ADHD Assessment

We assesses for Adhd in both children and adults.

Clinical Intake

The purpose of the clinical intake is for your psychologist to collect background information and history and discuss any essential behavioural, medical, or psychological concerns. This is also a chance for you to ask questions and ensure that the correct assessment has been booked for you or your child. This assists your psychologist in already screening for traits and indicators of ADHD. This intake is usually conducted over the phone with your psychologist (with parents only if this is a child assessment - little ears being present can be challenging when discussing a list of difficulties or differences).

Cost: A$270.00

Next Steps: You will complete the ASRS screener (adults) or the Vanderbilt Assessment Scales (parent form) if your child is being assessed. The screeners are designed to assess inattentiveness and hyperactivity and are a good ‘baseline’ screener. Your child's teacher may be sent a screener if this is beneficial.

Assessment Session

This session can be conducted via telehealth or in the Miranda or Oran Park clinic for adults. Children are generally seen in the clinic. During the first session, you will be given feedback on the initial screener, and your psychologist will answer any questions you may have. You will then be sent links to the following assessments:

Adults:

Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales, Second Edition (CAARS-2 Self- and Observer Reports): The CAARS-2 scales measure the presence and severity of ADHD traits.
Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Adult Version (BRIEF-A) – Evaluates executive function from multiple perspectives.
Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3) – Assesses skill areas of daily living and indicates how your daily functioning is being impacted by your current traits and difficulties.

Children:

Conners-4 (parent and teacher forms) - This assessment helps to understand a young person's attention, emotional regulation, and behavioural strengths and challenges, supporting a fuller picture of how they engage with the world and whether their experiences may align with an ADHD neurotype or other needs.
Conners Behaviour Rating Scale (CBRS) (parent and teacher forms) - This screener assists in identifying Adhd and other possibly co-occurring difficulties (such as anxiety, depression, autism, etc.)
Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) - The BRIEF-2 helps to explore a young person’s unique executive functioning skills, such as planning, organisation, and self-regulation, offering insight into how they navigate daily tasks in a way that supports their strengths and needs.
Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3) – Assesses skill areas of daily living.

During the assessment session, you will be provided with feedback from the assessments completed thus far. Furthermore, the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD, Fifth Edition (DIVA-5) is completed (for adults or children over 10 years). This interview-based assessment uses the DSM-5 (the fancy diagnostic manual that professionals use to diagnose) to confirm a diagnosis of ADHD by determining the presence of ADHD presentations during childhood and adulthood. We focus on strength-based assessments and on how you present with differences and difficulties, NOT deficits! This assessment is helpful in that it allows for the discussion of Adhd traits but allows personalisation! We discuss how these traits present specifically for you or your child, how presentations can differ between observable and internal, how hyperactivity and impulsivity can present differently across genders, and it allows you to provide concrete examples depending on contexts, energy levels, strategies put in place, etc.

This assessment will enable us to explore nuances that multiple-choice assessments cannot. A neurotype (diagnosis) is generally confirmed at this appointment. A play-based assessment, utilising different activities and observations, is used for younger children instead of the DIVA-5.

The assessment is charged at $1075.00 for adults and $1250.00 for children and teens, and once this is made in full, the report writing process will commence. The report is generally completed within 6 weeks of your final assessment. Our reports are affirming and strengths-based, focusing on environmental accommodations, support strategies and in understanding your brain better.

If further assessment sessions are needed to explore things in more depth, these will be booked at no extra charge to you.

Medication

Psychologists are unable to prescribe medication. If medication is your only goal, stop reading and make a booking with a Psychiatrist OR Paediatrician! It is a cheaper and quicker option (although waitlists are long!) Psychologists specialise in more in-depth assessments. We assist in helping you to understand the Adhd brain more, to look at specific difficulties and strengths, as well as to assess for any differential or co-occurring diagnoses (other things that look like Adhd but aren’t - e.g. anxiety). The goal is more self-awareness, understanding, and guidance on the way forward. Also, we generally are more thorough and able to identify those presentations of Adhd that may not be as observable or clean-cut (think your high-achieving 10-year-old daughter who is a star student, with lots of friends and no academic concerns at school, who then falls apart on you at home. Or, the highly driven business woman perceived as having it all together, who, after having her first child, is unable to manage with the simplest of tasks and presents with severe depression. After diagnosis, we refer to a team of psychiatrists with whom we collaborate. Still, they will likely need to conduct their own intake process and questioning, even though your diagnosis is completely valid after your assessment with us!

Ongoing Support

Jess is our fabulous counsellor, who can assist you after your assessment. She offers after-school and work-hour sessions via telehealth.

Lisa is able to offer ongoing support at our Miranda or Oran Park clinics.