Children and teens · By video, Australia-wide
Child autism assessment, from home.
A full assessment against DSM-5-TR criteria by a registered psychologist, built on what you see at home and what school sees, with a written report that shows its reasoning rather than a bare yes or no.
Who this is for
Parents of children and teenagers where someone has started to wonder about autism — you, a teacher, a childcare educator, your GP, or a relative who has been through it with their own child.
What parents often notice
- Meltdowns after school that school never sees, because your child held it together all day
- Friendships that do not stick, or play that only works on their own terms
- Big reactions to noise, clothing, textures or certain foods
- Deep, intense interests, and real distress when a routine changes
- Speech that came late, or arrived early and sounds a little different
- A teacher raising something you had half-noticed already
None of these on its own means autism. What an assessment looks at is the pattern, how long it has been there, and how much it gets in the way.
Child autism assessment
$1,650Ages 12 and over, including the full written report. Children under 12 are quoted on enquiry, because the approach depends on age.
Assessing for ADHD at the same time is $1,950, in one process with one report.
We confirm your appointment date and your report date in writing when we reply, before you pay anything.
Start the free screenerHow it works for a child
Start with the free screener
About three minutes. Choose ‘My child’ and it points to autism, ADHD, both, or a learning assessment — and tells you if an assessment does not look like the right next step.
Your child’s story, from you
Pregnancy, early development, speech, play, friendships and school. For a child, a parent’s account is the backbone of the assessment, and it is the part a short appointment can never do properly.
Questionnaires from home and school
Standardised questionnaires you complete at your own pace. Where school can help, a teacher completes one too, because how your child manages at school is part of the picture. Nothing goes to school without your permission.
Time with your child, by video
The psychologist spends time with your child and with you. What that looks like depends on age: more play and observation for younger children, more conversation for teenagers.
Differential diagnosis
We look at what else could explain the picture — ADHD, anxiety, a language or learning difficulty — because getting that wrong is worse than no answer at all.
The report
Plain English, with the reasoning shown, and structured for what it has to do — school support, therapy planning or an NDIS application. A second clinician reviews it before it is signed.
Being straight with you about video
Autism assessment by telehealth is lawful and increasingly common for children. It is also harder with children than with adults, because so much of the evidence is in how a child plays, communicates and handles other people, rather than in what they can tell you about themselves. The younger the child, the more that matters.
That is why we do not quote a flat fee for under 12s: the approach is set around your child’s age and what we need to see. Every report gets a second clinician’s review before it is signed, and where the picture is genuinely unclear, we will say so rather than write a confident report we cannot stand behind.
We do not promise a diagnosis. You are paying for a careful assessment and an honest opinion. Some children who are assessed do not meet the criteria, and when that happens we explain what we think is going on instead.
Medicare, the NDIS and school
Medicare. Children and young people under 25 can claim Medicare rebates on up to eight psychologist assessment sessions across their lifetime, once a paediatrician or psychiatrist has seen them and referred. The numbers are on the pricing page.
The NDIS. The NDIS does not pay for the assessment itself, and a diagnosis on its own does not decide access. The NDIA looks at how much the disability affects everyday life, and the report is written to that standard. Autism and the NDIS, explained.
School. Tell us school support is part of the reason for the assessment and the report is structured for it. What each report has to do.
Questions
Do I need a referral?
Not for the assessment itself. You need a referral from a paediatrician or psychiatrist only if you want to claim Medicare rebates on the assessment sessions.
Who carries out the assessment?
A registered psychologist. You are given their full name and registration number before the first session, so you can check them on the AHPRA public register yourself.
What if it is ADHD, or both?
The two overlap often, and each can hide the other. If there is any hint of both, assessing them together costs less than two separate assessments and means one history, one process and one report. See the combined assessment.
Will the report get my child onto the NDIS?
That is the NDIA’s decision, not ours. It asks about diagnosis, permanence and how much the disability affects everyday life, and well-documented functional impact matters more than the level on the report. We will tell you honestly where we think your child is likely to sit before you spend the money.
Can you assess my child wherever we live?
Yes. Assessments are by video, anywhere in Australia.
Not sure yet whether it is worth the money? The free screener takes about three minutes. Choose ‘My child’ and it tells you which assessment fits, and whether one is a reasonable next step. It will tell you if the answer is no. Start the free screener.
Where this information comes from
We would rather you checked us than took our word for it. Every link below is the original source, not a summary of one.
- National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in AustraliaAutism CRC. The recommendations were approved by the CEO of the NHMRC on 8 December 2023.
- Medicare item 82000The psychologist assessment item for under-25s: who can refer, the fee and benefit, and the lifetime limit of eight assessment services.
- NDIS: examples of disability evidenceThe NDIA’s own list of what evidence it accepts and which professions it accepts it from.
- AHPRA Register of PractitionersCheck any clinician’s registration, including ours, before you book anything.
Links to external sites are provided for reference. We do not control them and they may change. Last checked 25 September 2026.
Not sure where to start?
For your child, your adult son or daughter, or yourself. The free screener takes about three minutes and tells you which assessment fits — or whether you need one at all.