Navigating assessments for autism and ADHD can be overwhelming, whether you’re seeking answers for yourself or a loved one. Understanding the process and what to expect can help to alleviate much of the uncertainty. In this blog, we’ll address some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about autism and ADHD assessments to provide greater clarity and guidance. Whether you’re at the beginning stages of considering an assessment or deep into the process, we aim to equip you with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. Let’s dive in!
What does an assessment involve?
An assessment protocol (i.e., the steps or tools involved in an assessment process) can differ depending on the age of the person being assessed, in addition to what they are being assessed for (autism, ADHD or both). However, all assessments involve at minimum at least one individual interview with the person being assessed. For those under 18 years of age, an interview would also be conducted with a parent, guardian, or the person who best knows the young person. A series of questionnaires (usually completed online between assessment appointments), an assessment report, and a feedback session also are generally part of the assessment. Collateral information is also often collected, this might be from a teacher, partner, or another important person in your life.
How long is each session?
Most assessment sessions are 90 minutes in length. This is to ensure that as much of or all of the assessment can be completed during this time, that there is minimum disruption to your work or school schedule, and to reduce any potential anxiety around transitions. Feedback sessions are usually 50 minutes in length.
Why are there so many sessions? Can’t it be done in one sitting?
There are a couple of reasons the assessment is conducted over multiple sessions. The main one is that, as psychologists, we base our approach on what is known as evidence-based practice (that is, what the science and research tells us is the best approach) as well as the Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Australia. The best evidence demonstrates that to assess someone comprehensively and accurately, several different assessment tools should be used to help determine whether autism or ADHD (or both) best describes a person’s lived experience. While a full assessment could technically be completed in one sitting, it would take the entire day and become exhausting for both the assessor and the individual being assessed.
What are the questionnaires for?
The questionnaires help us to get important information about an individual’s strengths and challenges. They also help us to look at different areas of focus (for example, attention vs. everyday functioning) and compare this across different respondents (such as spouse, parent, or teacher). At Q Psychology, we only use questionnaires that have strong scientific evidence regarding their reliability and validity.
If I’m a parent, should I attend each session with my young person? Can I attend each session if I want to?
Parents are not required to attend their young person’s assessment sessions, however, they can elect to attend if their child states they would prefer this or the child experience distress when separated. In the case of a cognitive assessment parents are normally asked to wait outside while their child completes the assessment.
Can I get a Medicare rebate from assessment sessions?
If you are under 25 years of age and have a referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician that outlines a request for a “Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder assessment”, then yes, you are eligible for Medicare rebates. Please note these rebates are only available for assessments that include autism (e.g., assessment of autism alone, or the autism-related components of a combined autism and ADHD assessment).
A maximum of four rebates are available per referral. Should you require more than four assessment sessions you can return to your referring doctor and obtain a re-referral for another four sessions (total of 8 are available). Unfortunately, at this time, Medicare rebates are not available to individuals 25 years of age or over requesting assessment, or for ADHD alone assessments.
What is the report at the end for? What can I do with it?
The report at the end of the assessment is the official document outlining the outcome of the assessment. The report provides a detailed summary of the background information you have shared, the results of the assessment tools completed, and the overall outcome of the assessment based on these. If applicable, the report will also include an overview of whether you meet DSM-5-TR criteria for diagnosis/es. In the event that you do not meet criteria, your clinician will help you to understand in detail why this was the case and what other condition(s) may best describe your experience instead).
Reports also include helpful recommendations tailored to an individual’s support needs that can then be shared with caregivers, teachers, workplaces, or other important people. Reports are important to ensure that the information from an assessment is collated and interpreted together in one document. Where eligible, reports can help to provide evidence in support of access to services or applications for funding (e.g., NDIS, an aide at school).
How long will it take to get the report?
A: Once all the information for an individual’s assessment has been collected, we generally aim for a turnaround time of 6-8 weeks. However, this may extended in certain circumstances (such as your clinician requiring more information to support the report). In these rare instances, your clinician will be in contact with you to provide an update of the report’s delay and a new estimated wait time for this to be finalised.
Can I access NDIS if I get a diagnosis?
At present, individuals who receive an autism diagnosis are eligible to apply for NDIS (those who receive a diagnosis of ADHD are not eligible). This is sometimes also dependent on receiving sign-off and conformation of a formal diagnosis from another professional. This does not guarantee access to NDIS, only eligibility to apply. In some cases, NDIS will ask for more information to determine your ‘level’ of disability and request something called a ‘Functional Capacity Assessment’, which can be completed by an Occupational Therapist.
Do you need extra information? Such as school reports, letters from friends or family, etc.
Your clinician will generally advise you if there is additional or specific information that they require as part of the assessment. However, if you happen to have this information readily available and feel that it would benefit the assessment, please feel free to send this through prior to the assessment.
What does a feedback session involve?
A feedback session involves a 50-minute consultation guiding you through the assessment report and helping you to understand the results, outcomes, and recommendations in more detail. It is also a great opportunity to ask your clinician any questions related to the report or work through any feelings you might have about this.
Are you able to prescribe medication?
Psychologists are unable to prescribe medication as they are not medical doctors. A psychiatrist, however, is a medical doctor who specialises in psychology and can therefore prescribe medication.
Should I get assessed by a psychologist or psychiatrist? What’s the difference?
This depends on what your goals are for the assessment process. While both a psychologist and a psychiatrist are qualified to complete assessments for both ADHD and autism, there are some key differences in the approaches and outcomes of each. For example, psychiatrists typically provide briefer assessment options, while psychologists will provide a more detailed overview that captures a person’s support needs and provides individual psychosocial recommendations. Conversely, a psychiatrist can provide medication if this is deemed appropriate, whereas a psychologist cannot. A psychiatrist may therefore be the preferred option if you are wanting to directly enquire about medication, whereas a psychologist may be chosen if seeking a comprehensive assessment that can also explore the nuance of internalised (masked) or non-stereotypical presentations of ADHD or autism. Q Psychology are proudly neuro-affirming and offer assessments that subscribe to the neurodiversity-affirming paradigm and social model of disability.
Who at Q Psychology can provide these assessments?
Although any trained psychologist is qualified to provide autism and ADHD assessments, it’s important they have extra specialised training specifically in this area. The psychologists who are trained to provide autism and ADHD assessments at Q Psychology are: Dr. David Demmer, Emily Alexander, Rene Pirrotta, Holly Pretorius, Caroline D’Souza, Alyssa Cvetkovski, Leroy Maronian, and Halo Jones.
Specific information about autism and ADHD assessments at Q Psychology can be found on our assessments page.
