Diagnostic Assessments FAQs

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What are Diagnostic Assessments?

There are many ways to better understand what might be underlying someone's lived experiences that are creating challenges. Our approach will be centred on what the client's goals are - e.g. wanting a better understanding of themself, a report to assist with psychiatry intervention, adjustments for school or work, or an application for other government services.

For some clients, they may complete screening processes during their individual sessions with their usual psychologist to identify a specific diagnosis or condition (such as a depression or anxiety related disorder, ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity). These screening processes can be completed in sessions and the psychologist with work with the client to navigate each step.

For other clients, they may complete a more detailed diagnostic assessment process to explore a complex presentation or to provide reports to assist with applications for supports through school, work, NDIS, disability support pension, etc. These assessments use comprehensive tools such as the WISC-V, WIAT, WAIS, Woodcock Johnson, and the MIGDAS.

Each client's goals will be reviewed at the time of referral to help identify which process would be best.

The following information is specifically for clients completing more detailed diagnostic assessments.

What should I bring to the appointment?

Please bring any relevant reports from school, or other professionals such as speech therapists, OT, etc. Alternatively, you can email these reports in advance.On the day of the assessment, please ensure that whomever is being assessed (yourself or your child) has eaten beforehand and to bring a water bottle. Please remember to bring yours / your child's glasses, and take any usual medications.

Should I postpone the assessment if the person being assessed is unwell?

The assessment is designed to elicit best performance. The content is generally engaging, and we can take breaks if needed. However, ideally the person being tested should be feeling like their usual self on the day. If they are too unwell to sit at a desk for 1-2 hours focusing on challenging tasks, then definitely postpone. The results of the assessment will not be accurate and will affect the validity of the results. If the person being assessed is not feeling well, please contact us and we will accommodate your need to reschedule at the earliest convenience.

For ongoing health issues that are usually managed day-to-day (e.g. asthma or low iron) we can keep the appointment and stop if it seems like the person being assessed is not up to it on the day.

Can I come in with my child?

It is strongly preferred that parents are not in the room while children are being tested. The assessments are designed to be administered one-on-one, and for the vast majority of children, having an extra pair of eyes and ears in the room may impact their performance. We suggest that you bring something to do in the waiting room. Your child may wish to pop out to see you during their breaks.In cases where separation anxiety prevents a child from performing their best, a parent may stay in the room. In this case, please sit out of the child's line of sight, bring something to read, and do not say anything even if you think the child needs some encouragement. This is necessary to preserve the standardised conditions of the test.

What happens after the assessment?

After the assessment tasks are complete we will aim to keep some time after the appointment for a brief chat. This will explain some initial impressions, whether further testing will be required, and if the referral question/s have been answered. If more information or testing is required we will schedule a follow-up with you to occur at the earliest convenience.

The report will include a detailed interpretation of the test results and how they explain what is happening for you / your child. It will also include a variety of recommendations, including adjustments or accommodations to teaching, learning, and assessment, strategies for building strengths and compensating for weaknesses, and focusing on social-emotional wellbeing. A separate post-assessment session to review the details of the report and discuss recommended next steps is required and is part of the fee. This provides an opportunity to review the findings in detail, review the recommendations, and to discuss options for next steps (e.g. eligibility for NDIS or other disability services).

Will a diagnosis be given after the assessment?

Our assessments provide helpful information to support a diagnosis. In some instances, our assessments are sufficient to confirm a diagnosis. In other cases, our assessment findings form a part of a bigger picture, and input from other professionals or assessments (e.g. speech and language) may be necessary.

We endeavour to keep an open discussion with you about whether our findings are likely to be diagnostic, or whether additional information may be needed.

How long will it take to write the report?

Reports will be provided by six weeks from the date of the final assessment session. This time is used to compile a comprehensive summary with a detailed interpretation of the results and thorough recommendations. There may be delays in completing the report due to additional time required by schools / other providers to completed questionnaires, documentation, etc. Your psychologist will provide updated timeframes if needed.