Assistant psychologist
An assistant psychologist is a psychology graduate who is not yet a qualified psychologist. They do parts of an assessment and run sessions, always supervised by a qualified psychologist.
Applies across the UK
Assistant psychologists support the work of a registered psychologist. They may do the questionnaires, observations and some of the sessions with your child. A qualified psychologist supervises them and stays clinically responsible for your child's care.
How you meet one: you do not choose them. You will usually meet one because they are part of the NHS team already seeing your child, or part of an autism Autism Autism is a difference in how the brain develops. It shapes how an autistic child sees and experiences the world, how they communicate, and how they respond to things like noise, light and touch. Read the full definition of Autism or ADHD 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 team.
Can they diagnose? No. They can carry out parts of an assessment under supervision, but the diagnosis and the clinical decisions sit with the supervising qualified clinician.
What to ask: who is supervising them, and who will sign the report. That is a fair and normal question, not a rude one.
If you work with children
If a private provider's assessment is delivered mainly by an assistant psychologist, ask who the named responsible clinician is before the report is written. This matters if the family later wants the report accepted by the NHS.
Related words
Where this comes from
- Assistant psychologist , NHS Health Careers. Checked 2026-08-09.
- A national framework to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways , NHS England. Checked 2026-08-09.
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