CLINICAL SERVICES
Child & Adolescent Psychological Assessments
Available from Term 4, 2026 | Ages: 2-17 years
Building Better Brains is pleased to introduce a specialist in house Child & Adolescent Psychological Assessment Service, providing comprehensive assessment for children and teenagers across a range of developmental, educational, learning, behavioural and neurodevelopmental presentations.
Our assessment approach looks beyond a diagnostic label to understand the whole child: their strengths, challenges, developmental profile, learning needs, emotional wellbeing and the environments in which they are most successful.
Assessment reports provide families with greater clarity and practical recommendations that can assist with home, school, learning, therapy and support planning.
Not sure whether your child needs a full assessment? That’s okay. Our team can help you work out which option may be the most appropriate starting point.
Cost: Approximately $650
Ages: 2-17 years
Not sure whether your child needs a comprehensive ADHD assessment?
The ADHD Screening Consultation is designed for families who have concerns about their child’s attention, impulsivity, activity levels, emotional regulation or general functioning, but aren’t sure whether a full assessment is the right next step.
This can be a helpful first step when you want to better understand your child’s current presentation before deciding whether further assessment is needed.
What does it include?
The screening consultation includes:
- A detailed discussion with parents or caregivers about your concerns
- An age-appropriate interview or observation with your child or adolescent
- Exploration of your child’s developmental, medical, educational and family history
- Discussion of how your child’s difficulties are affecting them at home, at school and in other settings
- ADHD screening questionnaires completed by parents and, where appropriate, teachers
- Autism screening where there are relevant concerns about social communication, sensory differences, repetitive behaviours, restricted interests or rigidity
- Consideration of other factors that may contribute to your child’s presentation, such as anxiety, learning difficulties, sleep difficulties, trauma or emotional distress
- Discussion of the screening results and what they may mean for your child
- Recommendations about whether further ADHD, autism, cognitive, academic or other assessment may be appropriate
- A brief written summary of the screening outcomes and recommendations
Is this a diagnostic assessment?
No. The screening consultation is a preliminary screening service and does not provide a diagnosis of ADHD or autism.
Screening questionnaires are not designed to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. Instead, they provide information that can help determine whether a more comprehensive assessment may be appropriate.
Where the screening results, clinical history and your child’s functional difficulties indicate that further investigation would be helpful, your psychologist will discuss the next steps with you.
Medicare & Private Health Insurance rebates
Medicare rebates may be available for eligible psychological services where referral and Medicare requirements are met. A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not automatically cover psychological assessment packages. Please check your eligibility with your GP and confirm rebate arrangements with our practice before booking. Private health insurance rebates may also apply depending on your level of cover.
Cost: Approximately $1,500
Ages: 2-17 years
A comprehensive ADHD assessment provides a detailed look at your child’s attention, activity levels, impulsivity, executive functioning and everyday experiences to determine whether their presentation is consistent with ADHD.
The assessment also considers the broader picture of your child’s development and functioning. This is important because difficulties with attention, behaviour or emotional regulation can have a range of contributing factors, and ADHD can also occur alongside other conditions.
What does the assessment involve?
Your child’s assessment may include:
- A detailed clinical and developmental interview with parents or caregivers
- An age-appropriate clinical interview with your child or adolescent
- Exploration of your child’s development, health, education, family and social history
- Assessment of ADHD symptoms, including when they began, how often they occur and how they affect everyday functioning
- Information from parents or caregivers and teachers to understand how your child is functioning across different settings
- Review of relevant school reports, previous assessments and medical or allied health information
- Standardised assessment questionnaires and measures appropriate to your child’s age and presentation
- Consideration of other factors that may contribute to or occur alongside ADHD, including anxiety, depression, trauma, learning difficulties, sleep difficulties and autism-related characteristics
- A feedback appointment to discuss the assessment findings and recommendations
- A comprehensive written psychological report
What assessment measures might be used?
Assessment measures are selected based on your child’s age and individual presentation.
- The Conners 4 may be used as a primary ADHD assessment measure, with parent, teacher and self-report forms selected according to the young person’s age.
- Other measures may include the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scales or Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) where appropriate.
- The CPT-3 may also be used as a performance-based measure of attention, impulsivity and response control when clinically appropriate.
Your psychologist will determine which measures are most appropriate for your child rather than using the same assessment battery for every child.
What happens after the assessment?
Once the assessment is complete, you will meet with your psychologist for a feedback appointment.
This provides an opportunity to:
- Understand the assessment findings
- Ask questions about what the results mean for your child
- Discuss a diagnosis where appropriate
- Identify your child’s strengths as well as areas of difficulty
- Discuss practical recommendations for home, school and other settings
- Consider whether further assessment, referrals or support may be helpful
You will also receive a comprehensive written psychological report.
With your consent, this report can be shared with your child’s GP, paediatrician, school or other relevant professionals.
Medicare & Private Health Insurance rebates
Medicare rebates may be available for eligible psychological services where referral and Medicare requirements are met. A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not automatically cover psychological assessment packages. Please check your eligibility with your GP and confirm rebate arrangements with our practice before booking. Private health insurance rebates may also apply depending on your level of cover.
Cost: Approximately $1,150
Ages: 6-17 years
The WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition) is a cognitive assessment for school-aged children and adolescents.
It can help parents and professionals better understand how a child thinks, learns and processes information, including their individual strengths and areas where they may need additional support.
When might a WISC-V assessment be helpful?
A cognitive assessment may be helpful when you have questions about your child’s:
- Learning and academic progress
- Cognitive strengths and areas of difficulty
- Ability to understand and process information
- Working memory and attention
- Processing speed
- Problem-solving and reasoning
- Classroom learning needs
- Educational support requirements
A WISC-V can provide a detailed picture of your child’s cognitive profile and may help identify areas where they are likely to thrive, as well as areas where additional support or adjustments may be helpful.
What does the assessment involve?
The assessment includes a range of age-appropriate activities designed to look at different aspects of cognitive functioning.
The WISC-V looks at areas including:
- Verbal comprehension: understanding and using language to express ideas and answer questions
- Visual-spatial skills: understanding and working with visual information
- Fluid reasoning: identifying patterns, making connections and solving new problems
- Working memory: holding and working with information in the moment
- Processing speed: taking in and responding to information efficiently
What’s included?
Our WISC-V Cognitive Assessment Package includes:
- An initial consultation and clinical history
- Administration of the WISC-V
- Standardised scoring and interpretation
- Consideration of your child’s individual cognitive strengths and areas of difficulty
- A comprehensive written psychological report
- Individualised recommendations for learning and educational support
- A feedback session to discuss the findings and recommendations
What happens after the assessment?
Following the assessment, you will have an opportunity to meet with your psychologist to discuss your child’s results and ask questions about what they mean.
The assessment findings can help provide a clearer understanding of your child’s individual learning profile, including areas of strength and areas where they may benefit from additional support.
With your consent, the report can also be shared with your child’s school, GP, paediatrician or other relevant professionals to help inform appropriate support and educational planning.
Medicare & Private Health Insurance rebates
Medicare rebates may be available for eligible psychological services where referral and Medicare requirements are met. A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not automatically cover psychological assessment packages. Please check your eligibility with your GP and confirm rebate arrangements with our practice before booking. Private health insurance rebates may also apply depending on your level of cover.
Who can access these services?
We welcome:
Private/self-funded clients
Families can access assessments directly without needing to be NDIS participants.
NDIS participants
NDIS self-managed and plan-managed participants are welcome, subject to the relevant funding arrangements and plan requirements.
Families seeking school support
Assessment reports can provide useful information to assist families and schools to understand learning, developmental and support needs.
Referrals from health and allied health professionals
We welcome referrals and collaboration with GPs, paediatricians, psychiatrists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, schools and other professionals involved in a child’s care.
Our assessments are conducted by Nasim D’Alberti, Psychologist and Senior Counsellor. She brings a compassionate, collaborative and strengths-based approach.
Nasim has more than 20 years of experience across health and community settings, including child and family therapy, counselling, case management, education and wellbeing.
Nasim’s philosophy towards psychology and counselling is that everyone deserves respect, empathy and to be heard, her priority is to provide a space that is safe and free from judgement. Nasim believes in supporting client’s to draw on their internal resources and develop practical strategies to respond to the world around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ages can you assess?
We offer child and adolescent ADHD assessment for young people aged 2-17 years.
Does my child need a referral?
A referral is not necessary, however, we welcome referrals and collaboration with GPs, paediatricians, psychiatrists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, schools and other professionals involved in a child’s care.
Are Medicare rebates available?
Some psychological services may attract a Medicare rebate where the relevant Medicare eligibility, referral and service requirements are met.
Medicare rebates under the Better Access initiative are subject to eligibility requirements and relate to eligible mental health treatment services. A Mental Health Treatment Plan does not automatically mean that a psychological assessment package will attract a Medicare rebate. Families are encouraged to discuss eligibility with their GP and confirm rebate arrangements with our practice before commencing an assessment.
Private health insurance rebates may also be available depending on individual policies and levels of cover.
How long does an assessment take?
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I'm not sure which assessment my child needs?
You don’t need to know which assessment to book before contacting us.
Our team can ask a few questions about your child’s age, current concerns and what you are hoping to understand through assessment. We can then help you determine the most appropriate starting point.
Do you observe children at school?
School observations are not routinely included in the assessment. Where a school observation or extensive school liaison is clinically recommended, this can be discussed with your psychologist and may incur an additional fee.
Will you need information from my child's teacher?
Teacher information can be an important part of understanding how a child is functioning across different environments. Where appropriate, we may ask your child’s teacher to complete questionnaires or provide relevant information.
Can I give the report to my child's school or paediatrician?
Yes. With your consent, your child’s psychological report can be shared with their school, GP, paediatrician or other relevant professionals.
What happens if further assessment is recommended?
Your psychologist will explain why further assessment may be helpful and discuss the available options with you. This may include ADHD, autism, cognitive, academic or other assessment depending on your child’s individual presentation.
What happens if my child doesn't meet criteria for ADHD?
The assessment can still provide useful information about your child’s strengths, difficulties and factors that may be contributing to their presentation, with recommendations for appropriate next steps.
Do you provide autism assessments?
We’re looking to start providing autism assessments in 2027. Please contact our friendly team at enquiries@buildingbetterbrains.com.au to be added to our waitlist.
Enquire about our Psychological Assessments now!
