Type of service: Diagnostic services

The CLASS clinic:.

• Offers a specialist diagnostic assessment for adults who may have Asperger Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism
• Assessments are free of charge for patients who live in the Cambridgeshire area. The CLASS clinic is part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's (CPFT) Specialist Services Division. A charge is made for out-of-area referrals.
• CLASS was set up in 1999 and has assessed more than 700 patients.
• CLASS has been at the forefront of developing new assessment methods for adults with Asperger Syndrome who were historically often overlooked.

Clinic procedure: .

• Referral must come from a GP or health professional
• Screening questionnaires are sent to the patient and their informant. The informant is someone who can provide a reliable developmental history, such as a parent or sibling. If patients come without an informant, a definitive diagnosis cannot be guaranteed.
• Once the completed questionnaires are returned the information is reviews and the patient is sent an appointment date if appropriate.
• Prior to assessment, the clinic write to the patient's GP to request any relevant medical notes.
• The assessment itself lasts up to three hours and consists of an informal interview with the clinician.
• A diagnosis, if appropriate, is given at the end of the assessment. Occasionally this is not possible due to insufficient information.
• The report, with recommendations, is sent to the patient's GP. Other professionals involved in their care may receive a copy with the patient's consent. The patient also receives a copy.
• As a primary diagnostic clinic only, no follow up consultations can be offered.
• If your GP is not in the CPFT catchment area, there will be a cost to your Primary Care Trust (PCT). Please contact the clinic administrator to discuss this.

Assessment procedure: Please see description.

Follow up service: No.

Multi-disciplinary assessment: Yes; Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatry.

Aimed at: Adult

Referral Sources: NHS Only

Specialisms: Exclusively autism specific

Other specialisms: Asperger syndrome, Asperger Syndrome, HFA