Comprehensive Assessment & Diagnoses

Cognitive Assessments Cognitive (or IQ) assessments are generally considered from 4 years.  Information gathering and interview appointment Assessment session Feedback session Report Cost starts from $1,640 (includes up to 4 hours of face-to-face sessions and a report writing fee)

Cognitive assessments or intelligence tests (IQ tests) are used to determine a child’s learning capability by identifying their cognitive strengths and areas of development. When interpreted in combination with comprehensive background information and parent and teacher interviews, the results of cognitive tests can assist with the development of individualised intervention and learning plans for children.

Why might a cognitive assessment help my child?

There are many reasons why a cognitive assessment may be recommended. 

For instance:

1. To obtain an accurate profile of an individual’s overall intellectual functioning or IQ level
2. To identify an individual’s cognitive strengths and areas of development
3. To assist in exploring an individual’s learning difficulties 
4. To assist in developing learning strategies and recommendations
5. To assist in the examination of:
• Intellectual giftedness
• Intellectual disability
• Specific learning disabilities (also known as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Psychoeducational Assessment Psychoeducational assessments include assessments tailored to your child/teen's difficulties. They always include a cognitive assessment with additional tests to understand exactly what is going on. Given the range of needs, it is difficult to fix a fee; however, your psychologist will work with you to determine the best approach. Information gathering and interview appointment Assessment sessions - 2 assessments (minimum) Feedback session Report Cost starts from $2,100 (includes up to 9 hours of face to face sessions and a report writing fee)

Psychoeducational assessments are usually used to understand why your child may be experiencing challenges at school, although they can also be helpful in identifying intellectual and academic giftedness. They typically consist of a range of assessment tools and tests that, when interpreted altogether, provide us with valuable insight into your child’s cognitive and academic functioning (reading, spelling, writing and maths skills), and allows us to provide targeted recommendations as to how to best support your young person in their learning environment. 

Psychoeducational assessments typically include face-to-face assessment of your child’s intellectual ability, phonological processing, literacy and numeracy skills, and/or executive functioning skills. They may also include questionnaire data from parents and teachers to understand more about your young person’s social and emotional wellbeing and/or attention and organisational skills at home and at school. 

Results from these assessments are then analysed and interpreted to provide detailed information regarding your child’s unique profile of strengths and developmental needs. Psychoeducational assessments can also assist in diagnosing specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, as well as identifying attentional and executive functioning challenges that may be associated with ADHD. They can also help to identify intellectual disability and intellectual giftedness. 

ADHD Assessment Information gathering and interview appointment Assessment sessions - Cognitive assessment plus Attention and other assessments, observations or questionnaires (we have up to 7 options depending on your presentation and needs) Feedback session Report Cost starts from $2,200 (includes up to 8 hours of face to face sessions and a report writing fee)

There is no single test for ADHD. The process requires several steps and involves gathering a lot of information from multiple sources. You, your child, your child's school, and other caregivers should be involved in assessing your child's behaviour. A cognitive assessment is typically completed alongside additional attention and executive functioning questionnaires completed by the child’s parents/caregivers and teacher. 

In terms of ADHD diagnosis, testing processes such as memory or processing speed helps us get a much more detailed picture of what is going on for your child. For example, a slow processing speed can mimic inattention, but processing speed and attention are very different. These types of tests allow us to benchmark your child against same age peers, which can be incredibly useful information. Children with ADHD often underperform academically, and these types of tests help us to understand what specifically is going on for your child, and make specific recommendations for them.

Autism Assessment Information gathering and interview appointment  Assessment sessions - Cognitive assessment plus an Autism assessment. Other  observations or questionnaires (depending on your presentation and needs) Feedback session Report Cost starts from $2,600 (includes up to 8 hours of face to face sessions and a report writing fee)

An autism assessment usually requires a multidisciplinary team to confirm a diagnosis. The team will include a paediatrician (or child and adolescent psychiatrist), a psychologist, and a speech pathologist, but other health professionals may provide input if necessary.

During the initial parent-only session, the psychologist will ask questions about your family’s history and your child’s past medical history and development. This will cover questions about their birth, when they sat up, smiled, crawled, talked, and walked, their social and play skills, behaviour, toileting, and daily living skills.

The psychologist will observe your child and may take place in the clinic but could also occur at your child’s preschool or school. The psychologist will watch your child and may also try to engage with them, looking for how they play and interact with others. The psychologist will likely request to speak to your child’s teacher. 

The psychologist may use a tool such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS). This play-based assessment tool can be used for children as young as 12 months. The psychologist conducting the assessment will use diagnostic criteria, usually the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - DSM-5-TR, to decide if your child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or another condition. The psychologist will likely administer questionnaires to the parents/caregiver and teacher to gather additional adaptive functioning information, which helps the psychologist understand how your child is functioning across environments.