Meet the team
Our assessment team
All neurodevelopmental assessments are led by Dr Holly Thompson, Clinical Psychologist and are completed in line with NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines.
NICE recommends that autism assessments involve more than one professional to ensure a comprehensive understanding of a child's communication, social interaction, development, strengths and support needs.
For this reason, autism assessments are completed by either two highly specialist Clinical Psychologists or a Clinical Psychologist and a Speech and Language Therapist, depending on your child's individual presentation and needs'
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Emma Sibbald
Find out more about Emma
Dr Emma Sibbald is a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with specialist expertise in neurodevelopmental assessment. After qualifying with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Surrey in 2019, she built on her earlier NHS career as a CBT therapist, where she worked across community mental health services from 2010 onwards.
Emma is a trained and qualified ADOS-2 and ADI-R assessor, with comprehensive training in autism assessment across the age span and additional training in the assessment of ADHD. Her clinical experience spans mental health and neurodiversity across childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Working exclusively in private practice since 2023, Emma provides detailed, multidisciplinary autism assessments for children and adults. She is recognised for her thoroughness, clarity and compassionate engagement with clients and families.
Speech and Language Therapist
Ben Meadows
Find out more about Ben
Ben is an experienced Speech and Language Therapist who works with children and young people with a range of speech, language and communication differences, including Autism, Developmental Language Disorder, Learning Disabilities, and those who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
He has extensive experience delivering assessment, intervention and training across education, community and home settings, including contributing to Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), EHCP recommendations and provision planning.
Ben has completed ADOS-2 training and is committed to a neurodiversity-affirming approach, supporting individuals and families to understand autism through a strengths-based and person-centred lens.
He is registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
