Neuro-Affirming Assessments

Child/Adult Autism (6+)
Child ADHD (7+) and Dual Assessments

“We’re a centre with a difference.”

Yes, like any good assessment centre, we have a range of experienced multi-disciplinary clinicians, from Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists to Occupational Therapists.

Yes, we use NICE guidelines to inform which standardised evaluation tools we use. Yes, our Autism Centre and ADHD Centre assessments can be used to open doors to support at school, university or work…..AND, we’ve also been in your shoes.

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Book an assessment

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How we are different from other centres

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Our assessments are neuro-affirmative, and we identify and work with each client’s strengths
We are a robust and ethical assessment centre and work only with children, adolescents and adults who meet the threshold for an assessment through our pre-screening consultation
We will always see clients in person as part of their assessment. Informant interviews can be either in person or remote.
We liaise widely with family, friends, partners and schools during the assessment
Our detailed reports include personalised recommendations for each individual client
All our assessments have been positively accepted by the NHS
Every diagnosis is confirmed by a child/adolescent psychiatrist
We will never give an inconclusive diagnosis
Our multidisciplinary team may be able to give a differential diagnosis in cases where neurodivergence is not evident during an assessment, for example Developmental Language Disorder etc.
We work with schools and universities to develop an individualised support plan for each client
We offer post-diagnosis support work for young people, adults, parents and couples
We build ongoing relationships with our clients
Hear from others about their experience with us on google reviews

Arrange an assessment

Fill in our enquiry form for a free pre-evaluation screening assessment. Let us lead you through the process, we’ve got you!

Start here

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About the Centre & our Founder

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Carla Reece, Director

I set up GAC as a mum of neurodivergent children, and a practitioner who’s also worked for decades with neurodivergent children and young adults. I’m an advocate, parent educator, a champion for rights and understanding, and a therapist with decades of lived and professional experience.

I’ve been the parent wondering what the right thing to do is. I’ve worried, listened, cared, and fought for the right support for the neurodivergent children and adults in my professional care. I’ve worked extensively with schools and liaised with countless universities.

I’ve worked therapeutically with young people who’ve never been supported to share their feelings before, with incredibly moving results. Surprising both parents and children alike! I’ve supported children and young people to value their strengths and differences, and additionally to wonder if they’d like to have support with the parts of life that are more challenging for them. Always respectfully, often playfully, lightly, and always inclusively.

At GAC, we are particularly passionate about, and skilled in, assessing and supporting neurodivergent girls and women.

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Here’s what our clients have to say …

I cannot recommend the Gloucestershire Autism Centre highly enough! I was put in touch with Carla and her team after a child in my class received an autism diagnosis. Carla gave me a huge amount of advice that enabled me to support the child in my class to flourish and reach their full potential. This included follow-up sessions at the end of the year where we discussed his transition into his new class. The whole GAC team are professional and supportive, and it is clear that they have the needs of the child and their families at heart. As a class teacher, I felt that my point of view was listened to respectfully, and that Carla genuinely wanted to help as much as possible. I would encourage all families who want to support a child with autism to reach out to the GAC. I am beyond grateful for everything they have done!

Lara

I can't thank Carla and the team enough for what they have done for us. Life has been really hard and we have had to overcome many hurdles. For the first time, I feel heard by professionals who understand and want to help. We have been supported throughout the whole assessment and then diagnosis process, in a really positive way. Everyone has had such compassion and a clear desire to help however they can. When I have reached out for additional support, everyone has been so helpful. The admin staff are so lovely and have gone out of their way to help me. Gwen also needs a special mention, as without her my son would have really struggled. I finally feel I am not fighting the battle for support alone. The biggest difference has come from my child's understanding about himself, which is what I wanted all along. Thank you Team GAC

Vicci

GAC was recommended to us by a consultant child & adolescent psychiatrist because we were keen on our daughter being assessed by a proper multidisciplinary team who would not be afraid to say 'no' to a diagnosis if appropriate. In fact we travelled a hundred miles for the reassurance of a reliable and robust assessment! It was very clear throughout the whole process that their assessments are inclusive and authoritative, blending clinical experience and wisdom with validated assessment tools. And it hasn't been 'here's your label, off you go' in any sense. Carla has continued to support us in understanding the areas of strength and difficulty for our daughter, including a 1:1 feedback session to help her to understand it all.

Jason & Louisa

Our experience of the centre has been exceptional and, I'm given to understand, the report on our child's diagnosis much more thorough and extensive than we could have expected through the NHS. Ongoing support and advice is brilliant, and Carla has stressed that we can continue to access this going forward.

Lindsey

I can't recommend Carla and team more highly. Every step of the way they have been supportive and made the whole process of getting a diagnosis for our teenager a positive experience. We have seen immediate benefits of going through the assessment process. Because it is so thorough, there's plenty of insight into behaviours and experiences with the advice of strategies to help us all - it's life-changing for the whole family.

Sarah

What a fantastic service. Starting off with an immediate telephone conversation with Carla. She explained how things work, the payments, the timescales, what is involved in the meetings, etc. Before we knew it we had appointment dates. My daughter was apprehensive of course, but Hannah immediately put her at ease as soon as she opened the door, with her warm, gentle approach. I then undertook a 3 hour Zoom interview with Rebecca, which flew by! Then a further meeting with Rebecca to pick up the results. I cannot thank you guys enough for helping us get to a point where we know where we are and where we are going. Carla is going in to my daughter’s school to chat with them and we also have a follow up appointment for my daughter with Hannah so she can explain everything to her. I would 100% recommend The Gloucestershire Autism Centre to anyone wishing to get a professional assessment done quickly in a caring way. Thank you all so much.

Emma

Carla and her Team are amazing! So supportive and caring long after the diagnosis which parents of neurodiverse children need. Carla also met with my daughters class teacher which is so useful when you have a child who is 'ok' at school. I cannot thank them enough for their help with both our daughters but also for us as parents. We now have the confidence to know we are doing the right thing. My only regret is that I didn't write this review sooner.

Jane

We have been very pleased with the service provided by GAC. Everyone has been extremely supportive, professional and informative. They also clearly care about the child they are assessing and their needs are paramount in all aspects of the assessments. The feedback we have received has also been extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend this service.

Charlotte

I would highly recommend the Gloucestershire Autism Center. Carla and her team are amazing. Not only have they got a wealth of knowledge and experience, but their understanding and listening to parents views is impeccable. We, as parent’s felt heard and understood. The process was welcoming and friendly and we were put at ease. Following the assessment Carla has gone above and beyond to help and assist with additional circumstances. Thank you for all your help and guidance.

Stephanie

Thank you for the last two years of support. You have given us courage to take a different approach, you have shown endless patience in repeating the same advice over and over again, and you have made the whole process unthreatening, light hearted and empowering. The impact on our household has been huge. Everyone is happier and the large amounts of pressure previously felt by James and I have gone. We are enjoying our little unit of four, with everyone happy (most of the time!) and everyone looking forward to time spent together. The word "transformative" is perhaps over used, but nonetheless, it feels fitting when we compare Spring 2023 to Spring 2025. You have made such a lasting impression and impact on our family which we will always be thankful for.

Siobhan

Getting in Touch for Professional Assessment

If you'd like to discuss things in more detail or book an appointment, please don't hesitate to contact Carla by sending an email to enquiries@tgac.co.uk or by using the form below.