Child and Adolescent Assessment Services

Children being assessed at Project Wellbeing

Child and Adolescent Assessment Services

The goal of our professional psychometric assessment service is to provide quality, useful and compassionate assessments.

Our team of experienced psychologists are dedicated to helping families and individuals understand their child’s strengths, challenges, and needs.

Our assessment services can provide valuable insights into a child’s cognitive abilities, learning style, and overall potential.

Assessments can be beneficial for children and adolescents who:

Struggle with reading, writing, or maths
Have difficulty planning, paying attention and / or staying focussed
Act impulsively / appear hyperactive
Don’t seem to be reaching their potential
Experience social difficulties
Are struggling academically, behaviourally and / or socially at school.

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Psychometric assessments can help by providing:

A better understanding of your child’s cognitive abilities, learning style, and potential
Identification of any underlying conditions that may be impacting your child’s learning and behaviour

Recommendations for tailored educational support to help your child succeed in school
Information that can help guide your child’s educational and career choices

Our assessment services include:

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity)

ASD (Autism Spectrum)

Cognitive Assessments

Educational / Learning Assessments

High Potential and Giftedness

We listen to you

We understand the importance of accurate and timely assessments and strive to provide a supportive and friendly environment for children and adolescents. Our team of experienced psychologists will work closely with you, your child and their school to provide the best possible outcome.

To schedule an appointment or to learn more about our child and adolescent assessment services contact us

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pw assessments adolesent adhd assessment

The Assessment Process:

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Step 1: The Referral

In the first instance, if you are worried about any aspect of yours or your child’s functioning, development or mental health, we recommend you start by discussing your concerns with your General Practitioner. Your GP is your primary health provider, and it is always beneficial to have your GP involved in your health concerns. However, a GP referral is NOT required for an assessment service.

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Step 2: Contact Us

Contact our friendly team on (02) 9136 0481 or via our online form below. Our team will provide you with a detailed explanation of the assessment process and provide estimated costs and time frames.

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Step 3: Intake Session

Following best practice guidelines, all of our child and adolescent assessments start with an intake session. In this session, the psychologist will ask you and your child questions about your concerns, abilities, strengths, difficulties / challenges and developmental history.

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Step 4: Assessment

Your child will then attend the assessment session with the assessing psychologist. The number and type of assessments required will be tailored to your child’s individual concerns and needs and will be informed by the initial intake session. Assessments are conducted in a relaxed environment using standardised tools.

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Step 5: Deep Dive

Your psychologist will then take a deep dive, spending many hours reviewing your intake and assessment sessions thoroughly and completely. They will then formulate your written report, recommendations and feedback session.

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Step 6: Feedback and Report

A feedback session will be scheduled approximately 2-4 weeks after completion of the assessment. In this session, your psychologist will provide you with a written report and verbal explanation of the assessment results and recommendations.

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Assessment Information

Our assessments are comprehensive, use validated psychometric assessment tools, and include practical evidence-based recommendations for next steps. Early intervention is key to obtaining the best results for each individual, which is why most assessments are conducted with children. We know that this can be a daunting process for all involved, so we have put together some information below for children and their caregivers in understanding the process.

Who administers the assessment and how is it done?

All of our assessments are conducted by qualified and experienced psychologists who are registered with the Psychology Board of Australia through AHPRA. The psychologist conducting the assessment has undergone extensive training in administering, scoring, and interpreting the tools used. Most of our assessments are delivered using digital platforms – this means that you may be sent questionnaires to fill out at home using an electronic device, or the psychologist may get you to come into the clinic where you will use a tablet to complete the assessment.

What does an assessment involve and how long does it take?

The assessment process is different for each child depending on a number of things such as what the clinician is investigating, previous assessments completed, or the child’s capacity to sit through the assessment. All of our assessments are comprehensive and use Gold Standard validated tools. An assessment session typically lasts anywhere from 1.5-4 hours. We know that 4 hours can be a long time for a child to sit through, so this includes breaks and strategies to assist with focussing. If the clinician observes that the child’s capacity to sit through the assessment has diminished, or that they are not getting the best results from the child, the session will be ceased, and the remainder rebooked for another time. Below are the most common tools we use; however, from time to time, the clinician may also recommend adding other screening questionnaires or tools to assist in the assessment process. Cognitive/educational: Weschler suite of products including WISC-V, WAIS-IV, and WIAT-III A&NZ. ADHD: Weschler suite of products and Conners-4. Autism Spectrum Disorder: ADI-R, ADOS-2, Sensory Profile 2, and Vineland.

What should I tell my child about the assessment?

Children can become very anxious if they hear the word ‘test’, which is why we like to use the word ‘assessment’ instead. Throughout the assessment process, it is important for your child to know that there is no passing or failing the assessment, even if some of the questions or tasks are really tricky. Rather, the purpose is to find out what they are good at and what they might need some more help with. It may be helpful to let your child know that they will be participating in a range of different activities – some of which may be similar to what they do at school, and some that may involve playing games or solving puzzles. A lot of children find that the activities are quite fun!

My child does not like to be away from me, can I stay in the room?

Most of the assessments require that the parent wait outside the assessment room in order to obtain a valid result. In very extreme cases, you can discuss your child’s circumstances with the psychologist, and they will talk you through different options available. However, for some assessments (particularly with younger children) it may be a requirement for a caregiver to remain in the room. If this is the case, the psychologist will inform you before the day of the assessment.

What should I do the night before?

It is important for children to stick to their normal routine and get a good sleep the night before the assessment. If your child is worried about the assessment, it may be helpful to acknowledge their feelings and assure them that the psychologist will do everything they can to make it a comfortable and enjoyable experience. It may also be helpful to arrange a reward for your child for their hard work, which they can look forward to after the session.

What should I do the morning of?

Before attending their assessment session, your child should eat a healthy breakfast. If your child takes medication, make sure you inform the psychologist when you arrive. It is important that your child takes all medication as usual, or one hour before the session for stimulant medication. Try to plan ahead and leave enough time for travel to ensure that the morning can be as relaxed as possible.

What should I bring to the assessment?

Children are encouraged to dress in comfortable clothing and footwear. We ask that caregivers pack water and a healthy snack for their child to consume during break times. It is also important to bring any aids that your child uses, such as glasses or hearing devices.

What happens once the assessment is completed?

Once the final assessment has been completed, a feedback session will be scheduled approximately 2-4 weeks later. In this session, the psychologist will provide you with a written report and verbal explanation of the assessment results. The psychologist will then walk you through their list of recommendations. This is also a time for you to ask any questions you may have about the results. However, we know that the initial feedback session can be overwhelming, so we offer a second feedback session for those who would like one, where clarifying questions can be asked, and recommendations further discussed. In addition, the psychologist is also available to discuss your child’s assessment, outcomes, and recommendations with their school through case conferences or phone meetings.

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Second Feedback Session

We offer a second feedback session as we understand how overwhelming all this new information can be. This provides you the time to process your written report and initial feedback session, and then return to ask clarifying questions and further discuss the strategies and recommendations. Loved ones are welcome to join this session if you would find this helpful.

Liaison with schools

In the case of child assessments, the assessing Psychologist is available to discuss your child’s assessment, outcomes and recommendations with their school. We offer case-conferences with yourself, your child’s teacher and any other relevant school and health professionals. We are also able to liaise with your school via email and phone / online meetings.

Online Self-Paced 8 Week Course

With over 40 years combined experience, join the collaboration of three highly experienced psychologists and practice owners: Tehani Gunasekara, Karen Martin and Melissa Johnson on an 8-week journey. This course will provide you with education, strategies and practical tips aimed to improve problems in study, jobs and career, at home, in the family and other relationships, and with tasks of daily living.

Join the waitlist by emailing: hello@projectwellbeing.net

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a GP Referral?

You don’t need a GP referral for an assessment. However, we do recommend discussing any concerns you have about yourself or your child’s health or functioning with your GP as it is always helpful to have your GP involved in your health concerns.

How much will it cost?

The cost of an assessment varies depending on your child’s needs and reasons for referral. So please call us to discuss.

Are you ready to take the next step?

Our client support team is available to support you with questions and enquiries. Booking your appointment is easy, call us on (02) 9136 0481 or click here to complete our online form.

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Child and Adolescent Assessment Services