Assessments

A psychoeducational assessment evaluates a child’s cognitive abilities, emotional well-being, and academic performance. It helps identify any gaps between their cognitive skills and academic achievement, which may indicate specific learning difficulties.

Goals of the Assessment:

• Identify the child’s learning strengths and challenges.
• Diagnose potential learning difficulties or psychological conditions.
• Provide tailored recommendations for support and intervention.

After the assessment, you will gain a clear understanding of your child’s needs and how to support their growth. The recommendations will help you make informed decisions about educational support and interventions.

Each assessment is customised to meet your child’s unique needs, ensuring a thorough and insightful evaluation process.

A diagnostic assessment for ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) helps determine if a child meets the criteria for these conditions. This assessment looks closely at the child’s behaviour, their impact on daily life, and how they align with the criteria outlined in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

According to the Australian National Guidelines, obtaining a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves several steps and contributions from different professionals. Here’s how the process typically works and why multiple assessments are necessary:

Role of a Single Clinician Psychologist:

• Comprehensive Assessment: A psychologist can conduct an initial ASD assessment and provide a detailed report. This includes evaluating the child’s developmental history, behaviour, and social communication. The psychologist uses standardised tools and clinical expertise to assess symptoms and how they align with the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and will often also assess a child’s intellectual capacity with a cognitive assessment.
• Initial Report: The psychologist’s report will outline the findings from their assessment, including observations, symptom evaluations, and preliminary recommendations.

Why Additional Assessments Are Needed:

• Speech Pathologist: To comprehensively understand a child’s communication skills, a speech pathologist assesses areas such as language development, social communication, and speech clarity. This input is crucial for understanding the full scope of the child’s communication challenges and to determine any speech related recommendations for intervention.
• Occupational Therapist (OT): An OT evaluates sensory processing, motor skills, and daily living activities. This assessment helps to identify how sensory sensitivities or motor difficulties might impact the child’s behaviour and functioning, and provide specific recommendations for intervention.
• Paediatrician: A paediatrician completes a medical evaluation to understand if there are any medical conditions that may be contributing to behaviour. The Paediatrician will also review the assessments provided by other health professionals (e.g., the psychologist, speech pathologist, and OT). They integrate these findings with their own clinical evaluation to confirm the diagnosis.

Final Diagnosis and Recommendations:

• Integrative Approach: While a psychologist can prepare an initial assessment report, a formal ASD diagnosis often requires integrating input from multiple professionals. The paediatrician will use all available assessments to finalise the diagnosis and develop a complete treatment plan.
• Recommendations: Based on the combined assessments, detailed recommendations for therapeutic interventions, support services, and educational accommodations are tailored to the child’s needs.

By accessing assessments from a psychologist, speech pathologist, and OT, and obtaining a final review from a paediatrician, you ensure a thorough and accurate evaluation that supports effective intervention and support planning.

Our Assessments are tailored to meet each child’s individual needs. Here is an overview of the typical assessment process:

Pre referral requirements:

Before your initial consultation, please prepare and submit the following documents:

• Hearing and Vision Assessments: Recent reports to rule out sensory impairments.
• Previous Assessments and Reports: Any relevant documents from other professionals (e.g., Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Paediatricians). These help provide context for the assessment and build a comprehensive picture of your child’s abilities and challenges.

Having these documents ready will help us conduct a thorough evaluation. If you have questions about gathering this information, feel free to contact us.

Initial Consultation:

The initial consultation is an opportunity for Dr Megan Henderson to meet with parents, without a child present. During this meeting, we will:

• Discuss Current Concerns: Talk about your child’s challenges in academics, behaviour, or emotional well-being. Providing detailed observations and examples will help in understanding the context and nature of your concerns.
• Review Background Information: We will review relevant background information, including developmental history, medical history, and educational experiences. This may involve discussing milestones, any previous diagnoses, and prior interventions or support your child has received.
• Establish an Assessment Plan: Create a personalised plan outlining the areas to be evaluated and the assessment methods.
• Set Expectations: Discuss the timeline for the assessment process and what to expect moving forward.
• Address Questions: Answer any concerns you may have about the assessment process and how the results will be used.

Information gathering:

We collect information from parents, teachers, and other relevant individuals to understand your child’s needs fully. This includes:

• Questionnaires: These gather detailed insights from various perspectives to provide a comprehensive view of your child’s cognitive, academic, and emotional needs.
• Collaboration with Schools: We work closely with your child’s teachers to gather additional insights.

Testing sessions:

During the testing sessions, we will administer a range of standardised tests and tasks to evaluate your child’s cognitive abilities in various areas:

• Cognitive Testing: Different tests for preschool (WPPSI-IV) and school-aged children (WISC-IV).
• Academic Achievement Testing: Assess academic skills using tools like the WIAT-III. Reviewing your child’s latest academic report or NAPLAN results can also provide valuable context for understanding their academic progress.
• Attention and Executive Functioning: We use measures like the Conners Rating Scale from various perspectives including; parents, teachers, and sometimes the child.
• ASD Assessments: Standardised tools like the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS-2) and Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) evaluate potential ASD symptoms.
• Functional Assessments: Assess daily living skills using tools like the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS) and Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales.

Behavioural Observations:

We will observe your child’s behaviour during assessment sessions to gain insights into their functioning. Additional observations may occur in the classroom or playground to see how your child interacts in different settings.

Analysis and Interpretation:

After the assessment, we analyse the collected data:

• Review Test Results: Identify strengths and areas for support.
• Interpret Observations: Integrate behavioural observations with test results.
• Synthesise Information: Combine data from all sources for a complete understanding of your child’s needs.
• Diagnosis: If applicable, discuss any diagnoses based on the assessment findings.

Feedback Session:

We prioritise clear communication with families during the feedback session:

• Discuss Findings: Review and explain assessment results and any diagnoses.
• Impact on Learning: Explore how findings affect your child’s development.
• Practical Recommendations: Provide tailored strategies for support, including interventions and classroom accommodations.

Comprehensive Report:

Following the feedback session, a detailed report will be provided to you. This report includes:

• Assessment Results: Summary of outcomes and observations.
• Diagnoses: Any identified diagnoses and their relevance.
• Recommendations: Suggested interventions, accommodations, and additional support services.

This report will be a valuable resource for understanding your child’s needs and implementing support strategies.

At Megan Henderson Psychology, our assessment fee structure is based on our hourly rate of $250.00. Our comprehensive assessments typically require between 8 to 12 hours to complete. Each assessment is customised to meet the individual needs of the child.

During the initial consultation, we will discuss and create a specific assessment plan that aligns with your child’s unique requirements and provide you with a clear price. If there are any changes in pricing based on the assessment measures used or the time required, this will be explained to you upfront before we proceed with the assessment.

Megan Henderson Psychology provides outreach assessment services for regional areas. Please note that travel costs will apply for these services.

Payment Terms: Payment in full is required after an initial parent consultation and before the assessment sessions are scheduled. This ensures that all arrangements are in place and allows us to proceed with the assessment without delay.