Frequently asked questions

I will book you in to the first, available appointment. This generally involves a wait of four to six weeks. However, some times of the year are busier and quieter than others, so this can vary. Please let me know if you have a deadline by which you need your assessment report so I can advise you. 

I operate a cancellation list for clients who might be able to attend at short notice. Please let me know at the time of booking if you would like to be placed on this. 

I offer sessions during office hours, with face-to-face assessments generally being carried out on Mondays and remote assessments on Fridays. Other days and times can sometimes be arranged. Contact me before requesting the assessment to discuss options. The assessment takes up to three hours. 

Face-to-face diagnostic assessments are carried out at my rooms in central Hove, East Sussex. The location is easily accessible by train or bus. There are car and bicycle parking options nearby. 

If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason, please let me know as soon as possible and we can discuss options.

If a cancellation is made more than 72 hours before the appointment date, no cancellation fee will apply. You can carry over your booking fee to secure another appointment. Alternatively, it can be refunded, if you wish.

If a cancellation is made less than 72 hours before the appointment or if you don’t attend on the day, I reserve the right to retain all or part of your assessment fee. Full details are outlined in my Terms and Conditions, which will be provided to you when you make an enquiry about an assessment.

The findings of your assessment will not be shared with anyone without your consent, except in very rare situations. I will always try and discuss this with you first. 

For assessments booked by a third party, such as an employer or parent, you will be asked to give consent for the full or partial report to be released to them following the assessment. For employment assessments, the employer will receive only a summary of the assessment, outlining the outcome of the assessment and the recommendations. The employee receives a full copy, with test results and personal history. 

For further information on how I store and process your information, please see my Privacy policy.

You can be assessed if you have English as an additional language. However, many tests are sensitive to fluency of English. Lack of full fluency can therefore affect test performance and make it difficult to interpret results and reach a definitive conclusion. Good fluency in English is therefore required to produce valid results. If you are unsure, contact me to discuss this before booking an assessment.

You can be assessed if you have a hearing or visual loss. As tests are presented in both visual and auditory formats, it might be necessary to make adjustments to the testing procedure to ensure they are not having a substantial impact on your test performance. Please contact me to discuss this before booking. 

You will need to bring with you any visual or auditory aids you use. Make sure any prescriptions for spectacles are up-to-date. 

You will be expected to have had a sight test within the last two years so that test performance is not affected by uncorrected visual difficulties. Not having a recent sight test might mean that I will be unable to interpret your test performance with confidence. It is therefore important that you are up-to-date with this.  

You can have a diagnostic assessment if you have already completed one. However, if you have completed an assessment within the last 12 months that involves the same tests as will be used in my assessment, this will affect test results. This is due to familiarity with the test items and could compromise the validity of the assessment. 

If you are in any doubt about whether the same tests will be used as in a previous assessment, please contact me with a copy of your previous assessment report. 

I assess people from 16 years of age upwards. There is no upper age limit and I see people from across the lifespan. 

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service, please discuss this with me first and I will make every effort to resolve the problem for you. If you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the Health and Care Professions Council at www.hpc-uk.org. They will let you know how to proceed.