Child and Adult assessments for ADHD, Autism and Learning or Cognitive concerns are available with Mindful Psychology.
When we talk about Psychological Assessment, we are referring to in-depth, professional testing for neurological differences such as ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) or Autism, or for learning, cognitive or functional difficulties.
Formal Assessments differ from regular therapy, as they focus on evaluating whether there are underlying neurological differences that are impacting you or your child’s experiences.
What Assessments does Mindful Psychology Offer?
- We offer assessment for Adults and Children 6 years and older:
- ADHD (Psychologists do not prescribe medication – please ask us for more information)
- Autism
- Autism and ADHD combined
- Cognitive Assessments
- Psycho-educational Assessments, focused on differences that impact learning
- Functional Assessment
Why would I undertake Assessment for Myself or my Child?
Ultimately, Psychological Assessment helps to make sense of your experiences. These conditions are differences in functioning, and can have a significant impact on your experience in daily life. Understanding yourself, your strengths and challenges, is of immense benefit. Depending on your circumstances, you may have been referred for assessment by a Doctor or Teacher, or you may simply wish to better understand yourself. In some instances, support or accommodations may be able to be provided by organisations you deal with, based on the Psychologist’s report.
Please note that ADHD Medication cannot be prescribed by Psychologists. You or your child will need a Psychiatrist or Paediatrician appointment to be prescribed ADHD Medication.
How do I know I’m choosing the right Assessment for Me?
Your Psychologist is a highly trained professional when it comes to assessment. We are never going to assess unnecessarily, or not inform you if we have a recommendation for assessment that may benefit you.
The choice is ultimately yours, however we offer a comprehensive screening process to ensure you are being offered the right assessment for you. Our psychologist will review your situation and offer preliminary screening without charge, prior to you commencing the full assessment process.
Important Notes on Assessment
- Completing an Assessment does not guarantee a diagnosis. Your Psychologist uses their professional skills and judgement to provide an accurate answer to your enquiry, which may be that you don’t have a suspected diagnosis!
- Psychologist Assessment Reports provide detailed information on your strengths, challenges, and suggestions for further steps. This is valuable information for living your life, and may be shared with schools, universities, workplaces to explain and justify accommodations or changes that would help you. In some instances, these reports may be used to support applications for assistance from various organisations. If you intend to use the report for this purpose, make sure you let us know so we can meet the organisation’s requirements.
- Assessments are not the same as ongoing therapy, counselling or skill building support. You may seek therapy before or after your assessment, and indeed assessment can provide an excellent guide to goals in therapy. Your assessment will be a finite project, completed when you are provided your written report and feedback session. We would love to match you with one of our therapists if you are interested in ongoing therapy following your Assessment.
What is the process to Enquire and Complete an Assessment?
While Assessment is highly personalised for you individually, the key parts of the process aim to keep you informed, comfortable and comprehensively supported:
Your Enquiry
When you contact our Reception team, we will ask a few brief questions about the type of assessment you are interested in. We are here to answer your questions, and will provide you with further information by email.
If you would like to obtain a personalised quote and assessment plan, we ask you to complete an initial enquiry form, that is reviewed by our Psychologist to create your plan.
When you receive your personalised quote and plan, you can decide whether you’d like to go ahead with your assessment.
This intake service is entirely free of charge – allowing you to ask questions and have certainty around costs and timeframes before you decide to go ahead with assessment.
Your Assessment
Depending on the particular concerns you are assessing for, this may look a little different for different people. The basic process involves:
- Your first session with your Psychologist (1-2 hours)
- Sharing previous assessments, or samples of school work (if needed/available)
- Completing online questionnaires at home
- Asking someone close to you, or a child’s teacher, to complete an online questionnaire (if needed)
- Subsequent sessions with your Psychologist, completing activities or talking together. This will vary, but may be 1 to 2 or more sessions, running 1 to 2 hours each. Your Psychologist will make sure this timing works for you. These sessions may be conducted close together, or spaced out over a number of weeks.
- Your Psychologist is responsible for compiling, reviewing and analysing the information you have provided during the assessment. They write a comprehensive report, arriving at diagnostic and future support recommendations.
- You attend a final feedback session with your Psychologist, where they discuss their findings, and future recommendations with you. This session is extremely valuable and can’t be skipped! We operate from a Strengths Focus – meaning your Psychologist will help you focus on the growth, achievements and future opportunities highlighted by your assessment.
How Long does it take to Complete an Assessment?
From your initial enquiry, we will endeavour to provide you with your personalised plan and quote within 3 business days.
Your first session will be booked according to your and your Psychologists’ availability. Please check with our Reception team to find out when our next available appointment is.
From your first session, you and your psychologist will complete a number of questionnaires, additional sessions in the clinic, and possibly obtain information from parents, partners, teachers or other close people that know you well. This can take some weeks, and needs to be completed before your Psychologist is able to review all the information and write your report.
From the time all of your sessions are completed, and all information has been provided to your Psychologist, please allow approximately 4 weeks for the finalisation of your report and to book in for your Feedback Session.
These times are approximate. Roughly speaking, you should allow 6-12 weeks for completion, depending on complexity and how quickly the milestones are completed. Throughout the process, we will keep you informed of the anticipated timeframe for completion. You will also know if we are waiting on any questionnaires to be completed by either yourself or someone close to you, as this will delay completion. Our goal is to have your assessment completed as soon as possible!
Referrals and Medicare Rebates
You do not need a referral from a Doctor to complete an assessment.
Unfortunately, the Medicare system does not provide a rebate for psychological assessments. If you have a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, it provides a rebate for treatment of the psychological concern you were issued it for, not for assessment.
If you have access to funding for assessment services through another funding body, please be sure to let our Reception team when you enquire about assessment, so we can provide accurate information.
Fees
Psychological Assessment represents a significant financial investment, and we are committed to providing you with exceptional service and value. High quality Assessment requires expertise, comprehensive investigation and thoughtful reporting, which our pricing ensures we can provide.
Costs vary based on how much time is needed with your Psychologist face-to-face, the activities or questionnaires needed, and the time needed for report writing.
Please enquire for a personalised quote, however the following are approximated ranges for our services:
| Child aged 6 – 17 years
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Adult over 18 years
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| ADHD Assessment | $2100 – $2400 | $2000 – $2300 |
| Autism Assessment | $2500 – $2900 | $2400 – $2600 |
| ADHD and Autism Assessment | $3000 – $3300 | $2900 – $3200 |
| Psychoeducational Assessment | $2800 – $3200 | Please Enquire |
| Psychoeducational and ADHD Assessment | $3400 – $3700 | Please Enquire |
| Adding Cognitive Assessment to Autism or ADHD Assessment | Add $ 800 – $1000 | Add $ 800 – $1000 |
| Adding Functional Assessment to any Assessment | Add $200 | Add $200 |
Payment Structure
We ask that 50% of your Assessment cost is paid upfront.
Full payment needs to be made before you receive your Report and Feedback Session.
Thank you for considering Mindful Psychology to assist with your Psychological Assessment. We welcome you queries, and look forward to working with you.
