Yes. Our psychologists assess adults as well as children and teenagers. Adult assessments rely more on your own account of your life, so you will be asked about school years, friendships, work history and sensory experience. Where possible, a parent, sibling or partner contributes information about your early development. Many adults seek assessment after a child or relative is diagnosed and they recognise themselves in the process.

Autism can be assessed from around two years of age, though the tools and approach change with age. For very young children, more of the information comes from parent interview and observation of play. For school-aged children, teacher input becomes important. If your child is very young and the picture is still unclear, your psychologist may recommend reviewing again after a period of development.

An autism assessment answers one specific question: does this presentation meet the criteria for autism spectrum disorder. A developmental assessment looks more broadly at how a child is tracking across language, motor skills, learning, play and social development, without targeting a single diagnosis. If you are unsure which one fits, our psychologists can help you decide at your first appointment.

You still get answers. Your report sets out what was measured, what was found, and what better explains the difficulties you described. That often points to something specific and treatable, such as anxiety, language difficulty, sensory sensitivity or a learning disorder. Recommendations are included either way, so you leave with practical next steps rather than a dead end.

A diagnosis alone does not guarantee NDIS access. The NDIS looks at how much your daily function is affected, not only the diagnostic label. A detailed assessment report that documents functional impact is a key part of an application. Your psychologist can write the report with this in mind, and can explain what other evidence the NDIS usually asks for.

Yes, and it is common. Autism and ADHD frequently co-occur, and the traits can look similar from the outside: difficulty with routine, social difficulty, and distress when overwhelmed. Because the support strategies differ, it is worth identifying both. Our psychologists screen for ADHD traits during an autism assessment and will tell you if a separate ADHD assessment is worth doing.