ADOS-2

If the appointment letter names the ADOS-2, your child will spend time with a trained assessor doing structured activities: play, conversation and small tasks chosen to give chances for social communication. It comes in different modules, picked to suit your child's age and language, so two children can have quite different sessions.

The most useful thing to know is what it is not. NICE guidance NICE guidelines Expert advice that tells the NHS how to assess and treat health conditions. It is used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland. Read the full definition of NICE guidelines on autism assessment Diagnostic assessment The appointments where specialists work out whether your child meets the criteria for a diagnosis, such as autism or ADHD. It is the step that can end with a diagnosis. Read the full definition of Diagnostic assessment says tools like this should not be used on their own to make or rule out a diagnosis. The assessment team should also draw on your account of your child's history and on how your child manages in other settings.

So if you are told your child "did not score highly on the ADOS", that is one observation on one day, often in a quiet room with a friendly adult, which is exactly the setting many children manage best. It is fair to ask the team how your own evidence and school's evidence were weighed alongside it.