Autism Assessments: What to expect

Noticing differences in you or your child's development is often the first step in the process of deciding to participate in an autism assesment. There are many factors to consider in the decision to participate - and we do mean participate - assessment shouldn't be something that is 'done to you', especially when it comes to understanding yourself and your support needs. That's why we are committed to both evidence based and collaborative - lived experience informed assessment processes.

The assessment - like all aspects of psychological practice are guided by and in accordance with the DSM5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition Text Revision) – specifically considering social and communication skills, and restricted and repetitive interests and stereotyped patterns of behaviour.

The assessment doesn't stop at that though - we use lived experience and current research evidence to extend on the diagnostic criteria to further explore with you collaboratively your experiences, strengths and challenges.

Given the high likelihood of autism ocurring along with other neurodivergence such a (but not limited to) ADHD are careful in our approach in considering other factors impacting on functioning.

Why seek a diagnostic assessment?

Children and adults who are diagnosed with autism can access additional support services and early intervention services in order to increase their understanding of their unique brain style, learn skills to support their regulation and capacity, increase their ability to self advocate and help the systems around them (their family, school and community) in adapting and supporting their needs. A diagnosis may also mean that you/your child is eligible for funding support through their school, Centrelink or the NDIS. 

Who conducts the assessment:

At Bellarine Psychology assessments are conducted by a psychologist with specialised training and experience in assessing for autism. There is also the option of the assessment being completed as part of a multidisciplinary autism assessment service involving a clinical psychologist and a speech pathologist. In some cases a clinical or education and developmental psychologist, paediatrician or psychiatrist is required to be part of the assessment team - in this case we can provide a consultant clinical psychologist to support this.

How do I get an assessment:

It is not necessary to have a referral, however for children (up to the age of 25) it is recomended (though not essential) that a paediatrician or psychiatrist referral is sought. If your child doesn’t yet have a paediatrician please speak to your GP to get a referral. 

If the assessment is for a person under the age of 25 a paediatrician or psychiatrist referral will also provide some rebates through Medicare. Speak with your GP whether this is an option for you. There are also some circumstances where your GP can make this referral

You can contact us directly to request an appointment, or to arrange a time to speak with one of our psychologists further to check if an assessment will be useful for you and/or your child. We offer compliementary consultations to make sure this is the right approach for you

Making an appointment:

Contact us to request an appointment for assessment. Our reception team will ask some questions to make sure that you have the appropriate referrals and to direct you to the appropriate psychologist to meet your needs. You will then be advised of an approximate wait time for assessment and provided with a quote for the assessment. Currently we have minimal to no wait times given a large team of clinicians.

Funding options:

Individuals under the age of 25 who have been referred for an neurodevelopmental assessment by a paediatrician or child psychiatrist can claim a rebate from Medicare of $88.25 over four sessions with a psychologist or other allied health professional (eg. Speech pathologist or occupational therapist).

Other sessions may be claimable on Private Health Insurance if you have appropriate coverage using item number 100

If your child has NDIS funding please speak with your plan manager/LAC about whether or not your child may be able to use their NDIS funding. 

What happens now that I have an appointment?

Prior to the assessment you will be sent some initial questionnaires to describe developmental history and behaviour. At this time you are asked to forward any previous assessment reports or information you have to the Psychologist.

Our assessments are tailored to your needs. Your psychologist will discuss which assessments are suitable for you/your child during the first session.

The following outline is a common example of how the assessment will be structured (however as our assessments are individualised this may be different for you). We will often start with a general intake sesssion (1 hour) with you/parent which will help guide the rest of the assessment process:

• Session One:
  • Two hours
  • For children this involves an interview based session with one or both parents. This session is generally without the child present so that an open and honest discussion can be held regarding any concerns about the child’s behaviour and presentation, including a detailed developmental history. However for older children and teenagers it may be appropriate for this session to be completed together.
  • For adults this session involves an interview with you and potentially another adult that can provide additional supporting information.
• Session Two:
  • Two hours
  • This session typically involves an observational and interview session with the person being assessed whether this is an adult or child - using tools such as the MIGDAS-2 and/or adapted ADOS2 (tools that have been developed specifically to assess autism that the psychologist is trained in the use of).
  • Session Three:
• This session typically is the feedback session where the psychologist will speak with you about the outcome of the assessment and describe the comprehensive report - in between session 2 and 3 your psychologist may have attended your child's school, spoken to your child's teacher and other allied health professionals, and prepared a comprehensive report.
• Additional Information gathering:
  • In some cases the psychologist will visit a child’s social setting (day care/kinder/school) to observe their behaviour at school.
  • They will at least speak with your child’s caregivers/teachers, or other supportive adult in the case of an adult, by phone and also possibly ask them to complete questionnaires about your child’s behaviour.
  • If you or your child is involved with any other therapists, the Psychologist will attempt to speak with them also.
  • The Psychologist will review all of the information, and complete a comprehensive report with recommendations.
• 
  The assessment tools we use:

The psychologist will use a range of tools in completing the assessment which may include all or a combination of the following, in addition to their clinical judgement, observations and interviews:

• ADOS-2 – Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (2nd Edition) is a standardised play based observation tool that is conducted by the psychologist with your child. The ADOS-2 uses play and conversation to observe your child’s social interaction skills and behaviours.
• ADI-R – Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised is a standardised parent interview that is conducted by the psychologist with one or both parents to gain a detailed understanding of your child’s developmental history and current behaviour
• MIGDAS-2 – the Monteiro Interview Guide for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum – 2nd edition is a series of guided interviews for children, adolescents, their parents/carers and teachers that utilises a sensory based approach to assessment. This tool is often used in place of the ADOS-2 and ADI-R for older children/adolescents or alongside the ADOS-2 and ADI-R
• SRS-2 – the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition are standardised parent, teacher and self-report questionnaires which compare your child’s behaviour with that of other children the same age specifically related to behaviours consistent with autism
• ASRS – the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale are standardised parent and teacher questionnaires which compare yours/your child’s behaviour with that of others the same age specifically related to behaviours consistent with autism
• BASC3 – the Behaviour Assessment System for Children, 3rd edition is a series of parent, teacher and self-report questionnaires that provide detailed information about a child’s challenging and adaptive behaviours.
• Vineland3 – The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, 3rd edition are teacher and parent report questionnaires which detail a child’s adaptive behaviours and are often used to support funding applications.
• Weschler intelligence tests (WPPSIIV, WISCV, WAISIV) provide a measure of your child’s cognitive skills. Understanding your child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses can provide further important information in the assessment, particularly if your child is suspected of having an intellectual disability, learning disability or giftedness.

Please feel free to contact us to find out more about how we conduct Autism Assessments at Bellarine Peninsula Psychology.