At Laburnum Psychology, we provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for children, adolescents, and adults in Blackburn and across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, including Box Hill, Nunawading, Forest Hill, Mitcham, and Burwood. Whether you have been referred by a GP, paediatrician, or another professional, or you have your own reasons to believe ADHD may be affecting you or your child, our experienced psychologists are here to help.
ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts one’s ability to pay attention, sustain focus, sit still, and/or control and regulate his/her behaviours and emotions. Symptoms first start in early childhood and can continue to influence an individual’s functioning into adulthood. Common symptoms associated with ADHD may include the following:
There is no one test that assesses ADHD, but rather, the diagnostic process contains various steps to identify symptoms, assess the severity of the problem, and rule out other possibilities. During ADHD testing, our ADHD psychologists will perform the assessment using numerous processes including the following:
The practitioner will ask questions about your symptoms and their impact on your daily functioning and your personal, socioemotional, educational, and occupational histories.
The practitioner may ask you to provide relevant records such as school reports, medical evaluations, or previous psychological assessments.
The practitioner may ask you to provide contact information for someone who can speak to your functioning in different settings. This can include parents, former teachers, medical providers, or bosses among others.
You may be asked to complete standardised psychological assessments that examine your cognitive abilities, memory, and executive functioning.
You or someone who knows you well may be asked to complete various questionnaires regarding symptoms related to ADHD or other mental health conditions.
At Laburnum Psychology, we have numerous psychologists who specialise in ADHD. Our ADHD experts can assist with assessments both for children and for adults. An assessment can be highly valuable in providing understanding, direction, and strategy for people who are struggling with the negative impacts of ADHD. It can also be highly useful to assist identifying a persons ADHD based strengths and abilities. Our assessment reports can greatly assist people to discover ways to work to their strengths and also to scaffold the areas that are more challenging. Following our testing process, our psychologists prepare highly individualised and tailored reports outlining strengths, challenges, and useful strategies. An assessment may provide valuable understanding and direction for those struggling with ADHD symptoms in terms of coming to know and understand themselves. An ADHD assessment report can also be highly useful in school settings, to assist educators in optimising a student’s learning experience. For other clients, a structured assessment report can also form part of the basis for other funding applications.
Typically, the assessment process is spread over several hours. An assessment will ordinarily occur over two or more appointments of one to two hours in duration. For children, we will also collect information and input from parents as well. Our ADHD psychologists will then analyse the assessment findings and tailor a written report, including strategies and recommendations.
All assessments are performed utilising standardised testing protocols, in accord with best practice for psychological assessment.
For some, the prospect of undergoing ADHD testing might feel daunting, however we often find that the process is highly affirming and helpful. While we would never wish to invalidate the challenges that can come with a person’s experience of living with ADHD, we are also firmly of the view that ADHD can also be associated with strengths and brilliance. Our goal is to help people find ways to identify their strengths and work to them, and once again, to scaffold and support the areas of struggle.
A child with ADHD will often struggle to maintain attention and focus. This can be evident in a classroom setting, but it will also most likely occur in other settings as well, such as during extra curricular activities or in day to day home life. Some children with ADHD will appear to daydream, or to stare out the window. They may find it difficult to follow instructions or complete simple tasks without getting side tracked.
Some children with ADHD will be inclined to show impulsive traits. They will often act before they think, and be impulsive in the way they express feelings, finding it difficult to contain themselves. Some children will show patterns of repeatedly interrupting you or their teacher, or they may find it difficult to wait their turn. They may also interrupt or take over in games or other activities.
Children with hyperactive traits will most likely find it very difficult to remain still. They are inclined to fidget and squirm, and find it extremely difficult to sit still. They may seem like they are constantly ‘on the go’ and full of energy, never stopping until they are asleep. Children with these patterns find it very difficult to engage in quiet and still activities. They may also be inclined to talk excessively.
Many adults experience ADHD, and many have come through life being undiagnosed. This is especially true for people who experience inattentive type ADHD. Many of the child specific descriptions listed above may feel familiar to adults with ADHD, though as adults they may have learnt to mitigate or manage their symptoms to some degree. It can be very beneficial for adults to undertake an assessment, though it should be noted that if an individual wishes to seek a prescription for medication (stimulant therapies), they will need to undertake an assessment with a prescribing psychiatrist.
For more information on the How to assess ADHD, please click here.
While the ADHD assessment process is mostly quite similar for children and adults, there are some differences. For a formal diagnosis, it is important to be able to demonstrate that a person’s ADHD features have been present since childhood. For an adult assessment, this requires some provision of historic evidence, such as school reports or other historic input. This can be tricky for some people, though there are usually pathways to achieve this.
In the case of children, a key benefit of an ADHD assessment is the provision of a detailed and tailored report, as this can be highly beneficial to guide and inform parents and educators around how best to understand a child’s learning patterns, how to work to their strengths and how to best understand and support their challenges.
In the case of adult ADHD assessment, the while a report may be less relevant for schooling purposes, it may still be highly useful within the context of adult education, or for navigating vocational pathways or even challenges in the workplace. Similar to children, a detailed report can often provide very useful insights around how to structure working habits and environments in order to leverage strengths and scaffold challenges.
It is important to be aware that for people seeking medical intervention for ADHD (i.e. stimulant therapy), they will ultimately need to consult with a psychiatrist who will then determine the appropriateness of medication. This process is done by psychiatrist, and not psychologists. While some psychiatrists may be receptive to usage of a psychology based assessment, they are ordinarily more likely to perform their own style of assessment. In turn, if your primary goal is to access stimulant therapy, it is best to explore your options with a psychiatrist initially. A psychology assessment is still likely to be highly useful, however it is unlikely to be the basis upon which a psychiatrist will prescribe stimulant therapy.
The financial costs of an ADHD assessment are significant. Assessment are costed at our standard hourly rates, so the high cost is in turn reflective of the time and effort that goes into performing the assessments, analysing the data, and then preparing a tailored report. While there is ordinarly a standard set of assessment tools that are utilised, there can be some tailoring to this based on each individuals needs. Consequently, costs can vary slightly depending on the testing process that is used. As a general rule, the complete process is likely to cost approximately $2000 – $2300
It is important to be aware that Medicare does not provide rebates for ADHD assessments. When a person chooses to engage in therapy / counselling with a psychologist, in most cases, if they chose to come with a referral from a General Practitioner, under a ‘Mental Health Care Plan’, this will enable them to claim back a rebate from Medicare, which reduces the out of pocket costs to the client. This typically covers a client for up to ten rebatable sessions per calendar year. It is important to note that this process does not exist for assessments such as ADHD assessments.
For many people with ADHD, they may also be experiencing other conditions such as anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or learning difficulties. This is not uncommon or unusual. When this occurs, it is important that it is identified in the assessment process, as co-occurring conditions can influence how ADHD symptoms present
At Laburnum Psychology, our clients will often express confusion to their psychologist, such as “Do I have ADHD, or am I just experiencing anxiety? Could it be both? If it’s ADHD, is that what is making me anxious? Sometimes I think it may be autism? Is it that, or even both?”
These are the reasons why its important for our assessment process to be thorough and fulsome, in order to get a clear and accurate picture of what is happening for any given person. In the end, we are trying to generate a clear and thorough understanding of each person’s experience. This in turn enables us to tailor strategies that hit the mark – for example, combining strategies for both attention and anxiety if needed, or understanding the way in which the experience of ADHD may itself have been anxiety provoking.
After completing an ADHD assessment, we take the time to explain the results in a clear and supportive way. This take place in a dedicated feedback session, where we are able to explain and interpret the findings, answer any questions you may have, and discuss strategies and recommendations that are tailored to you or your child’s needs.
For example, a parent may come in unsure about what an ADHD diagnosis means for their child’s future. In our feedback sessions we will talk through what the results show, how they relate to everyday functioning, and what supports might be helpful. These discussions might focus on school or learning based adjustments, strategies for home, ways of understanding your child’s patterns, how to work to their strengths, and how to support any challenges. We also provide a detailed written report which explains and summarises findings and recommendations. This is a useful reference to return to and to share with other key personnel such as teachers, doctors, or other health practitioners.
We work to ensure that there is a clear path mapped out, in terms of strategies to optimise coping. This might include school or home based adjustments, counselling, behavioural support, parent coaching, ADHD coaching, potentially liaison with schools. If other issues are identified, such as anxiety or learning concerns, we will also include recommendations for how to address these as well.
Our aim is to ensure that every client leaves with clarity, direction, and a sense of being supported. We are committed to supporting our clients to know themselves more fully, including anchoring to strengths as well as scaffolding for challenges.
At Laburnum Psychology, we offer both in-person and online ADHD assessments. Some people express a preference for an online assessment, perhaps because they live regionally, have health or mobility considerations, or because they prefer the comfort of completing the assessment from home. We will work to accommodate this where feasible though it is not always clinically appropriate to conduct an online assessment. We recommend that you raise this query with one of our assessment specialists to see if it is right for your situation.
Where possible and feasible, online assessments are conducted via secure video platforms and follow the same structured process as our in-clinic assessments, though there are usually some modifications to suit a remote format.
While many components of an ADHD assessment can be completed online, not all assessments are suitable for a fully remote process. For example, some cognitive tests or observational assessments require in-person administration to ensure accuracy and reliability. We will always work to accommodate an online assessment preference where possible, as this can be
Clients often ask, “Is an online assessment just as valid?” This ultimatley depends on the nature of the concerns being assessed. Our primarily concern is to undertake the assessment in a manner that will enable for robust and reliable results, and we will be clear if an online assessment is not possible due to reliability limitations. Once again, we recommend discussing your specific needs with one of our assessment specialists, who can help determine whether an online, in-person, or blended approach is most suitable.
Our top priority is to ensure every assessment is thorough, evidence based, and tailored to the individual, regardless of how it’s delivered.
Work with professionals who don’t just listen but support you through life’s challenges.
Choosing the right psychologist is a key step in getting the support you need. This decision isn’t just about qualifications, it’s also important to choose somebody who has specialist experience with ADHD and finding someone who can understand your needs, and the purpose of the assessment.
At Laburnum Psychology, our team includes clinicians experienced in assessing and supporting ADHD across the lifespan. We have a large team including specialist team leadership and supervision to oversee quality assurance and safeguards. We use evidence-based tools and prioritise a personalised approach to ensure that each assessment is tailored to the individuals own unique situation and needs.
Clients often ask, “How do I know if a psychologist really understands ADHD?” We recommend looking for someone who takes the time to understand your specific needs, but also your broader context. It is important to find someone who will meet you where you are at, who communicates clearly, and offers practical and well-documented strategies.
It can be a big decision to undertake an assessment. If you’re unsure, it can be helpful to make time to discuss your options with one of our Intake staff to see whether it is the right option for you, or to even match you with the right clinician for your needs.
