Autism Assessment Pathway for Children
A supportive, step-by-step pathway
to help families understand what happens next
At Health in Mind, our Autism Assessment Pathway is designed to help families better understand their child’s strengths, differences and support needs through a structured assessment process involving both psychology and paediatric care.
The pathway begins with pre-assessment preparation, followed by a psychology assessment at Health in Mind. Families then attend a feedback session to discuss the psychology findings and recommended next steps. If appropriate, the pathway may continue with a paediatric diagnostic assessment with Dr Murali Narayanan, a collaborating paediatrician.
This pathway may be helpful if you are:
- Seeking clarity about your child’s development and support needs
- Looking for a structured assessment process
- Wanting guidance on supports and what to do next
Key Information:
- Suitable for children aged 4 to 16 years
- Psychology Assessment fee: $2,800
- Paediatrician assessment is charged separately
- A GP referral is required for the paediatrician appointment
- The paediatric diagnostic assessment is completed by Dr Murali Narayanan, a collaborating paediatrician
How our pathway works
Step 1: Pre-Assessment Preparation
All families begin with some pre-assessment preparation before the psychology assessment begins.
This helps us build a clearer picture of your child’s development, day-to-day experiences and support needs before the assessment appointments take place.
This stage may include:
- completion of a new patient registration form
- parent questionnaires
- child questionnaires, where relevant
- sharing any reports you already have from school, allied health or medical professionals
This information helps us prepare for the assessment and make sure we are looking at your child’s needs in a broad and thoughtful way.
Step 2: Parent Consultation
Parents or carers then attend a comprehensive consultation with Dr Linthoi Akoijam, our Clinical Child Psychologist.
This appointment focuses on your child’s developmental history, learning, behaviour, relationships and everyday functioning, so we can better understand how they experience the world and where support may be needed.
This stage may include:
- a 2.5-hour parent consultation
- discussion of your child’s developmental, behavioural and educational history
- review of questionnaires and background information
- liaison with school and/or other relevant health professionals, where needed
- report preparation
This appointment helps us build a detailed understanding of your child’s profile from a parent or carer perspective.
Step 2.5: Child or Youth Consultation
Your child or young person will also attend an individual assessment session with Dr Linthoi Akoijam as part of the psychology assessment process.
This session gives us the opportunity to understand how your child presents in person, including their communication, behaviour, emotional responses and overall functioning.
This stage may include:
- a 90-minute child or youth assessment
- behavioural observation
- use of structured assessment tools, where clinically appropriate
- liaison with school and/or other relevant health professionals, where needed
- ongoing report preparation
Together with the parent consultation, this helps create a fuller picture of your child’s strengths, differences and support needs.
Step 3: Feedback Session
After the parent and child consultations are complete, families return to Health in Mind for a feedback session with Dr Linthoi Akoijam.
This session is a chance to talk through the psychology findings, ask questions and understand what they may mean for your child and family.
This session may include:
- explanation of the assessment findings
- discussion of the outcome of the psychology assessment
- practical recommendations for home and school
- guidance around supports and next steps
- discussion about whether paediatric review is recommended
Families should leave this session with a clearer understanding of the psychology assessment and what happens next.
Step 4: Paediatric Diagnostic Assessment
If appropriate, families may then be referred to Dr Murali Narayanan, a collaborating paediatrician, for a paediatric diagnostic assessment.
This appointment considers the psychology assessment findings alongside the paediatrician’s own clinical review to support the diagnostic process.
This stage may include:
- review of the psychology findings
- paediatric clinical review
- consideration of developmental and medical history
- an integrated diagnostic conclusion
A GP referral is required for this step. The paediatrician assessment is charged separately and is completed by a collaborating paediatrician.
Ready to take the next step?
Enquire about the Autism Assessment Pathway and our team will guide you through the next steps.
We’ll explain how the pathway works, answer your questions and help you understand how to get started.
You can call us on (08) 6183 1908 or complete the form below and we’ll be in touch.
