Access Psych offers comprehensive Autism and ADHD assessments for adults*. These assessments are typically offered via telehealth by appropriately qualified clinicians, and can also be provided face-to-face in certain locations.
Following the assessment, you will receive a diagnostic report including recommendations for potential strategies and supports. For many people, receiving a diagnosis can enable self-compassion, validation and/or understanding by both self and others. It can also provide access to needed support, and development of strategies for managing daily challenges.
*If you are seeking assessment for a young person (under 18 years), please contact us to discuss options.
What is the assessment process?
Initially, you will be offered a 30-minute intake session to answer any questions you might have and determine if further assessment is right for you at this time. As part of this, you will be asked to provide detailed background information and screening questionnaires which your clinician will view prior to the session.
The assessment itself includes completing further questionnaires and participating in a diagnostic interview with your clinician. Where possible, we also try to gain information via questionnaire or interview from a person who knows you well, so that we have information from your perspective and from that of another person.
You will be offered a feedback session to discuss your results, to aid understanding and interpretation of the written report, which is sent after the feedback session.
Please note: If you are seeking ADHD assessment to access ADHD medication, the assessment will need to involve a psychiatrist. If you are seeking documentation as part of an NDIS application, this requires an additional Functional Capacity Assessment. At the time of booking, Access Psych will advise you on possible options.
How much does it cost?
The cost of an assessment reflects the amount of time it takes for a clinician to complete a comprehensive assessment and prepare a detailed report. The price will be confirmed after your intake appointment. We aim to keep fees as low as possible.
Assessment | Fee estimate (ex GST) |
| ADHD or Autism | $2,000 (total of $2,250 including intake fee*) |
| Combined Assessment | $2,500 (total of $2,750 including intake fee*) |
*$250 Intake fee (required for all assessments, may be waived for existing clients or EAP clients who can incorporate intake into their session packs)
Please note: Employee Assistance Services (EAP) and Compensation Schemes do not typically cover the cost of these assessments, nor are they eligible for Medicare rebate.
For further information or to book your assessment
Please complete our
easy online booking form
Please call us on 03 8602 7373
to talk to our friendly team
Please email us via
assessments@accesspsych.com.au
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about ADHD
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is currently classed as a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterised by difficulties with attention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity which adversely affect a person’s functioning in important areas of life such as psychological wellbeing, education/employment, socialising and relationships; it tends to run in families. However, it is increasingly understood as different brain type (neurotype) characterised by lifelong differences in attentional, emotional, cognitive, behavioural regulation, and time perception, underpinned by a brain motivated by novelty, interest and urgency. These traits can adversely influence a person’s activities and participation in a majority non-ADHD society, but also lead to areas of strength including a greater ability to hyperfocus and acquire skills and knowledge in areas of interest more quickly than non-ADHD individuals.
How are adults tested for ADHD?
There are Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) developed by AADPA.
Access Psych’s assessment process follows these guidelines, including:
- Initial screening to determine if further assessment of ADHD is warranted
- Comprehensive assessment including clinical interview and questionnaires
- Analysis of assessment findings to determine if a person meets diagnostic criteria for ADHD, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM–5–TR)
- Consideration of alternative or additional diagnoses
Who can diagnose ADHD in adults?
Any suitably qualified and trained mental health clinician can diagnose ADHD. This can include psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health social workers. Provisional psychologists can also conduct assessments and diagnose ADHD under supervision.
Access Psych ensures that all its clinicians have undertaken suitable training in ADHD assessment and receive regular supervision.
What are the signs or symptoms of ADHD in adults?
ADHD is currently assessed against a set of diagnostic criteria laid out within the DSM-5-TR, which defines the behavioural symptoms of attentional difficulties, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. There are inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or combined presentations of ADHD, and categorisation of severity based on a number of symptoms. A diagnosis of ADHD is suggested when these traits negatively impact functioning in several areas including psychological, social, academic, occupational, and activities of daily living and leisure.
However, our understanding of ADHD is advancing towards conceiving it as a different brain type (neurotype). This neuroaffirming model includes appreciation of ADHD as a neurotype characterised by lifelong differences in attentional, emotional, cognitive, behavioural regulation, and time perception, underpinned by a brain motivated by novelty, interest and urgency. These differences in self-regulation may lead to significant mental health challenges, distress, or challenges in daily life and relationships because of the expectations on the person to behave in non-ADHD ways, not because there is anything inherently wrong with the person.
Are the symptoms of ADHD different for women?
ADHD has typically been underdiagnosed in women, because the diagnostic criteria were developed based on a classic, male presentation of ADHD, and because it was incorrectly believed to affect more men than women.
Women may present with a more inattentive presentation of ADHD, which can be less obvious to other people. They may also be better at ‘masking’ – that is hiding their ADHD traits to appear non-ADHD. However, masking often leads to exhaustion, burn out and mental health challenges, and many ADHD people are now seeking out communities of other ADHD people where they can safely unmask and practice being their authentic selves.
Clinicians are getting better at identifying ADHD in women, and non-binary people.
Why is it important to be tested for ADHD?
Undiagnosed ADHD is often a source of significant trauma, substance use and poor mental health, and people may feel defective in some way because of their struggles.
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis can lead to feelings of relief as well as validation and increased self-compassion, as well as access to medication to ease symptoms. Receiving diagnosis later in life can also precipitate a range of other emotions including grief and other complicated feelings related to how life may have been different if they had received a diagnosis earlier.
There are more public figures who have spoken openly about having ADHD, which means that people have role models to look up such as Chloe Hayden, an Australian Autistic and ADHD actor and advocate.
How do you treat ADHD in adults?
There are Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for ADHD developed by AADPA. Some people choose to access a psychiatrist to explore whether medication will help ease their symptoms.
Frequently asked questions about Autism
What is Autism?
Autism is a different brain type that is more motivated by interest and information gathering/sharing than a non-Autistic brain. This is underpinned by differences in neural connectivity (hyperconnectivity in some brain areas, and hypoconnectivity in other areas) which can also lead to more/less sensory sensitivity, greater need for routine and/or repetitive movements to self-regulate, and deeper focus on a smaller range of interest compared to a non-Autistic brain, which can lead to experiences of intense joy.
Some Autistic people have a stronger drive for autonomy and fairness than non-Autistic people. Autism tends to run in families.
How are adults tested for Autism?
In Australia, there is a national guideline for the assessment and diagnosis of Autism, developed by Autism CRC. Access Psych’s assessment process follows these guidelines, which includes:
- Initial screening to determine if further assessment of Autism is warranted
- Comprehensive assessment including clinical interview and questionnaires
- Analysis of assessment findings to determine if a person meets diagnostic criteria for Autism, as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM–5–TR)
- Consideration of alternative or additional diagnoses
Who can diagnose Autism in adults?
Any suitably qualified and trained mental health clinician can diagnose Autism. This can include psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health social workers. Provisional psychologists can also conduct assessments and diagnose Autism under supervision.
Access Psych ensures that all its clinicians have undertaken suitable training in Autism assessment and receive regular supervision.
What are the signs or symptoms of Autism in adults?
Current understanding of Autism recognises that it is a different brain type (neurotype), not a disorder, and that there are a wide range of different presentations of Autism. This has led to the saying “If you know one person with Autism, you know one person with Autism.”
Currently, Autism is assessed against a medical model, the DSM-5-TR, which defines the symptoms of Autism as lifelong, impactful difficulties in social reciprocity, non-verbal communication, as well as developing, sustaining, and understanding relationships, with repetitive behaviours, rigidity, narrow range of interests and/or sensory hyper- or hypo-sensitivity.
This has led to stigma, discrimination, misunderstanding, and under recognition of Autistic individuals, because many Autistic people do not identify with this description of their identities.
A more neuroaffirming view of Autism is that it is a neurotype characterised by lifelong differences (not deficits) in social communication, prioritising of verbal over non-verbal communication, greater ease in relationships with other Autistic people, as well as sensory differences, deep or special interests (Spins), and use of routines and /or repetitive movements “stims” to self-regulate.
These differences may lead to significant mental health challenges, distress, or challenges in daily life because of the expectations on the person to behave in non-Autistic ways, not because there is anything inherently wrong with the person.
Are the symptoms of Autism different for women?
Autism has typically been underdiagnosed in women, because the diagnostic criteria were developed based on a classic, male presentation of Autism, and because it was incorrectly believed to affect more men than women.
Women may also be better at ‘masking’ – that is hiding their Autistic traits to appear non-Autistic. However, masking often leads to exhaustion, burn out and mental health challenges, and many Autistic people are now seeking out communities of other Autistic people where they can safely unmask and practice being their authentic selves.
Clinicians are getting better at identifying Autism in women and non-binary people. Diversity in gender identity and sexuality is known to occur at higher rates in Autistic people compared to non-Autistic people.
Why is it important to be tested for Autism?
Undiagnosed neurodivergence is often a source of significant trauma and poor mental health for Autistic people, who may feel defective in some way because of their struggles.
Receiving an Autism diagnosis can lead to feelings of relief as well as validation and increased self-compassion, but many Autistic people receiving a diagnosis later in life also experience a range of other emotions including grief and other complicated feelings related to how life may have been different if they had received a diagnosis earlier.
There are more public figures who have spoken openly about Autism, which means that Autistic people have role models to look up to, such as Chloe Hayden, an Australian Autistic and ADHD actor and advocate.
What is Asperger’s Syndrome?
Aspergers Syndrome was a previous category in the diagnostic manual that was removed in 2013, and replaced by the term Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It was considered to be a milder type of Autism. It was named after a doctor called Hans Asperger who in 1944 noticed behavioural manifestations of Autism in a small number of children. Asperger has since been linked to Nazi Eugenics programs relating to the murder of disabled children, hence use of the term Asperger’s Syndrome is generally now avoided, although some Autistic individuals who previously received this diagnosis do still choose to use it.
Currently, the term Autistic is preferred by most Autistic people as it avoids reference to the neurotype as a disorder and captures the central nature Autism plays in identify formation that many Autistic people experience.
What is the Autism spectrum?
The term Autism Spectrum or Autism Spectrum Disorder has typically been used to refer to the range of functioning of Autistic people. This is now thought of in terms of the range of support needs of Autistic People.
It has also been misunderstood and taken to mean that “everyone is somewhere on the spectrum/ we’re all a little bit Autistic” which is not accurate. As awareness of Autism grows, many people now think about Autism beyond even a spectrum, to something akin to a colour wheel, as a way of attempting to capture the uniqueness of every Autistic person’s experience.
How do you treat Autism in adults?
Autism is not a disorder; therefore, it is not a condition to be treated. However, Autistic people often require support and accommodations to enable them to embrace their identity and live well in a non-Autistic world.
People with Autism often also have other types of neurodivergence such as ADHD and/or giftedness as well as physical and mental health conditions for which they need support.