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Dr. Fiona Desira

Consultant Clinical Psychologist with 15+ Years of Expertise

Specializing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Child and Adolescent Mental Health

About Dr. Fiona

About Dr. Fiona Desira

Dr. Fiona Desira is a UK-trained Clinical Psychologist specializing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and child and adolescent mental health. With over 16 years of experience, she has a proven track record of helping families navigate complex challenges in an empathic and supportive way.

  • Registered with HCPC (PYL24240)
  • Chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS 168252)
  • Experienced & compassionate clinician
  • Experienced ADOS-2 Trainer (WPS Certified)
  • Experienced international speaker

Clinical Services

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment

Comprehensive ASD evaluations for children, adolescents & adults, adhering to UK best practice guidelines, using gold-standard tools including ADI-R & ADOS-2.

What's Included:

  • Initial screening
  • Full diagnostic assessment
  • Comprehensive report with recommendations
  • Detailed feedback session

Fiona ensures all assessments are neuroaffirming and supports people to understand their diagnoses by sharing helpful information about ASD, developing a strengths-based profile and incorporating helpful recommendations into reports.

Fee: £1950 (payable in installments)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment

In-depth ADHD evaluations tailored for children, adolescents, and adults.

What's Included:

  • Clinical interview
  • Standardized assessment
  • Comprehensive reoprt with recommendations
  • Detailed feedback session

Fiona utilisies standardised assessment tools and clinical interviews to develop a clear understanding of a person's needs and provides recommendations and helpful strategies to support individuals to meet their potential.

Fee: £1200 (payable in installments)

Therapeutic Support

Fiona works therapeutically with a range of neurodevelopmental and mental health needs in children and young people. She also supports parents with managing behaviours that challenge.

What's Included:

  • Initial assessment
  • Evidence-based interventions
  • Relapse prevention

Price on request

Supervision & Training

Clinical Supervision

Fiona completed supervisor training immediately after qualifying and has provided clinical supervision for the last 15 years. Fiona offers supervision to a range of clinicians, including Consultant Clinical Psychologists. Fiona is able to provide general CAMHS supervision and specialist supervision in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Fiona also has experience of offering safeguarding supervision to mental health, social care and educational professionals.

Price on request

ADOS Training & Supervision

Certified under the WPS scheme, Fiona provides comprehensive ADOS training including clinical and research validation. She has been an ADOS trainer for 14 years and has offered trainings in the UK and the gulf region.

Fiona offers ADOS supervision to clinicians from a range of disciplines to ensure ongoing validity of administration and coding, and to support understanding of the ADOS in the contact of the broader assessment.

Fiona offers both fully facilitated courses and bespoke in-house training packages.

Price on request

Corporate Wellbeing

In recognition of the importance of organisations looking after their staff, Fiona offers bespoke corporate wellbeing support. This includes teaching and training on mental health in the workplace and neurodiversity in the workplace, and individual support as required,

Price on request

Testimonials

"Dr. Fiona's expertise and compassion made a huge difference in our lives. Her thorough assessment was invaluable."

Parent

"Fiona is by far one of the most experienced Psychologists I have had the pleasure to work with. She is reliable, hardworking, consistent, professional and very personable. Fiona approaches all of her work holistically and incorporates a patient-centered approach, which shows in her support of families."

Dr. Reem Mudawi, Consultant Psychiatrist

"It was a great pleasure to have such an informative and practical ADOS training with Dr.Fiona. It really helped me with my daily clinical assessment and empowered me to feel more confident when coming to diagnosis of ASD. I highly recommend this course for all physicians interested in Autism."

Dr. Randa Akram – Specialist Psychiatrist

Conferences

Dr Fiona Desira is an experienced and passionate speaker who enjoys sharing lectures and workshops at international conferences. Fiona has been an invited speaker at many conferences throughout her career to date, sharing knowledge and experience relating to Neurodevelopmental Disorders and staff wellbeing.

EHS Best Practices in Quality and Patient Safety Conference

Location: Dubai

Date: November 2023

Lecture:

Mental Health Matters: The Importance of Mental Health in the Workplace

Maudsley Health Conference

Location: Abu Dhabi

Date: October 2023

Lecture:

Supporting the Families of People of Determination

EHS International Mental Health Conference

Location: Dubai

Date: February 2023

Lecture:

Mindfulness in the Workplace

EHS Annual Regional Conference

Location: Dubai

Date: November 2022

Lecture:

Mindfulness for Staff Wellbeing

Maudsley Health Conference

Location: Dubai

Date: October 2021

Lecture:

Staff Wellbeing: Implementation of a Program in a Mental Health Facility in the UAE

Workshop:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders

1st Gulf Autism Conference

Location: Oman

Date: January 2020

Workshop:

A Best Practice Model for Assessing Children with ASD

Intellectual Disabilities Forum

Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Date: March 2019

Lectures:

  • Understanding Intellectual Disabilities
  • The Impact of Intellectual Disabilities on Families

GCC Autism Inclusion Conference

Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Date: February 2019

Lectures:

  • Best Practice Assessment for School-Aged Children with Additional Needs
  • Understanding Learning Difficulties and Intellectual Disabilities in Children

Autism Around The World Conference

Location: Dubai, UAE

Date: May 2018

Workshop:

A Best Practice Model for Multi-Disciplinary Autism Assessment