Assessments and Diagnosis

Jacqui is skilled in educational and diagnostic assessments, and she is passionate about helping children reach their potential and understand their uniqueness, and for families and schools to understand their strengths and needs. Jacqui can provide a variety of in-depth psychology assessments for your child, including autism diagnostic assessments, cognitive assessments, Intellectual Developmental Disorder, specific learning disorders (e.g., dyslexia), and educational assessments. During assessments, Jacqui focuses on empowering and educating individuals, as well as their family and school staff, as to how to understand their strengths, overcome barriers, support differences and thrive in all areas of life.

Why Assess?

Assessments help identify areas of strength or difficulty to inform how best to support people in the future. They can be useful to inform early intervention, support, education pathways, self-discovery and understanding.

Assessments may be a useful to support the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Disability Inclusion Program (DIP) application processes. Assessments include a detailed report with recommendations and functional strategies to support children, and their support system, in their educational setting and at home.

How does it work?

A referral to our service can be made through your child's school, an education specialist, your family doctor or allied health professional, or directly from you via email.

Jacqui will discuss the referral question with you and, where appropriate, the referring person, to determine what the concerns are and what tools to use help us gather the right data to answer the question. As part of the assessment, a parental consent form and background history questionnaire will be completed, case history will be gathered, parental interview, as well as gathering information from schools and any other professionals supporting your child.

What does it involve?

There are different assessments depending on the concerns raised. This will be discussed during our initial consultation/enquiry. Jacqui is able to complete cognitive assessments, behavioural assessments, and educational assessments. She is experienced in working in multi-disciplinary teams in the investigation and diagnosis of  Autism. Jacqui is also experienced in investigating and diagnosing Specific Learning Disorders (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia), Intellectual Developmental Disorder, and Giftedness.

Jacqui follows the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for all assessments and a strengths-based, neurodiversity affirming paradigm. 

WHERE?

Assessments can be conducted within the young person's school in Melbourne’s inner west, where appropriate. This can help minimise anxiety and disruption to the young person. Alternatively, assessments can be conducted in a private clinic (e.g., Newport).

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

After the assessment(s) are complete, a comprehensive report is prepared with recommendations and functional strategies to support and assist children in their educational setting and at home. If appropriate, a feedback meeting to discuss the results and targeted recommendations and strategies will be organised. Assessment findings will guide plans made to support your child.

Ethical Disclaimer:

Ethical practice note on Assessments: Assessments do not guarantee a diagnosis. DSM-V-TR diagnostic criteria must be met for a diagnosis. Where multidisciplinary teams are required, individual practitioners will determine their own clinical impression, which may differ.

Furthermore, a diagnosis does not guarantee support via external agencies (e.g., NDIS or education systems). Each agency/system has their own selection criteria that is separate to diagnostic criteria.

Descriptions and Fees:

Cognitive Assessment

Educational Assessment

Specific Learning disorders (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia)

Autism Assessments

Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Functional Capacity Assessment

Assessments: Assessment fees are based on clinical time taken to review background information, previous reports etc, assessment time, time to score and interpret the results in context of the observations and background information, comprehensive report writing and a feedback session. This fee is inclusive of diagnostic tools to be completed by teachers and parents, and child. If additional assessment is clinically indicated beyond what is outlined in the assessment description it may incur an additional fee (at the hourly rate). This work will be discussed and agreed upon before being undertaken. A non-refundable deposit of $350.00 is required for assessments. This deposit needs to be made at the time of booking – either via direct deposit (bank transfer), or credit card. The remainder of the fee is payable at the time of administration of the face-to-face assessment. The report may be delayed (report writing will only begin after the final payment is received).

Reports are usually provided within 3-4 weeks of the final appointment. All reports are emailed in password protected PDF format. A hard copy of the report can be provided upon request (via registered post), for an additional $10.

Appointments for assessments can be cancelled up to five business days before the appointment date. Bookings cancelled after this time will attract the entire deposit and no refund will be issued (unless a medical certificate is provided).

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