“If you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will live it’s whole life believing it is not capable”.
We provide comprehensive, strengths-based psychological assessments for children and adolescents. Our goal is to help families, schools, and young people better understand how a child thinks, learns, and experiences the world — so the right supports can be put in place.
Child and Adolescent Assessments
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Cognitive Assessments
These assessments explore how a child reasons, problem-solves, remembers information, and processes the world.
Common reasons families seek cognitive assessment:
* Understanding learning strengths and challenges
* Identifying intellectual giftedness or intellectual disability
* Supporting funding or school adjustments
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Academic Assessments
Academic assessments look at skills such as reading, writing, spelling, and maths.
Useful for:
* Identifying specific learning differences (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyscalculia)
* Supporting school-based interventions
* Informing individual learning plans
* Getting a baseline for current academic abilities
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Learning Differences
Learning difficulties assessments are commonly sought when a child:
* Is falling behind academically despite effort and support
* Finds reading, writing, spelling, or maths particularly challenging
* Experiences frustration, fatigue, or reduced confidence around schoolwork
* Requires documentation to support school adjustments or learning plans
Cognitive and Academic assessments are used in combination to assess for learning differences,
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Autism Assessments
Autism in girls often looks different from traditional stereotypes. Many autistic girls are socially motivated, imaginative, and deeply empathetic — and may learn to mask or camouflage their differences in order to fit in. Because of this, autism in girls is frequently overlooked or identified later in childhood or adolescence.
An autism assessment for girls explores how she experiences the world across areas such as communication, friendships, sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation, interests, and energy levels. We pay careful attention to subtle presentations, including masking, perfectionism, social exhaustion, and internalised anxiety.
Families often seek assessment when a girl:
* Appears socially capable but feels overwhelmed or exhausted by friendships
* Has intense or focused interests that bring joy and comfort
* Experiences sensory sensitivities or strong emotional responses
* Struggles with transitions, flexibility, or burnout
* Feels “different” but cannot explain why
Our approach is strengths-based and respectful. The goal is not to change who she is, but to understand her unique neurotype and identify supports that nurture confidence, wellbeing, and authentic self-expression.
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ADHD Assessments
Many girls with ADHD are quiet, thoughtful, highly capable, and work hard to meet expectations — even while experiencing significant internal challenges with attention, organisation, emotional regulation, or overwhelm. As a result, ADHD in girls may go unrecognised until academic demands increase or burnout emerges.
An ADHD assessment for girls explores how attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and energy levels have shaped her experiences over time. We pay close attention to subtle and internalised presentations, including daydreaming, perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional sensitivity, and exhaustion from masking or over-compensating.
Families often seek assessment when a girl:
* Appears capable but struggles to keep up with organisation or workload
* Experiences emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or frustration
* Is highly sensitive to feedback or perceived failure
* Puts in significant effort but achieves inconsistent results
* Feels “too much” or “not enough,” despite trying very hard
Our approach is strengths-based and neuro-affirming. The aim is not to label behaviour, but to understand how her brain works and what supports will allow her to feel more confident, regulated, and supported at school and at home.
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Classroom Support
Examples of classroom supports may include:
* Adjustments to instruction, workload, or pacing
* Flexible seating or movement opportunities
* Visual supports and clear routines
* Sensory considerations within the classroom
* Alternative ways to demonstrate learning
* Support with organisation, planning, and transitions
Recommendations are individualised and strengths-based, and are developed collaboratively with families and schools to ensure they are practical, respectful, and sustainable within the classroom setting.s here
Our Process
The first step is to gather a detailed developmental and educational history from you (the parent/carer). We will discuss how you talk about the assessment process with your child. We may then request to gather more information from the teacher with the best knowledge of the child. Other professionals can be consulted with if appropriate.
We then choose the most appropriate standardised assessment tools and questionnaires for the child and their presentation. The child will come into the clinic to complete their assessments. We will discuss whether this will be done over one or several sessions.
We will consider assessing for of co-occurring factors such as anxiety, learning differences, ADHD or autism if requested.
Following the completion of the assessments, a comprehensive written report with practical, strengths-based recommendations will be provided in a PDF format.
We will then provide a feedback session to discuss the results and provide suggestions and recommendations specific to your child.
The fees for the assessments will vary depending on type of assessment and complexity of the presenting issues.
All assessments include parent interview, assessment sessions, questionnaires, neuroaffirming and comprehensive written report a PDF format and as feedback session. If required, other professionals such as teachers, medical professionals or support workers can be consulted.
Medicare rebates
When a child or adolescent is referred by a paediatrician or psychiatrist under Medicare item 289 for an assessment of a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, you can access four rebates of $93.95.
This can include assessments of autism, intellectual disability, and ADHD. More information can be found here.