Diagnostic Assessments
Assessments are a way to better understand a person skills. People of all ages undergo psychological assessment for a variety of reasons. Every day, we are required to process information, problem solves through various situations, attend to daily living tasks and connect socially. Additionally, we need to either complete work-related activities, whether these be at school, higher and alternative educations programs, at home or in our place of employment or where we volunteer.
Sometimes it may appear that someone is struggling with some of these day-to-day tasks. Psychological assessment can help us understand why the individual may be experiencing these issues. Psychological assessment can include cognitive assessment, evaluation of intellectual capacity, memory assessment, review of executive functioning, academic achievement, language and communication capacity, adaptive behaviour, daily living capacity, emotional, behavioural and social skills. Results from these assessments will help build strength and challenges profile to assist the person to be better able to function throughout the day. The information may also help to guide specific recommendations and strategies for therapy, intervention and ongoing supports.
Diagnostic Assessments & Price Guides
What to expect
Before your Appointment.
You will have a number of important forms you need to complete before your session. Please ensure that you have completed.
It is also important that we understand the current strengths and challenges of the person being tested. If possible, please bring along a copy of your most recent medical, psychological and school/occupational reports. A scanned copy on USB is preferred that way we can upload them directly to our system. There is also an option to upload information on the intake form. (or press a button here to upload a doc?)
a. Diagnostic interview/Intake
This visit will often take between 1 and 2 hours. I will use the information provided on the intake form and ask any additional questions to fully understand your concerns and ascertain the needs for assessment.
Do I need to bring my child with me?
This depends on your referral.
For self-referred clients, No. There is no medicare rebate available for this interview, thus no requirement to bring your child. However, you are more than welcome to bring them if you would like to.
Medicare Clients, Yes. In some cases, Medicare will provide a rebate for some assessments if you have been referred by a medical practitioner under certain conditions. If you have been referred under these conditions, you need to bring a copy of your referral and your child with you.
NDIS Clients, Yes. Your child is required to be present.
b. Testing/Evaluation
What happens during the Diagnostic Assessments?
An interview to commence the assessment and to determine whether it will be useful to conduct the whole assessment
Review of previous reports by your psychologist
Completion of standardised questionnaires by the child, adolescent or adult, and their parents, caregivers, family members and/or partner
Scoring and interpretation of questionnaires by your psychologist
Several hours of data gathering, statistical analysis and report writing by your psychologist
Two-Three hours of assessment, including semi-structured interview and use of standardised and measures
Scoring, interpretation and report preparation by your psychologist
Whilst we attempt to complete your testing as quickly as possible, we are unable to supply a time limit. The time it takes depends on a multiple of factors such as
The individuals' general wellness and motivation and behaviour on the day
The individuals capacity on the day of testing
How quickly parents/guardians and or support people return survey’s and questionnaires
How quickly teachers and or third parties return questionnaires
For adults, it is sometimes helpful to have significant others or coworkers complete questionnaires
Whether we need to collaborate with other 3rd parties to inform a diagnoses
In most cases, from the time of interview to the time of the report is approximately 10-12 weeks, but this is only a rough guide.
The fee for the Diagnostic Assessment includes report preparation. When booking a Diagnostic Assessment, please let us know if the report will be required for funding purposes, and which type of funding.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What does testing look like?
Psychological assessments are carefully chosen to evaluate the current concerns and needs of the include being tested. Testing activities can include answering a wide variety of questions, looking at pictures, and completing puzzle-like activities. There is no way to study for these testing activities. Testing material is only available to qualified professionals, and practice test a not available. So the best thing to do is simply arrive prepared to try your best.
How do I prepare myself or my child for testing?
The best thing to do is ensure that you eat well and have a good night’s rest.
If you or your child are taking prescribed medication, please ensure that this is discussed during the intake interview.
Make sure that you bring a water bottle and a healthy snack to session in case we need to take a break
Be prepared to do some rewarding or enjoyable self-care activity after testing
c. Feedback
Once all testing information is gathered (testing, self/parent/teacher rating forms), you/a child's parent(s) will attend a feedback session to review the results/conclusions and recommendations from testing. We will provide detailed descriptions and explanations of results. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have. This visit lasts approximately 1-2 hours, and you will be provided with a written Psychological Assessment Results report that can then be shared with other treating providers, school personnel, etc. at your discretion. You will also be provided with an electronic copy of the document to disseminate at your discretion.
It is the policy of Redfini Pty Ltd that the electronic copy is only given after the final feedback session and once the final assessment payment is received.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who Attends this visit?
If this report is for a child, it is recommended that the parents/guardians attend the session. Children do not need to but are welcome to attend this visit.
For an adult assessment.
An adult may choose to attend the feedback session by themselves. Alternatively, they may choose to have a support person attend. We respect the rights and choices of the individual, however, if a support person does attend, this must be consented to by the adult being assessed and we request that the support person follow strict guidelines of confidentiality.
For an adult with cognitive impairment or an adult with an adult guardian, or an adult deemed unable to give consent, we recommend and in some cases require that their guardian be present at the feedback session. This will be discussed prior to the assessment commencing.