Educational and Neurodevelopmental Assessments

Autism Assessment Melbourne

Navigating Autism can feel overwhelming, and everyone deserves a chance to thrive. With the right assessment and support, we’ll help you find clarity and create an environment where you can flourish.

To start, complete our online booking form, no referral needed and no pressure involved.

Once submitted, someone from our team will contact you to learn about your goals and what you would like to achieve from the assessment process and also explain the next steps.

How Can an Autism Assessment Help

An Autism assessment can uncover your unique strengths, differences and challenges, how your brain learns best, and whether you require particular support or adjustments at home, school or the workplace. At a minimum, it provides clear insights to help you overcome barriers, leverage your strengths and identify supports needed to reach your potential.

Who Should Consider This Assessment

We recommend an assessment if you notice some or all of the following:

Persistent difficulties with social communication, such as trouble understanding or responding to social cues, avoiding eye contact, or challenges making and maintaining friendships
Repetitive behaviours or strong preference for routines, including distress when routines are changed or engaging in repetitive movements or speech
Sensory sensitivities, such as over- or under-reacting to sounds, lights, textures, or other sensory input
Intense or narrowly focused interests that dominate attention and activities
Challenges with flexible thinking or adapting to change
Difficulties in communication, including delayed speech, unusual use of language, or trouble with back-and-forth conversations
Struggles with daily functioning in social, educational, or workplace settings despite adequate effort and ability

If these characteristics have been present from early childhood (even if noticed later) and significantly impact daily life, it is advisable to seek an assessment by a qualified professional.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Autism

The symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can vary from person to person and may change over time. These symptoms can present differently depending on the individual’s age and context. Key indicators may include:

Social communication challenges: Difficulty understanding or responding to social cues, avoiding or limited eye contact, trouble making friends, and challenges sharing interests or emotions with others.
Repetitive behaviours and routines: Engaging in repetitive movements (e.g., hand flapping, rocking), insistence on sameness, distress at changes in routine, and repeating words or phrases.
Sensory sensitivities: Over- or under-reacting to sensory input such as sounds, lights, textures, or smells.
Restricted and intense interests: Focusing deeply on specific topics or activities, sometimes to the exclusion of other interests.
Communication differences: Delayed speech or atypical use of language, literal interpretation of language, and difficulty with back-and-forth conversations.

If these symptoms have been present for six months or more and significantly impact daily functioning, it is advisable to seek assessment by a qualified health professional. In Australia, the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders provides a consistent, evidence-based framework for clinicians to diagnose autism and identify support needs.

Autism Assessment Process

At a minimum, it provides clear insights to help you overcome barriers, leverage your strengths and identify supports needed to reach your potential.

Step 1 : Booking & Consent

Share your concerns, goals, and needs so that we can match you with the right psychologist and assessment.

Step 2 : Clinical Intake

Meet with your psychologist to share background information. Your psychologist will explain the assessment process and what to expect.

Step 3 : Assessment

Meet with your psychologist at the clinic. The number of visits depends on the needs of the client and is usually 1 to 3 visits. Ask questions and receive feedback as you go.

Step 4 : Feedback

Receive a clear and simple explanation of assessment results. Ask questions. Plan a clear path forward. A comprehensive and personalised report is provided.

Step 5 : Ongoing support

We offer child friendly feedback sessions, school consultation, and parent support. Many families return to monitor progress and to review recommendations in preparation for important transitions (e.g., starting primary, secondary or tertiary education).

Assessment Packages

Our RBP Comprehensive packages include Autism evaluations within a broader neurodevelopmental framework. Each package is tailored to your unique needs and goals.

View full details on our Assessment Packages page.

Book Your Assessment

We believe that with the right assessment and support, we can help create an environment where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

We’d love to support you; whether you have a few questions or concerns, want to know your options, or are looking for the best provider for you, book a call with us today.

FAQs about Autism Assessment in Melbourne

What does it assess?

Autism is a brain-based developmental condition that creates differences in how an individual interacts with others, thinks, feels, and experiences the environment around them. Obtaining a formal diagnosis of autism is often the first step towards understanding the individual and their needs, and provides clarity for the path forward.

What does it include?

We provide autism assessments for children (from 2 years of age), adolescents and adults.

An autism assessment typically starts with a 1-hour intake session with your psychologist to gather background information regarding the individual’s history of development, schooling and work life (if relevant), any particular challenges they are currently experiencing, and the history of any previous supports or interventions. For younger clients, this intake session is often conducted with just the parents/caregivers. For older clients, particularly adolescents, it is often beneficial for them to also be present for this initial session. Adults may wish to have a partner or other support person present during the intake.

Following the intake session there is typically between 3 and 5 hours of assessment, which involves a clinical interview and an observational session with the client to assess for behaviours and characteristics typically present in individuals with autism (such as differences in social communication and interaction, and restricted repetitive behaviours and/or interests). A cognitive assessment often forms parts of a comprehensive autism assessment to assess for possible co-occurring conditions such as language or intellectual delay, and to inform required supports and strategies.

During the assessment, some questionnaires are often sent out to parents, teachers, and the individual (if old enough) to assess for other conditions that may explain any challenges they are currently experiencing and that can co-occur with autism, such as anxiety and attention problems. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of the individual to be obtained and the identification of any and all areas that would benefit from support and intervention at home and school/work. Phone calls with teachers and other relevant professionals (such as speech pathologists or occupational therapists) can also form part of a comprehensive assessment.

Typically four weeks after the final assessment session with the client, a feedback session is conducted to explain the assessment results and the conclusions reached, which may include a formal diagnosis of autism. The recommended supports and strategies will also be discussed, and any questions will be answered. A copy of the report is also provided at this time. For younger clients, the feedback session typically occurs with just the parents, while for older clients it is often beneficial for them to be present. Regardless of a client’s age, a separate child-only feedback session can also be provided where results and coping strategies are explained in a developmentally appropriate way.

Following the feedback session, the report can be shared with the school. Our psychologists can provide ongoing support as required by meeting with the school and relevant teaching staff and discussing implementing the recommended supports and educational adjustments. Raise the Bar Psychology offers ongoing support including parent support and school consultation and outreach.

What assessment tools may be used?

An Autism Assessment may include some or all of the following components:

Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS)
Social Responsiveness Scale – Second Edition (SRS-2)
Childhood Autism Rating Scale – Second Edition (CARS2)
Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum – Second Edition (MIGDAS-2)

How long does an Autism Assessment take?

An Autism Assessment without a Cognitive Assessment can take 4-5.5 hours. If required, the Cognitive Assessment may take up to an additional 1.5 hours. The process includes an intake interview, clinical interview, MIGDAS observation, and one hour feedback session typically given four weeks after the last assessment session. A comprehensive and individualised report with personalised recommendations is provided at the conclusion of the assessment.