Adults and teens 12 and over
Adult autism assessment, by video.
A full diagnostic assessment against DSM-5-TR criteria, with a psychologist who understands what autism looks like in someone who has spent thirty years covering for it.
Who this is for
Adults and teenagers who suspect they are autistic, whether that suspicion came from a relative's diagnosis, a therapist, a friend, or years of finding ordinary things harder than everyone else appears to.
We assess from age 12. Younger children need in-person observation and a paediatric pathway, so we refer those on rather than doing a worse job of it.
Common reasons people book
- Social interaction takes conscious effort that nobody else seems to need
- Sensory overload that others treat as an overreaction
- Burnout from masking, especially in women diagnosed late
- A child's diagnosis that made the parent recognise themselves
- Needing formal evidence for work, study, the NDIS or Centrelink
Autism assessment
$1,650Includes the full written report.
Psychiatrist-led option available, which attracts a Medicare rebate of $467.45 on item 291 with a GP referral.
Current wait: [CURRENT WAIT]
Report turnaround: [TURNAROUND]
What the assessment covers
Developmental and life history
Childhood, school, work, relationships. Autism is lifelong, so the evidence has to reach back, and this is the part a fifteen-minute appointment can never do properly.
Standardised questionnaires
Completed before we meet, at your own pace. If you have someone who has known you a long time and is willing, they complete a short informant section too. It helps, but we can work without it.
Clinical interview
Two to three hours over video with your psychologist, split across two sittings if that suits you better. Cameras can be off for parts of it.
Differential diagnosis
We look at what else could explain the picture — ADHD, anxiety, trauma, giftedness — because getting that wrong is worse than no answer at all.
Your report
Plain English, with the reasoning shown rather than a bare conclusion, and structured for whatever you told us you need it for.
Being straight with you about video
Autism assessment by telehealth is lawful and widely done, and for adults the evidence base is decent. The national guideline still says telehealth should not be the only medium across a whole assessment, and we think that is a fair caution rather than a technicality.
So we do two things about it. Every case gets a second clinician's review before the report is signed. And where the picture is genuinely unclear, we will say so and offer an in-person session rather than write a confident report we cannot stand behind.
We do not promise a diagnosis. You are paying for a thorough assessment and an honest opinion. Some people who book do not meet the criteria, and we tell them so, with an explanation of what we think is going on instead.
Questions
Who carries out the assessment?
A registered psychologist. For autism we use clinical psychologists experienced in adult assessment, or a multidisciplinary team, because those are the assessors the NDIS names when it comes to evidence for access.
Do I need a GP referral?
No, not for the psychologist-led assessment. You need one only if you want the psychiatrist option and its Medicare rebate.
Will the report get me onto the NDIS?
That is the NDIA's decision, not ours. Autism at level 2 or 3 is on the list that usually meets the disability requirements; level 1 needs further evidence of functional impact and often does not succeed. We will tell you honestly where you are likely to sit before you spend the money.
Can I get a Medicare rebate?
On a psychologist-led assessment for an adult, no — there is no Medicare item for it. With the psychiatrist option there is: $467.45 back on item 291. If you are under 25 there are further rebated sessions available. The detail is here.
What if I have ADHD as well?
Very common, and worth doing together rather than twice. See the combined assessment.
Not sure where to start?
The free screener takes about three minutes and tells you which assessment fits — or whether you need one at all.