My Services
Autism Assessment
Poh Gan is an experienced autism assessor. She has worked in the disability, mental health and education sectors for over 15 years, supporting neurodiverse children, teenagers and their families. We follow best-practice clinical guidelines in our assessment procedures and collaborate closely with experienced speech pathologists to produce a comprehensive report that addresses the diagnostic criteria for Autism using a neurodiversity-affirming approach. We also consult with your child’s paediatrician to facilitate agreement about the diagnosis given.
Q&A:
What does the assessment involve?
Our assessment which generally takes place over a 6 to 8-week period, includes:
- a comprehensive structured interview (approximately 2 hours) with you, the parent/caregiver
- an observation session with your child (approximately 2 hours)
- an online adaptive behaviour functioning interview that you complete via remote-screen administration
- communication with the speech pathologist and paediatrician to compile a report addressing the DSM5 criteria of Autism
- a dedicated feedback session (50 minutes) with you to go through our detailed report.
- If required, a session of school/childcare observation by our psychologist may also be undertaken and additional charges will apply.
- We can sometimes provide a joint assessment with a speech pathologist to complete the assessment together at one go. Please ask us about this if this is what you prefer.
- If your child is identified as having an autistic neurotype, we will gift your child a book, The Brain Forest, written by Sandhya Menon, as well as a certificate to celebrate neurodiversity. This will help facilitate a positive identity.
How much does it cost?
The total cost of the Autism diagnostic assessment with our psychologist ranges from $1600 to $2400. If a session of school/childcare observation is required, additional costs will apply (approximately $240 if the location is within 20 kms of our practice).
Due to the considerable time dedicated to the assessment and report writing process, at least half of the assessment fee is required after the initial parent consultation/session.
Can I get a rebate from Medicare?
Medicare items are available for the diagnosis and treatment for autistic individuals aged under 25 years old. These items apply to services provided by psychologists and speech pathologists, on referral from a private paediatrician. A maximum of 4 services per child can be claimed from Medicare as part of an ASD diagnostic assessment.
Families may also wish to register for the Medicare Safety Net for higher rebates once they reach the relevant threshold.
Please see the following website for more information.
What about the speech pathologist component of the assessment?
We have a few speech pathologists that we work closely with and they generally collaborate with us to complete the assessment. Depending on your child’s needs and the speech pathologist’s availability, we may see your child together at your home/child’s school or separately at our respective offices. If you have worked with a speech pathologist prior to seeing us, we are happy to work with them to produce a combined report. Please note that the speech pathologist’s fees are in addition to our fees and you would need to clarify these with the speech pathologist.
How long will I have to wait to get the results?
Please allow up to 6 weeks for us to analyse the information collected, compile the report and communicate with the speech pathologist and paediatrician involved to come to an agreement about your child’s diagnosis.