ASD Assessments in Perth
At AAP, we provide clinical psychology and speech pathology autism assessment services and believe an assessment that combines the knowledge of assessors across both disciplines is critical to an accurate assessment and the best outcome and recommendations for the children and young people we see.
We accept referrals for an ASD assessment from Paediatricians and Psychiatrists. From 2022, AAP will also accept referrals directly from parents where concerns are evident and supported by another professional, such as a day care educator, teacher, school psychologist, general practitioner, other medical specialist or therapist working with your child (e.g., speech pathologist, psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist).
Our assessment process
Our assessment process allows us to collect information about children across different environments and includes:
- Working directly with the individual, typically using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) which is a semi-structured, play-based (depending on age) assessment tool, or the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum (MIGDAS-2) which is a sensory-based approach to diagnosing autism.
- Gaining an understanding of the individual’s skills and challenges in the home environment through the use of parent questionnaires and a parent interview.
- Identifying an individual’s skills and challenges in day care and/or school, or work environments through the use of a questionnaires and at times direct observation in these environments for children.
- Gaining relevant information from other medical and/or therapy professionals who may be working or have a history with the child.
If required, cognitive or language assessment may also form a part of the assessment.
Much of the information collection is completed prior to the individual’s appointment with the assessors. As such, we may be able to provide the family with feedback regarding the outcome of the assessment on the day, following a short break for the assessors to consult with each other. If this is not possible, a feedback time will be scheduled within days of the assessment appointment
A written report is provided, which we aim to complete within 10-15 working days
Fees
Child Fees
The fees for combined Clinical Psychology and Speech Pathology ASD assessments are as follows:
Should cognitive and/or formal language assessment or a school visit be required the additional fees added will be charged at a rate of $150 per hour. Children who have not been seen by a paediatrician or psychiatrist will also be screened and/or assessed for other developmental concerns including for things such as global developmental delay and ADHD. This extra requirement accounts for the additional cost.
A 10% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking and the remaining fees are due on the day of the appointment
- Session 1 involves administration of the ADOS-2 or MIGDAS-2 and structured observation of your child which will take approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete.
- Session 2 usually takes place after session 1 (usually the following day) and involves a structured clinical interview with parents. This is an opportunity for you to give as much detailed information as possible about your concerns for your child. In some instances arrangements may be made for this to occur prior to session 1.
- Session 3 occurs if required and involves a school visit to observe your child or assess their cognitive or language skills if necessary.
- Session 4 involves consultation between therapists and a detailed feedback session for the family. Sometimes this can happen on the day of assessment at other times we aim to do this as soon as possible following our consultation process.
- Families are then provided with feedback either in person or via telehealth and a comprehensive report.