Assessment
Welcome to Blueprint Psychology
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We offer a range of assessment services for children, adolescents, and adults with neurodiverse conditions, developmental, cognitive, and learning challenges. Our experienced clinicians conduct assessments in person or via the secure telehealth platform COVIU, allowing you to complete some assessments from home.
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If you seek assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), developmental and learning difficulties, or need a diagnosis and report for NDIS funding, our team provides comprehensive, tailored reports.
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Our Services:
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ASD and ADHD assessments
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Psychometric testing for intellectual and academic achievement
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Developmental and giftedness assessments
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Specific learning disorder assessments, including dyslexia
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Vocational assessment and career guidance
Explore our website to learn more. Contact us to begin your journey towards better understanding and support.
Assessment cost and process
What does the assessment cost?
Autism assessment
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Assessment Intake Interview - $245
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Full standard autism assessment: $2450 (including report review)
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Additional assessment: to be discussed and quoted if needed
NB: For Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments, a multidisciplinary approach in line with national guidelines is essential.
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ADHD Assessment
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Assessment Intake Interview - $245
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Full standard ADHD assessment: $1470 (including report review)
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Additional assessment: to be discussed and quoted if needed
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Cognitive Assessment
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Assessment Intake Interview - $245
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Full standard cognitive assessment: $1225 (including report review)
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Additional assessment: to be discussed and quoted if needed
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What does the assessment process involve?
We always start with an assessment intake interview. This is the cost of a regular therapy session and is useful in guiding whether or not full assessment should be pursued. It isn't a formal assessment, but a thorough discussion on what the process involves and determining is the assessment process is right for you​. If you go ahead with assessment, the information gathered in this sessions will form an important part of that assessment.
Autism assessment
Intake: Our client intake team will collect relevant data and previous reports or referral information.
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Assessment Intake Interview: Conducted by an experienced psychologist, this includes a full history and any relevant screeners. Recommendations about the type of assessment or therapy will be provided. No report writing is included after this session.
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Assessment Sessions: Includes a client assessment (in-person, 1 hour), parent/carer interview (in person or telehealth, 2 hours), and adaptive behaviour assessment.
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Comprehensive Report: Your assessments will be scored, and a detailed diagnostic report will be produced within 6 weeks of your final assessment session, including a diagnosis and several recommendations.
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Additional Assessments: If requested, additional assessments can be discussed during intake and quoted as needed.
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Feedback Session: After receiving your report, we will schedule a 30-minute feedback session to summarise findings, answer questions, and make any necessary changes to your report within our clinical judgment.
ADHD Assessment
Intake: Our client intake team will collect relevant data and previous reports or referral information.
​
Assessment Intake Interview: Conducted by an experienced psychologist, this includes a full history and any relevant screeners. Recommendations about the type of assessment or therapy will be provided. No report writing is included after this session.
​
Assessment Sessions: Includes a client assessment (in-person, 2 hours) and a client or partner/carer assessment for ADHD.
​
Comprehensive Report: Your assessments will be scored, and a detailed diagnostic report will be produced within 6 weeks of your final assessment session, including a diagnosis and several recommendations.
​
Additional Assessments: If requested, additional assessments can be discussed during intake and quoted as needed.
​
Feedback Session: After receiving your report, we will schedule a 30-minute feedback session to summarise findings, answer questions, and make any necessary changes to your report within our clinical judgment.
Cognitive Assessment
Intake: Our client intake team will collect relevant data and previous reports or referral information.
​
Assessment Intake Interview: Conducted by an experienced psychologist, this includes a full history and any relevant screeners. Recommendations about the type of assessment or therapy will be provided. No report writing is included after this session.
​
Assessment Sessions: Includes a client cognitive assessment (in-person, 2 hours) and parent/carer or self-assessment of adaptive functioning.
​
Comprehensive Report: Your assessments will be scored, and a detailed diagnostic report will be produced within 6 weeks of your final assessment session, including a diagnosis and several recommendations.
​
Additional Assessments: If requested, additional assessments can be discussed during intake and quoted as needed (e.g., assessment with school or preschool).
​
Feedback Session: After receiving your report, we will schedule a 30-minute feedback session to summarise findings, answer questions, and make any necessary changes to your report within our clinical judgment.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by diverse experiences in communication, social interaction, and behaviours. Individuals with autism may also have sensory sensitivities and unique patterns of thinking and behaviour.
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At Blueprint Psychology, we use evidence-based, neuroaffirming approaches and the DSM-5-TR to assess autism, employing tools like the ADOS-2, ABAS-3, and ADI-R. Our assessments consider both strengths and areas of difficulty to provide a comprehensive understanding of each individual.
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Our Assessment Tools:
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Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
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Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3)
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Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)
For Young Children, We Look For:
Social Interaction and Communication:
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Challenges in sharing interests or emotions
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Difficulty with back-and-forth conversation
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Trouble using and understanding body language
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Limited pretend play
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Difficulty making friends
Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours:
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Repetitive movements like hand-flapping or toe-walking
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Unusual play patterns
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Unusual speech patterns or echolalia
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Need for predictable routines
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Intense interests in specific topics
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Sensory sensitivities
Diagnosis:
To receive an autism diagnosis, difficulties must be present in both social communication and restricted behaviours, significantly impacting daily life. Our goal is to celebrate individual strengths and provide tailored recommendations to support each person’s unique needs and abilities. For Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments, a multidisciplinary approach in line with national guidelines is essential.
ADHD
ADHD is defined as the most common neurodevelopmental disorder. ADHD affects about one in twenty Australians (about 1 million people). It is characterised by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and in some cases hyperactivity. ADHD can have lifelong impacts on individuals and families. Diagnosis and quality treatment can improve individual outcomes substantially.
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ADHD is diagnosed using criteria outlined in the 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition' (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association. To be diagnosed with ADHD the symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity:
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need to be excessive for the developmental age of the individual
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need to be present before the age of 12
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must have persisted for longer than 6 months
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must contribute to impairment across multiple settings (home, school, childcare, work).
At Blueprint Psychology, we are trained to administer, score, diagnose and report on ADHD, using standardised assessment tools, collection of background information and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5).
We use the following assessment tools
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Behaviour Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) - for children and adolescents
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Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales–Self Report: Long Version (CAARS–S: L) - for adults
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Standardised Cognitive Assessment using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition: Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition (WISC-V) or Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition
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Review of school reports, and collection of background information through clinical interview.
Cognitive Assessment
At Blueprint Psychology our psychologists have extensive experience and training administering cognitive assessments. These assessments are useful in assessing for giftedness, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disorders or ADHD (see our ADHD assessment information).
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Intellectual disability involves impairments of general mental abilities that impact adaptive functioning in three domains, or areas. These domains determine how well an individual copes with everyday tasks:
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The conceptual domain includes skills in language, reading, writing, math, reasoning, knowledge, and memory.
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The social domain refers to empathy, social judgment, interpersonal communication skills, the ability to make and retain friendships, and similar capacities.
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The practical domain centres on self-management in areas such as personal care, job responsibilities, money management, recreation, and organisng school and work tasks.
Intellectual disability is a lifelong condition that affects a person’s intellectual skills and their behaviour in different situations. It can include difficulties in communication, memory, understanding, problem solving, self-care, social and emotional skills and physical skills.
Intellectual disability can be diagnosed in children and adults using:
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an IQ test using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition: Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition (WISC-V) or Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition
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an Adaptive Behaviour Test
It is usually diagnosed in early childhood and may be suspected if a child is developing slower than other children.
A diagnosis can help people access government services like the NDIS and the Disability Support Pension.
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Formal cognitive assessments can be used to assess for giftedness or gifted program admissions. Some parents notice qualities of giftedness in their child and want to have these explored further (qualities such as excellent problem solving, abstract reasoning, curiosity, vivid imagination and sensitivity). Boredom in the classroom and underachievement are also concerns parents feel warrant assessment. Often very bright children underachieve in order to fit in with their peers. It is helpful to identify giftedness as soon as possible so that a child's environment can be adapted successfully to best fit their ability.
Specific Learning Disorder
Specific Learning Disorder (also known as learning disorder or learning disability) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins during school-age, but may not be recognized until adulthood. Learning disorders affect one of three areas: reading, writing and/or mathematics.
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A Specific Learning Disorder in reading (Dyslexia) refers to difficulty with reading, connecting letters they see on a page with the sounds they make. As a result, reading becomes a slow, effortful and not a fluent process for them.
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Problems in reading begin even before learning to read. Kindergarten-age children may not be able to recognize and write letters as well as their peers. People with dyslexia may have difficulty with accuracy and spelling as well. Common myths include thinking that children with dyslexia write letters backwards or those who write letters backwards all have dyslexia. Individuals with dyslexia may try to avoid activities that require reading whenever they can (e.g. - reading for pleasure, reading instructions). They may often gravitate to other mediums of expression such as pictures, video, or audio.
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Specific Learning Disorder in writing (Dysgraphia) is used to describe difficulties with putting one’s thoughts on to paper. Problems with writing can include difficulties with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and handwriting.
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Specific Learning Disorder in mathematics (Dyscalculia) describes difficulties learning number related concepts or using the symbols and functions to perform mathematical calculations. Problems with mathematics can include difficulties with number sense, memorizing mathematical facts, mathematical calculations, mathematical reasoning and mathematical problem solving.
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Specific Learning Disorder can be diagnosed in children and adolescents using:
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an IQ test using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition: Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition (WISC-V) or Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition Australian and New Zealand Standardised Edition
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Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Third Edition (WIAT III)
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An adaptive behaviour tests
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Review of school reports, and collection of background information through clinical interview.
Vocational Assessment & Career Guidance
At Blueprint Psychology, we understand the importance of finding a meaningful career that aligns with your strengths, interests, and aspirations. Our Vocational Assessment and Career Guidance services, offered by Elena, our Provisional Psychologist and experienced Rehabilitation Counsellor, are designed to help individuals across Australia make informed career decisions.
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What is Vocational Assessment?
Vocational Assessment evaluates your skills, aptitudes, interests, and personality traits using standardised tools and clinical interviews. This process provides clarity on suitable career paths and empowers you to make informed decisions about your future.
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How Can Career Guidance Help?
Our Career Guidance services provide personalised support, utilising your Vocational Assessment results. We work with you to explore career options, assess feasibility, and set realistic goals. Whether you're a student, graduate, or considering a career change, our guidance helps you develop a fulfilling career plan.
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Why Choose Blueprint Psychology?
Our experienced team offers client-centred Vocational Assessment and Career Guidance services, prioritising your unique needs and aspirations. We believe in your untapped potential and are here to assist you on your path to professional growth.
Discover your true vocational potential and start a purposeful career journey with Blueprint Psychology. Schedule a Vocational Assessment and Career Guidance session today.