom.

My daughter was a little anxious on her first session but the team put her at ease straight away. She really enjoyed her sessions and how the team were with her, she even got to play some games which she enjoyed.

Emails were always responded to promptly. We were spoken to with kindness and compassion/understanding. Everything was explained to us and my daughter was included in the process.

We now have an understanding what my daughters strengths and weaknesses are which will give her the best start in life. It will also help her understand who she is and we can hopefully support her going forward and adjustments can be made in School.

The assessment follows Nice guidelines and I feel we had a more in depth assessment than we would have received from CAMHS.

Unfortunately as this is a private assessment there is a cost associated with this, but I would say it was worth every penny to give my daughter the best start in life as soon as possible.

Thanks Dr Hayley Atkinson and team for everything.

Lucy S.

Now in my early 50's, this experience with ANE was the turning point of my life. A Therapist sent me the link to to their website. I was in crisis but from that moment (and throughout the process), everything I read and learnt made me feel I was exactly where I needed to be. I also had courage to involve my family.

It wasn’t overwhelming because at each session I was supported with compassion and the utmost professionalism. Emails were responded to promptly and in such a kind manner. All my struggles were translated into an incredibly detailed yet accessible report (as well as a summary for my GP). This was personalised for my needs regarding work as well as pinpointing very practically and easily how I can help myself. There was real care about my future and I know that ongoing support will be there if I wish it.

Words fail to express my gratitude. A close family member who has been amazing but previously would have been quite dismissive – and who budgets strictly – said my diagnosis with ANE was, “Worth the money,” so that’s tremendously high praise! I can’t put a price on what they have done for me. Having been extremely fortunate that a long time friend lent me the money (I was truly desperate and this assessment was my only chance of moving forward), I've much respect that ANE is a social enterprise.

I’ve found my place in the world and comfort within myself because these wonderful people enabled and deserve my trust.

Jane S.

In one word this experience has been INCREDIBLE. Autism North East have been life changing for our family. The respect given to our son was heartwarming, the way Dr Atkinson would speak to him directly and fully understood his feelings and fears. Allowing him to speak for himself and feel safe.
ANE gave us all piece of mind that we were right to be seeking the assessment and they helped us realise the areas where we could help him.
We were immediately made to feel at ease and the assessors were all great at listening and hearing him. Without judgement or giving him any feeling of being different.
He was shown empathy for situations he had experienced in the past and not making him anxious about them.
As a family we enjoyed the visits. He enjoyed the assessments. He enjoyed the ability to talk freely and maturely.
As his parent, I was stressed and anxious about anything I had done to cause how he had developed, but quickly came to understand it was just who he is.
This experience was nothing but positive! And, once we got the diagnosis it was like a breath of fresh air! Understanding and coming to recognize his traits. Giving us all as a family reasons for why things were as they are.
We can breathe through situations now instead of always feeling in the dark. Having a reason for why things are as they are is life changing.
Dr Atkinson, Rachel and the team have been marvellous. So understanding, accommodating, helpful and patient. Trustworthy and valuable through the process. We are sorry our partnership has come to an end but immensely grateful for the respect, help, advice and openness given throughout.

Broadway C.

I never thought I’d need to know and understand services for Autism, but here I am navigating the complex and often hard to reach world of support for families and individuals affected by the condition.

After a long battle of being repeatedly dismissed - I finally got the answers I’d been looking for. In spite of having little to no knowledge about ASD (and not thinking I ever would), Autism North East have provided an outstanding example of how to thoroughly, accurately and efficiently assess and diagnose a person whose voice has not been heard.

As an NHS worker of 10 years - I know first hand how under resourced and overworked
the service can be. Many families are facing 4+ years of waiting before they’ll get the chance to tell their story to the right person.

We are so fortunate to have been able to seek an assessment through a privately run service with a waiting time of just 2-3 months. I can honestly say it’s invaluable.

Thank you to Ellie & the rest of the team for making the process so easy, and offering a choice for people like us.

Evie C.

Autism North East has a professional, kind, helpful team and my experience with them was really positive. Throughout every stage of the assessment process, I felt supported and comfortable. Would certainly recommend to anyone seeking an ASD assessment.

Jasper P.

Excellent service. Ellie was amazing. Great facilities. It has opened so many doors for our family. Thanks again, autism, Northeast.