Child Autism Assessments

If your child has been given a referral for an autism assessment, this might be the appropriate assessment for you. Alternatively, this is the assessment to choose where you’ve noticed and are concerned by any of the following behaviours:

• Social and Communication Issues
• Repetitive Patterns of Behaviour
• Ordering Behaviours
• Lack of Empathy
• Unusual or Restricted Interests
• Sensory Sensitivity
• Frequent “Meltdowns”
• Developmental Delays
• Poor Emotional Regulation

Please note: These behaviours are only indicators that this assessment may be helpful. All of these are normal and seen to different extents in children of all ages.

A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder can help you to better understand your child’s behaviour, and can provide strategies of how best to manage their symptoms.

As our assessment involves some cognitive and academic testing, we can also provide information about how best to accommodate a child’s individual needs in school and at home.

Assessments can also assist with funding or support applications.

Currently, we provide Autism assessments for children 4 and over. We are able to see NDIS and insurance clients. 

1. Assessment Agreement/Pre-Service questionnaire

Parents/caregivers are required to complete a pre-service questionnaire before the assessment can commence. This collects background information about your child. 

2. Initial Consultation 

The initial consultation is a fact-finding, information gathering session where you will meet the clinician for the first time. It is to ensure you are receiving the most suitable assessment for your child and to discuss background information and your current concerns. Please note, children below the age of 12 do not need to attend the initial consultation. 

3. Questionnaires

We ask for parents/caregivers, teachers/childcare providers and the child (age dependent) to complete a range of questionnaires prior to the testing sessions. These are completed online and take approximately 20 minutes each to complete. 

4. School Report / Medical or Psychological Reports

We ask you to provide school reports and reports or other documents from health professionals who have worked with your child prior to the first testing session. 

5. Psychometric Testing Sessions

Typically, a Child Autism assessment requires 3 testing sessions. Two of the testing sessions will be completed by video, and the third will be face-to-face in our Belconnen practice. You may be sent physical response booklets in the mail for Telehealth sessions.

6. Parent / Teacher Phone Call

The clinician will organise a time to call the parents/caregivers, and a teacher. This conversation will be facilitated by paper questionnaires sent following the initial consultation.

7. Report

After the testing sessions are complete, your clinician will prepare a comprehensive assessment report. The report would include a diagnosis if diagnostic criteria are met, and includes a summary of the results and recommendations for next steps.

8. Feedback Session

Your clinician will meet with you to discuss all results and recommendations. You will be provided with an electronic copy of the full assessment report following this session. Please advise if you require a hard copy.

We use a combination of psychometric questionnaires, clinical interviews, psychometric testing sessions including cognitive and aptitude testing and third-party interviews in our Autism assessments. 

Julia Links, Psychologist

• Assessments across the lifespan:
• Cognitive (IQ) Assessments and Intellectual Disability
• Educational and Learning Assessments including Specific Learning Disorders (Dyslexia, Dyscaliculia & Dysgraphia)
• Attention difficulties including ADHD
• Adaptive behaviour and Functional Abilities
• Behavioural Disorders including Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder
• School Readiness
• High Potential and Giftedness

Trudy Ross, Psychologist

Assessments across the lifespan:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD
• Cognitive Assessments
• Educational/Achievement Assessments including Learning Difficulties
• Adaptive Behaviour
• Functional Skills
• School Readiness
• Giftedness and Early Entry Programs
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Behavioural Assessment including Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder

The majority of the process is facilitated online via Telehealth, however our Autism assessments involves a diagnostic interview which we complete in-person. 

We do not process private health funds claims here at Northside Psychology. However, if you have private health, you can check with your fund if they cover psychological assessments.