At Bellarine Psychology, we provide a range of comprehensive assessments from children to older adults. Our dedicated team of experienced psychologists is here to offer support, guidance, and evidence-based assessments to help you to better understanding and support.
Our Approach
We believe in taking a holistic and personalised approach to assessments. Our aim is to provide a thorough evaluation that considers each individual's unique needs, strengths and challenges in the context of their environment and supports.
Neurodevelopmental Assessment Services for children and adults include:
ADHD (from 5 years plus) (see further below)
Autism assessments (2 years plus) (Multi disciplinary in conjucntion with a speech pathologist or Single Clinician)
Cognitive assessments (3 years plus) to understand thinking, giftedness or intellectual developmental disorder
Learning assessments (school age plus) to understand learning challenges eg. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia
Our assessments include:
- standardised tests
- clinical interviews with parents and young people
- behavioural observations
- standardised parent and teacher questionnaires
- comprehensive written report and feedback session with you and/or child
- at times a cognitive assessment will also be recommended in order to provide a comprehensive assessment
By utilising these comprehensive evaluation methods, we can provide a clear understanding of a persons strenths and challenges and the impact on various areas of their life, such as school and work performance, communication, behaviour, and social egnagement. The results of the assessment will be contained in a comprehensive report and discussed with you in detail including recommendations for intervention and support strategies to help you or your child thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Assessment Options at Bellarine Psychology
At Bellarine Psychology, we offer both single clinician assessments and multidisciplinary assessments, depending on your child’s needs, goals, and areas of concern.
Both options provide high-quality, evidence-based assessment. The difference lies in the depth and breadth of information gathered.
Single Clinician Assessment
A single clinician assessment involves your child being assessed by one psychologist. This option is well suited to situations where concerns are more focused or clearly defined, and where one professional perspective is sufficient.
Many families choose this option for its simplicity, accessibility, and efficiency.
Multidisciplinary Assessment
A multidisciplinary assessment involves two clinicians working together — typically a psychologist and a speech pathologist, and in some pathways, a paediatrician may also be involved.
This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of your child by bringing together different but complementary areas of expertise:
Psychologists assess emotional, behavioural, learning and cognitive factors.
Speech pathologists assess language, communication and social communication skills.
Rather than viewing concerns through one lens, a multidisciplinary assessment allows us to understand how different areas interact and influence your child’s development.
Why families choose multidisciplinary assessments
Families often choose this option because it offers:
Two professional perspectives on the same child
Broader and more accurate understanding of strengths and challenges
Stronger, more integrated recommendations
Greater confidence in diagnostic and support planning decisions
Our clinicians collaborate closely, ensuring that assessment findings are discussed together rather than in isolation.
How the session works:
We design the assessment to be efficient and family-friendly:
Your child works with one clinician while the parent meets with the other - The clinicians then swap
This means the full assessment is usually completed in around two hours, rather than across multiple appointments
This reduces time away from school, limits repetition for families, and allows information to be gathered in a coordinated and consistent way.
Choosing the right option
Both assessment pathways are valuable. However, when concerns are complex, overlapping, or involve learning, behaviour, communication, or emotional development, a multidisciplinary assessment often provides the most complete and helpful picture.
Our intake team is happy to talk with you about which option may be the best fit for your child and family..
Why see a Psychologist and not a Psychiatrist for Assessment of ADHD?
Please note that a Psychologist can not prescribe ADHD medication. At the moment only a Psychiatrist or Paediatrician can do the initial prescription. So why see a Psychologist? If you go to a psychologist for an assessment, you can be confident that they will take their time — not just ask about symptoms, but really try to understand the whole picture: how your brain works, your strengths, any patterns over time, and how things are affecting you day to day. It can feel quite validating, actually, to have someone map things out clearly. It’s more like, “What’s really going on here, and what would help?” That might be strategies, therapy, lifestyle changes, or even helping you decide if it’s worth seeing someone about medication later. But there’s no pressure in that direction. On the flip side, a psychiatrist can be really helpful if you already know you’re likely dealing with something like ADHD or anxiety and you want to try meds, or if things are quite severe and you’re needing support quickly.
Getting Started
If you or your child are experiencing challenges that you woud like to understand further, or you have decided that you want to purse assessment we encourage you to take the first step and contact us to discuss your needs. We are able to book you in with minimal wait times for assessment, or alternatively if you are still not sure you can arrange a free consultation with one of our psychologists. We are here to provide support, answer your questions, and guide you through the assessment process. Together, we can work towards understanding your unique strengths and challenges and develop a comprehensive plan to help you or your child thrive.