Dr Carol Stott BSc PhD (Cantab) DipEpid CPsychol.

Dr Stott has a post graduate qualification in epidemiology and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, Dept. of Psychiatry. She is a Chartered Psychologist and member of the British Psychological Society, with whom she holds a current Practicing Certificate.

Dr Stott spent 13 years (1991 – 2004) in the University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry carrying out research into genotype-phenotype associations in developmental disorder and with the University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre (ARC) investigating the population frequency of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). She now acts as a Senior Research Associate to Dr Andrew Wakefield at Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas, an established clinical and research center providing therapeutic input and research on children with developmental disorders gastro-intestinal (GI) pathology. Dr Stott's primary roles for Thoughtful House are to advise on research methodology, devise and implement appropriate screening and diagnostic tools, and carry out statistical analysis of research and clinical outcomes.

In addition to her research role Dr Stott is qualified to administer and to train psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, health practitioners and academics in the administration of what are generally considered to be the 'gold-standard' diagnostic tools for the evaluation of children with suspected Autism Spectrum Disorders; the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS); she carries out training courses for medical personnel, health practitioners and academic research teams on these instruments in the UK, Europe and the United States.

Dr Stott also runs a private consultancy and has recently joined the Autism Clinic providing diagnostic, psychometric and assessment services, together with evaluation of nutritional and biomedical interventions for children with autism and related developmental disorders.

Please contact Carol Stott on 01223 812419 (Offfice) 0773 446 8502 (Mobile), or email

Autism Clinic: Diagnostic, Cognitive and Treatment Evaluation Services

Accurate and thorough diagnosis is essential to understanding and helping children and adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Diagnosis is available on the NHS through either paediatric, psychiatric or psychological services. The Autism Clinic also offers a diagnostic service which is carried out using 'gold-standard' assessment tools for Autism Spectrum diagnosis – the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). For children and young adults, direct observation in a routine social situation and in the classroom/college can also be undertaken. For older individuals the combination of assessment tools may be slightly different.

Diagnostic Assessment - £650

The initial diagnosis of a child will involve a detailed developmental interview and direct observation of the child. It may also be possible to observe the child in a social situation with children their own age. The Autism Clinic also offers diagnostic assessment of adults. For adults the combination of diagnostic tools will be slightly different depending on individual circumstances and the availability of developmental history.

Interview and Direct Observation

This involves:

1. A diagnostic interview with one or both parents or main caregiver(s). The person interviewed needs to be familiar with the child's current and past presentation, preferably from birth. The interview schedule used by the Autism Clinic is the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Administration of the interview takes from 2-3 hours depending on the child's age and presentation. It isn't necessary for the child to be present for this part of the assessment.
2. Direct observation of the child using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). For younger and/or non-verbal children this is a semi-structured play session, with opportunities for social engagement between the child and the professional. For older and/or more verbal children, the session is not so play-based and provides greater opportunities for conversational interaction. The ADOS takes around 45 minutes to one hour. For very young, or non-verbal children, the parent is asked to be available for interaction during the session. For older, verbal children, it is preferable for the parent not to be present in the room.
3. Where possible, the child will also be observed in an educational/social environment, (play-group, nursery or school). Between 1 and 2 hours direct observation, followed by discussion with school/nursery staff is ideal.

The Autism Clinic diagnostic assessment will also include completion of a number of questionnaires and rating scales. The questionnaires used will depend on the child's age and presentation but cover general behaviour, attention deficit, executive function, social communication and adaptive behaviours. A diagnostic opinion can usually be given on the day of the assessment. Detailed reports will be compiled within 15 working days.

Follow-up Diagnosis - £650

Follow-up diagnostic assessment is offered for children with an existing diagnosis. This may be to evaluate possible changes in diagnostic status after treatment, or to look at the natural progression of the child's presentation. If an initial diagnosis has been carried out using the ADI-R and ADOS, either by the Autism Clinic or elsewhere, then follow-up will involve a shorter version of the parent interview; otherwise full ADI-R and ADOS evaluation will be carried out.

Basic Cognitive Evaluation - £550

Whilst direct cognitive assessment is not essential to the diagnostic process, an understanding of the individual's cognitive profile provides crucial information on which decisions about suitable educational placement can be based and learning strategies developed. Cognitive evaluation also helps in differential diagnosis within the autism spectrum. The Autism Clinic Basic Cognitive Evaluation provides details of the child's current function in a number of areas. The child is tested on verbal and non-verbal abilities with a short form IQ assessment, together with tests of literacy and numeracy. Instruments used in the evaluation will depend on the child's age and verbal abilities. A basic cognitive evaluation takes around two hours to complete.

Extended Cognitive Evaluation - £800

This is an extension of the basic cognitive evaluation. The child is tested extensively on verbal and non-verbal abilities with an extended IQ assessment, together with tests of literacy and numeracy, oral and written expression, listening skills, memory, attention and writing speed. Instruments used in the evaluation will depend on the child's age and verbal abilities. The Autism Clinic Extended Cognitive Evaluation will take between three to seven hours spread over several one and a half hour sessions.

Evaluation of Treatment - (cost to be negotiated)

The Autism Clinic is developing a model for treatment evaluation, which allows the monitoring of interventions together with in depth analysis of treatment outcomes. The system is currently under development but on completion clients will be given access to online questionnaires, rating scales and treatment diaries. The Autism Clinic will undertake detailed evaluation of data and provide monthly reports on progress. All prices are not inclusive of travel and accommodation expenses where such cost is incurred.