Autism Assessments
Understanding how a person experiences the world, and what support will help.
If you or someone you care about has always found social situations, change or sensory environments harder than others seem to, an autism assessment can help you understand why, and what will help.
Our psychologists provide comprehensive autism assessments that look at the whole person across home, school, work and community. You’ll receive clear findings, a diagnosis where it applies, and recommendations you can put into practice.
What Is Autism?
Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference in how a person communicates, relates to others and experiences the world around them. Every autistic person is different, with their own strengths and challenges.
Autism can affect:
Social communication
Understanding and using conversation, tone, body language and unspoken social rules.
Relationships
Making and keeping friendships, and working out what others think or expect.
Routines and change
Relying on predictability, and finding unexpected change stressful.
Interests
Deep, focused interests that can be a real source of strength and enjoyment.
Sensory experiences
Being over- or under-sensitive to sound, light, touch, taste or smell.
Many people, especially adults, women and girls, are not identified until later in life because they learn to mask or camouflage their differences, often at a high personal cost.
Who Is an Autism Assessment For?
An assessment may be worth considering if you or your child:
- Have long-standing difficulty with social communication or relationships
- Find change, transitions or sensory environments very hard to manage
- Feel exhausted from trying to fit in, or have always felt different from others
- Have been told autism might be part of the picture
- Need clear documentation for school adjustments, workplace supports or NDIS planning
We assess children, adolescents and adults. We’ll talk through your situation when you get in touch.
What the Assessment Involves
There is no single test for autism. A reliable assessment brings together several sources of information.
Developmental History
A detailed look at early development, including communication, play, relationships and behaviour. Because autism is present from early childhood, early history matters, even when assessing adults.
Clinical Interview
A conversation with the person and, where relevant, parents or caregivers, about current strengths, challenges and how they affect daily life.
Standardised Assessment Tools
Recognised questionnaires and structured activities that show how social communication, interests and sensory experiences present.
Observation
We observe communication and interaction to understand the person’s experience first-hand.
Information From Others
With your consent, we may seek input from teachers, employers, GPs or other professionals to see how things show up in different environments.
Additional Testing (Where Needed)
Where it helps, we may assess cognitive abilities, language or emotional wellbeing to build a fuller picture or rule other explanations in or out.
How It Works
Get in touch.
Make a referral or call our team. We’ll talk through your concerns and confirm the right assessment.
Intake and information gathering.
We collect background details and developmental history, and send questionnaires for you and others to complete.
Assessment appointments.
Your psychologist completes the interviews, assessment activities and observation needed.
Feedback session.
We go through the findings with you in plain language and answer your questions.
Written report.
You receive a comprehensive report with findings, diagnosis (if applicable) and tailored recommendations.
Your Report
Your report brings together everything gathered during the assessment and compares it with the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. It includes:
- A clear conclusion on whether the criteria for autism are met, including the level of support needed where a diagnosis is made
- The person’s strengths, interests and preferences
- How autism affects daily life, learning, work and relationships
- Practical recommendations for home, school, work and NDIS planning
With your consent, it can be shared with your GP, school, employer, NDIS planner or support team.
Good to Know
An assessment doesn’t guarantee an autism diagnosis.
Our role is to give you an accurate, honest answer. Sometimes that’s a diagnosis, and sometimes it points to a different explanation and different supports.
Autism and ADHD often occur together.
If both may be relevant, we’ll talk with you about whether an ADHD assessment should be part of the picture.
Autism and the NDIS.
NDIS support isn’t based on diagnosis alone. It depends on how significantly a condition affects everyday functioning. A thorough assessment and report can provide useful evidence for access requests and plan reviews.
Cost and Funding
Contact us for current fees. If you’re an NDIS participant, assessments are typically funded through Capacity Building supports. Not sure what your plan covers? Contact us and we’ll help you check before you commit.
Where We Work
We provide in-person NDIS assessments in Queensland and South Australia, including Brisbane and Adelaide. Ask us about availability in your area and which parts of the process may be possible by telehealth.
Why Positive Moods?
Specialists, not generalists.
We focus only on behaviour support and mental health therapeutic supports, so our assessments are informed by everyday experience of what helps people.
Over six years of experience.
We were one of the first behaviour support companies in the sector, and we know what NDIS reports need to include.
Assessment that leads somewhere.
We also provide Improved Daily Living and Positive Behaviour Support services, so we can help you turn recommendations into everyday strategies.
Clear, respectful communication.
We explain each step and give results in plain language.
Ready to Get Started?
Phone: 1300 001 470
Email: ndis@positivemoods.com.au
Looking for something different? See our other Psychological Assessments, including ADHD Assessments and Cognitive Assessments.