PARENTS
Katy
After years trying to have our son assessed for autism, we decided he couldn’t wait any longer and looked for an independent expert to help. We didn’t know anyone who could provide a recommendation so feel very fortunate to have come across John in an internet search.
Our son (unusually) took to John immediately and was able to complete a comprehensive assessment; John confirmed he met the criteria for ASD and advised that he would need a psychologist to provide a diagnosis. He also recommended assessment by speech and occupational therapists and advised us on the type of school he would need going forward. This enabled us to fight for the right support for our son.
Most importantly, John really helped us to understand our son, and how to help him, and this has made an enormous difference to our home life. John supported us again with an updated review before our son moved on to secondary school, where he’s now settled quickly and has made friends.
We would highly recommend John to anyone in search of assessment for their child, for any form of learning disability; in an area where parents and children often struggle to get help, John’s caring and expert advice will help them navigate the difficult path to obtaining the support they need. We couldn’t have done it without him.
Amy & James
We commissioned Primus after intensive research for a private EP that has a great understanding of PDA – something which we found actually quite difficult to find!
Dr John Pugh managed to get our son to sit with him and completed appropriate assessments with him. From this he created a beautiful, detailed report which identified our sons’ strengths and weaknesses, this was given to us rapidly – something we are extremely pleased with (other reports from OP/SALT etc have taken 4 weeks+), our EP report was given to us within the week. The report was successfully accepted by our LA (meaning we shaved time off the expected wait for our draft EHCP).
Dr John Pugh was extremely professional, yet relaxed and made our son feel comfortable and confident. Normally after assessments our son is a bit anxious, however he was completely fine after this one.
Thank you again, we really recommend Primus to other parents.
Parent of child with an Autism Spectrum Condition – South East England
“I would have no hesitation in recommending John Pugh. I can personally vouch for the fact that he is fantastic both in the lead up to tribunal and most importantly during the actual tribunal…we truly, and deeply appreciate everything you did, and how excellent you were in court.
Lisa
“I can’t thank you enough for your services. From talking to me and school staff, and spending time assessing my son you totally and utterly understood what my sons needs were and why he had been struggling. I appreciated the travelling you undertook to get to us and visiting another school to judge suitability. Honestly can’t thank you enough. You would 100% be our first choice if we were ever faced with tribunal again.
Ruth
“John was professional and yet accessible and down to earth. He has an in-depth working knowledge of the SEND system which allowed him to work collaboratively with our solicitor and to the timelines determined by our Tribunal process. We found his report insightful and yet respectful of our daughter and her needs. From our perspective he brought value in determining and defining the difference between attachment and autism and the adaptations that would best support her to access the curriculum. Having commissioned previous reports, John’s report was unique in its specificity which consequently transposed easily into our daughters EHCP. I would not hesitate to recommend him.”
Mariam
“I am very happy I met John Pugh, EP and used his help to assess my both boys and will not hesitate to use his expertise in the future. It was one of the best things we did to help them academically and support them mentally.
We felt that the boys were struggling so much in school and didn’t know why. John the EP identified their strengths and weaknesses, prior to taking their history as part of the report- it was a couple of pages of recommendations of how we could help our children progress in different areas, and suggested ASD.
We now have taken John’s report to other professionals such as a psychologist who can carry out a full assessment and diagnose our boys with ASD. Both of my boys have been diagnosed with ASD thanks to John Pugh. I would not have known this if this was not suggested in the report. It’s helped us now to understand their needs in a day to day basis- it has turned our life’s around with them positively, as we now know how to help them and have provided this information to school.
The school now are also trying to help our children with the strategies suggested by John Pugh, understanding the new diagnoses of ASD.
Thank you for all your help honesty and support!”
Anne
“My experience of the services provided by Dr John Pugh (Primus Psychology) was seamless. It amazed me how much he could understand my child’s needs in a comparably short time to that provided previously. The professional way everything was dealt with and with empathy and compassion to both my child and myself as parent. Consequently, my child is currently in the right educational setting for his needs and we owe thanks to Primus Psychology for this happy outcome.”
Georgia
“I used Primus Psychology to evidence the need for my daughter needing an EHCP and to help us transition from primary to secondary. I found the service very thorough and professional, but also very personally tailored to our needs. Mr Pugh changed a very daunting situation, a stressful one for us as parents, into a process that was calm and informative. He spoke to us alone initially for background and gave us the opportunity to talk, but more importantly, he listened to our fears and concerns. He met with my daughter in the school setting, she said “she had a special visitor who was really tall, friendly, and they played some games whilst they chatted”. My daughter felt comfortable, he made her feel at ease and she was unphased by it all. The report was thorough and accurate about her abilities and needs and enabled us to move forward and get the support my daughter needed. I found it a positive experience and would recommend Primus Psychology to anybody. Without this service I don’t think we would have got school, or the local authority to put in the extra support she needs.”
Dee
“I got details of Dr John Pugh from the national autistic website. From the moment he was involved I have not regretted this decision. The service I have received has been of the best quality, Dr John Pugh is not only extremely professional but also empathetic which is valued as a parent. Dr John Pugh understood the needs of our daughter which were complex and helped us to get the support we needed. His input has been invaluable. As a parent, he explained the process and helped me to understand what is going on for our daughter. The service received is second to none. I would recommend his services and know that other highly trained professionals who has seen his reports are also impressed with the level of detail and insight into complex conditions.”
Sally
“We appointed John to provide an assessment on our son’s progress to support us in a tribunal hearing to have our son placed in an alternative residential placement. John produced a comprehensive report and acted as one of our expert witnesses at the hearing. John was extremely eloquent in his delivery. He took command of the room and was not at all swayed or faltered at any cross examination. The judge made reference to his professional delivery. We felt John, in such a short space of time, had got to know our son very well establishing his specific needs very precisely. We are forever grateful for his support and would not hesitate in recommending him to others”
Anne
“We were recommended Dr Pugh by our solicitor as we needed an Educational report for our local Council as part of our EHCP application. We were on holiday nearby and he kindly agreed to meet us at short notice and carry out the analysis. He was very professional and put our son at ease throughout the meeting. The report was comprehensive, and I firmly believe that it helped provide the evidence to obtain the EHCP for our son.”
Sarah
“We used Dr John Pugh from Primus Psychology as an expert witness at the educational tribunal for our son who has severe special educational needs. John was excellent throughout the whole process and we highly recommend him. His initial assessment of our son’s needs was thorough, fair and very accurate. His approachable style and attention to detail were outstanding and it was his expertise and sound knowledge of special educational needs which resulted in us winning our educational tribunal.”
Dean
“From start to finish, the services provided by John were impeccable. John listened to all of the concerns regarding my son and then carried out a thorough assessment and then provided us with a detailed, comprehensive report that set out concise and clear findings as well as recommendations.
I can’t thank John enough for all his hard work and continued support.”
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Local Authority Executive
“John is a highly conscientious and reliable psychologist who can be relied upon to provide a quality service and product.”
Northwest PEP
John is hugely knowledgeable with a true sense of integrity and honour! Professional, yet approachable, he always puts the needs of the children and young people first using assessments that enable them to show their potential and giving sound advice to their settings and to parents which is delivered in a way that is jargon free and understandable.
I am happy to recommend John and Primus Psychology.
Northwest PEP
I can highly recommend John and Primus Psychology. John has the knack of being able to engage our most vulnerable learners and his assessments are always extremely child centred and capture a picture of the whole child. I can fully testify that John’s reports are always consistently of a high standard and provide valuable information for all key stakeholders as well as ways forward and valuable recommendations to work towards meeting the needs of the child.
SCHOOLS
Liverpool SENCO
We have worked with Primus Psychology for many years and always received an excellent service from John. He is professional and helpful with strategies to benefit the child, as well as working with staff to remove barriers to learning and embed good practice across the school. John is well liked by parents and develops a great relationship with the children, so they are happy and relaxed when working with him. I would recommend Primus Psychology to any school and will definitely continue to use John in school.
Liverpool SENCO
“We have used Primus Psychology for a number of years and have always received excellent, reliable service. John is professional at all times and has a great relationship with the staff and pupils in school and the parents he meets. John provides immediate verbal feedback to the SENCO and staff working with the pupil and gives recommendations and strategies to support the pupil in class, before the formal written report is received.”
Wirral SENCO
John gives a thorough and accurate assessment of children’s special educational needs in all areas. John writes detailed reports with specific outcomes and descriptions of the support a child needs. Our school would highly recommend John.
Knowsley SENCO
Reports from Primus Psychology are comprehensive and outline useful strategies and next steps. John is understanding and compassionate when working with parents of children who are experiencing difficulties. He combines professional expertise with a realistic approach.
Sefton SENCO
I would highly recommend John Pugh. He has a wealth of experience in understanding and assessing students with specific learning needs. John’s expertise can help ensure that each child receives the right support tailored to their individual requirements. He’s dedicated to helping children thrive academically and emotionally.
Sefton SENCO
“We have used John (Primus Psychology) on several occasions recently and have found him to be extremely professional. His communication between not only himself and the parents, but also the school means that the assessment process runs smoothly for all those involved. The final written report is detailed and informative providing strategies to help the pupil in their learning. We will continue to use Primus Psychology in the future.”
St Helens SENCO
We found working with Primus easy and flexible. The referral process was smooth, and we valued the conversations that we had with John pre, during and post assessment. Primus provides a really valuable service which can be difficult to access during these challenging times. The service offers really good value for money.