Assessment processes can vary across psychology clinics and clinicians, so we thought we’d summarise the typical steps below! Therapy House is located in The Gap, Brisbane Northside. We have provisional practitioners and fully registered psychologists who are trained in assessment. Only provisional psychologists with relevant training will undertake assessment cases, and all reports are signed off by a fully registered psychologist. We will aim to provide you information about available practitioners based on your referral question.
If you are seeking psychological assessments for ADHD/Autism, it is worth understanding that in some situations, paediatric review for diagnostic verification might be required. If you already have a paediatrician/psychiatrist who has referred – you can let us know and we can contact them to ask if they have specific assessment process that they require to ensure we help you with what you need (as an example, some paediatricians prefer ADOS-2 for Autism assessment, however this assessment is not considered necessary for verification and in some cases can informed skewed results and is not preferred by some scholars).
The Psychological Assessment Process
- Call our clinic and let us know that you are seeking assessment. It is generally helpful to send an email with a brief description of reasons for seeking assessment.
- Our reception team will discuss this with our clinical team leader and will inform who would be the best clinician.
- You will be send our some online forms to provide background information prior to intake so the clinician can review background and provide best advice on initial session.
- After intake session the clinician will discuss the options for assessment and what process may be most appropriate.
- Book in assessment sessions through reception (based on family and clinician availability, as well as how long the person may be able to focus for – i.e. 3-hour session with breaks versus 3 x 50 minute sessions).
- The clinician will require up to 4 weeks from the last assessment session to analyse and interpret the data, receive any additional collateral from stakeholders and write the report.
- Once payment has been received and the clinician has finalised the report, a feedback session can be booked and the clinician will share the report during this session, making any final adjustments necessary before providing a digital copy.
If the clinician discovers additional queries throughout the assessment process, one of our clinic team members will reach out to discuss recommendations to build on the assessment package, no changes will be made prior to gaining consent.
Some documentation that you might be asked to share if you embark on assessment for yourself or your child.
- Referral (if applicable).
- School reports (Adult SLD/ADHD assessments also typically require these).
- NAPLAN results (if applicable).
- Any prior assessment reports.
- Any other relevant intervention documentation (ie. Reading intervention, OT or speech assessment).
- Any letters with prior diagnoses.
Assessment Process & Inclusions:
- Parent intake session (50 minutes; depending on child age, they may need to attend intake)
- 4-5 hours of child testing (Cognitive assessment and achievement assessment)
- Questionnaires (these will vary depending on presentation)
- Assessment scoring and report writing
- Feedback session (50 minutes)
- Comprehensive report
Assessment Process & Inclusions:
- Parent intake session (50 minutes; depending on child age, they may need to attend intake)
- 2 hours of child testing
- Questionnaires (these will vary depending on presentation)
- Assessment scoring and report writing
- Feedback session (50 minutes)
- Comprehensive report
- Trouble focusing or concentrating.
- Challenges engaging with non-preferred tasks, yet high capacity with preferred tasks
- Motor, verbal, or mental hyperactivity
- Frequent loss of belongings
- Tendencies to interrupt others
Assessment Process & Inclusions:
- Parent intake session (50 minutes; depending on child age, they may need to attend intake)
- Child session / Diagnostic Interview (Adults)
- Questionnaires (Parent/teacher/self – pending age)
- Assessment scoring and report writing
- Feedback session (50 minutes)
- Comprehensive report
- Social communication differences
- Differences in reading and use of nonverbal cues
- Challenges integrating sensory information
- Significant reliance on routine and marked distress with deviation
Assessment Process & Inclusions:
- Parent intake session (50 minutes; depending on child age, they may need to attend intake)
- Child session
- Questionnaires (Parent/teacher/self – pending age)
- Assessment scoring and report writing
- Feedback session (50 minutes)
- Comprehensive report
Assessment Process & Inclusions:
- 1 hour observation at kindy/day-care/school
Frequently Asked Questions About Psychological Assessments
How long will assessment take?
It depends on what the purpose of assessment is. Most assessment processes will take a minimum of 3-4 sessions (including intake and feedback session) and these will be booked based on the clinicians available appointments and whether the client can make arrangement to prioritise these slots. Once last assessment session is completed, the clinician will typically turn a report around within 4 weeks and notify families of further complexities should they arise.
Why do people consider assessment?
Every individual may have different values and hopes from assessment. Some common purposes include:
- Self-understanding or discovery
- Validation
- Recommendations for compensation strategies
- Funding from NDIS
- Support or adjustments for school, tertiary education or workplace.
Do I need to see a psychiatrist or paediatrician as well as a psychologist?
Diagnostic processes often come back to what a person is hoping to gain out of assessment.
- If you are considering the use of medication, a psychologist cannot advise and you will need to discuss with your GP and likely a psychiatrist/paediatrician
- If you are looking to apply for funding, neurodevelopment diagnoses such as Autism and ADHD will typically need verification from a psychiatrist/paediatrician
