Can I have my assessment via Telehealth? Sophie conducts face-to-face sessions, but she also offer Zoom sessions as an option for adults seeking assessment. Children being assessed must be seen in person at the centre. At present, Sophie only conduct assessments on Thursdays but is looking to add more days in the future. Do you assess adults or just children? Sophie assess both adults and children over 6 years old. Sophie is unable to see children younger than 6 years old as she only uses the standardised measures, skills, knowledge, and experience necessary for assessing children 6 years and older. What type of assessments do you do? Sophie mostly conducts autism and ADHD assessments. However, she is also trained in cognitive and academic testing using the WISC, WAIS, and WIAT. Therefore, Sophie can also diagnose Specific Learning Disorders (more commonly referred to as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia), Intellectual Disability, and assess areas of cognitive and academic strengths and differences. Are you neuro-affirming? Sophie’s practice in assessments is continually evolving to be as affirming as possible. Sophie, herself, is neurodivergent, she attempts to make the process as neuro-friendly as possible (eg., the room has natural lighting and fidget toys on hand, adults can be assessed remotely). We aim to keep costs as low as possible to help low-income and disabled people have better access to assessments. Sophie uses tools such as the MIGDAS-2, CAT-Q, and DIVA-5 to help to recognise highly masked or internalised presentations. Sophie takes a strengths-based view, and she tries to make reports as affirming as possible (which is, unfortunately, not always achievable depending on what language is required to gain access to certain services). Sophie also keeps an open channel via email so that you can contact her at any point in the assessment if you have questions or concerns. You are more than welcome to send Sophie an info-dump email before or after the assessment so that you can feel assured that she has received all of the information you would like her to consider as part of the assessment. What happens during the assessment? The number of sessions depends on what we are assessing for. If additional sessions are required beyond what is initially thought, these are charged at the standard session fee. Our first session runs for 1 hour and is a comprehensive interview about you or your child’s life and background (such as medical and psychological history, friendships and relationships, immediate family, educational history etc.). This allows Sophie to get a snapshot of you or your child, which helps to formulate the diagnosis. As part of the assessment, Sophie will need to send out various digital questionnaires which are often best completed on a computer. Occasionally, these questionnaires might be paper copies and will need to be returned, either physically or scanned and emailed back before your first appointment. The results are returned to her to aid the assessment. On average this often includes around 4-5 questionnaires, however, this can vary. For adults, Sophie also often sends questionnaires to, and collect information from, a third party who has known you since childhood. This helps to demonstrate essential criteria that are needed for a DSM V TR diagnosis, ie., that these traits were evident in your early development. This information can also be gained through school reports, school letters, diary entries, previous assessments/reports etc. Sophie understands that sometimes it is difficult to access this kind of information and that sometimes it does not reveal traits, especially for highly masking and internalised presentations. Diagnoses are not made solely on this information. The main aim is to get a broad understanding of you and your life; having this third-party information is very useful in helping meet the necessary criteria but not critical. The second session (and third session, if applicable) runs for approximately 2 hours, where we will explore the traits being assessed for in more detail. For adult assessments, we will discuss these traits both how they present now and in childhood. Then, Sophie will write up your report which will be emailed to you approximately 4-6 weeks after this session. After this, you will have a feedback session with her to discuss the results, answer any questions you might have, discuss recommendations, or whatever your needs may be. How can I pay? At present, we can only accept payment in person or over the phone. In order to book your assessment, a deposit of $300.00 is required. Then, the balance will need to be paid in full prior to your assessment appointment. Am I guaranteed to be diagnosed? No. The assessment process gathers an extensive amount of information in order to be as confident as possible in my conclusion. Sometimes, this means that the anticipated diagnosis is not made, or an alternative diagnosis is made instead which better explains your situation. Sophie encourages you to manage any expectations before scheduling the assessment. If I am diagnosed with ADHD, can you prescribe medication? No, a psychologist is unable to prescribe medication. Adults will need to see a Psychiatrist to be prescribed ADHD medication, and children will need to see a Paediatrician or Child Psychiatrist. You will need a referral from your GP to see a Psychiatrist. If medication is your desired outcome, in most cases it is more beneficial to go directly down this specialist route. Psychiatrists and Paediatricians can make the diagnosis as well as prescribe, and often do their own assessment anyway even when provided with a report from a psychologist. However, some Paediatricians, Psychiatrists, and GP’s will ask that you seek a formal assessment first, but this does not appear to happen frequently. I see this more frequently with Paediatricians who recommend comprehensive assessment before trialling medication with children. An ADHD assessment with a psychologist might be more suited to your needs if you are not seeking medication, wanting clarification about your neurotype, or seeking a report in order to make accommodations/adjustments at work or school. Will an autism diagnosis mean that I can apply for the NDIS or Disability Support Pension? The report generated through our assessment service is a valid diagnosis and can serve as supporting evidence for your NDIS Access Request. However, it's essential to note that additional reports and supporting documents are typically required. The NDIS mandates a multidisciplinary or team-based confirmation of diagnosis from at least one other allied health practitioner, or for children, a Paediatrician, Psychiatrist, or Clinical Psychologist. Your report can be used alongside documentation from one of these providers to bolster your NDIS Access Request. NDIS Access Requests are often reinforced by incorporating a Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) conducted by an Occupational Therapist, in addition to diagnostic assessment reports.
When applying for NDIS access, it's crucial to set realistic expectations. While our assessments and documentation adhere to rigorous clinical, professional, and ethical standards, it's important to understand that Psychologists, other allied health professionals, and medical practitioners do not have decision-making authority regarding your NDIS Access Request. We make every effort to support your application, but the final decisions rest with the NDIS/NDIA.
Starting from April 1st, 2023, changes in legislation concerning Disability Support Pension (DSP) via Centrelink mean that Registered Psychologists can offer supporting evidence for specific categories of DSP applications. Therefore, in some cases, the report I provide may be applicable to support a DSP application, depending on the grounds for your application. If you are applying for DSP, additional paperwork and forms can be completed at the standard session rate, considering the time involved. How can I book and appointment? Our caring reception staff can help you book your assessment via phone, text, or email.