Assessments for Autism, ADHD, & Learning Differences

Understanding how you or your child learns, thinks, and experiences the world can be an important step toward self-understanding and support.
At Time & Space Psychology, we take a thoughtful, person-centred approach to assessment, grounded in care, curiosity, and respect for neurodivergent ways of being.
We offer comprehensive neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and learning assessments for children, adolescents, and adults, providing clear, compassionate insights that support understanding, advocacy, and meaningful next steps.

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What Are Psychological Assessments for

Autism, ADHD, and Learning Differences?

Psychological assessments help us understand how you or your child’s brain works - how they think, learn, communicate, and process information. They can explore a wide range of neurodevelopmental and cognitive differences, including Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, and learning differences such as dyslexia or dyscalculia - all part of the natural diversity of how human minds develop and learn.

Through this process, we aim to provide clarity, language, and practical insight into each person’s unique strengths and support needs. Assessments can also help determine whether someone meets formal criteria for Autism, ADHD, or learning and cognitive differences such as Specific Learning Disorders or Intellectual Disability.

We draw on a range of evidence-based tools, including interviews, questionnaires, developmental history, and, where appropriate, standardised activities that explore thinking and learning skills for children, adolescents, and adults. Where helpful, we may also gather input from family members, teachers, or other professionals, and can include school or environment-based observations. If you’d like to see the specific tools we use and how each step fits together, scroll down to explore the full assessment process.

With postgraduate training in Educational and Developmental Psychology, we bring a strong foundation in cognitive and psychoeducational assessment. Our process is grounded in care, curiosity, and deep respect for neurodivergent ways of being.

Who Are These Assessments For?

Our neurodevelopmental and learning assessments are available for individuals across the lifespan:

Children aged from 3 years for Autism, from 5 years for ADHD, and from 7 years for cognitive or learning assessments.;
Adolescents and young adults;
Adults who are curious about their neurodivergent identity, seeking a formal diagnosis, or wanting to better understand their cognitive strengths, challenges, or learning differences.

These assessments can explore one area on its own, such as a cognitive or learning profile, or combine multiple areas (for example, Autism and ADHD, or learning differences alongside other forms of neurodivergence).

You might be looking for clarity around how you or your child think, feel, learn, and connect. You might be seeking answers after years of feeling different, misunderstood, or burnt out. Or perhaps you’re hoping for advocacy and support within school, university, work, or daily life.

Whatever brings you here - curiosity, support needs, or self-discovery - we’ll walk with you to figure it out together.

galaxy-shaped brain glowing with light, symbolising the wonder and complexity of the mind

🔍 What to Expect from the Assessment Process

Our neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and learning assessments are designed to be thorough, thoughtful, and tailored to each individual. While each pathway has its own focus, all of our assessments combine professional expertise with care, curiosity, and deep respect for neurodivergent ways of being.

Most of our Autism and ADHD assessments are offered entirely via Telehealth, using an approach carefully adapted to work well in this format. We follow the same structure, depth, and professional standards as in-person assessments, with added flexibility and comfort, especially for young people completing sessions from their familiar home environment.

Some components of our cognitive and learning assessments require in-person administration to ensure the standardisation and accuracy of testing tools. These sessions are available in Meanjin (Brisbane) and Naarm (Melbourne). Where possible, other parts of the process, such as intake, questionnaires, and feedback, can be completed online to offer flexibility and accessibility.

You can read more about how we work online on our Telehealth page.

While every assessment is slightly different, here’s what you can typically expect when completing an Autism, ADHD, or cognitive and learning assessment with us:

1. Intake Session

Your assessment journey begins with an intake session, a space where we get to know your story, your goals, and what support feels right for you. This session also gives you a feel for how we work, space to ask questions, and the chance to shape the path ahead together.

For children and adolescents, the intake is usually parent-only. During this time, we explore your child’s developmental history - from pregnancy and early milestones to school experiences, social and emotional development, and more.

For adults, the intake focuses on your lived experiences, current concerns, and what you hope to gain from the assessment process.

Our intake sessions follow a structured framework grounded in educational and developmental psychology. We build a strong foundation by exploring:

Developmental history (social, emotional, cognitive, and educational milestones);
Current concerns and hopes;
Family, cultural, and social context;
Strengths, support needs, and what’s been tried before;
Communication preferences, sensory experiences, and lived identity.

We also use this session to plan future appointments and decide on the assessment pathway that best fits your goals, preferences, and circumstances. After this session, you’ll receive an Assessment Guide that outlines what to expect in each stage of your unique process, including the types and approximate lengths of sessions involved. You’ll also receive a personalised Booking Guide so you can book sessions at your own pace, with clear guidance on which appointments need to be scheduled close together.

We know there’s a lot to cover in an intake, and everyone’s brain works differently. That’s why we offer flexible formats to suit different processing styles:

60 minutes: a shorter, focused session;
90 minutes: extra time to slow down, reflect, and explore;
Two x 60 minutes: split across two separate days, perfect if you need breaks or time to process between sessions.

This first step is simply about getting to know you and setting up a foundation for the journey ahead so we can move forward together at a pace that feels right.

2. Rapport-Building Session

Before the formal assessment begins, we schedule a separate session designed to build comfort and connection. This session is flexible and shaped around what helps you (or your child) feel at ease.

For children and adolescents, this is usually an important part of the process, as it’s the first time we meet with them directly (the intake session is parent-only). We use creative, age-appropriate approaches like conversation, drawing, or games, to get to know their personality, interests, and communication style.

For adults, a rapport-building session is optional. You may choose to have one if you’d like extra time to get to know your psychologist, share your story in an unstructured way, or feel more comfortable before moving into the structured assessment process.

These sessions focus on helping you feel comfortable, understood, and seen so that the formal assessment reflects your authentic self.

3. Questionnaires & Screeners

To build a well-rounded picture, we’ll invite you to complete a set of questionnaires that explore:

everyday functioning;
strengths and challenges;
patterns of behaviour across different areas.

These might cover things like executive functioning, emotional regulation, social communication, sensory experiences, and adaptive skills, all of which help us understand how the person navigates daily life.

Depending on the age of the individual, these questionnaires are usually completed by parents or caregivers, and in some cases by teachers, support staff, or the person themselves (especially for adolescents and adults).

Gathering insight from different perspectives helps us see how traits show up across settings and ensures the assessment reflects real-life experiences, not just what happens in a session.

4. Clinical Interviews & Standardised Testing Sessions

This stage forms the structured part of the assessment process.

For Autism and ADHD assessments, this involves one or more clinical interview–style sessions designed to explore traits, lived experiences, and patterns across development (for example, using tools such as the DIVA-5 or MIGDAS-2). These conversations draw on evidence-based frameworks and real-life examples to build a detailed picture of how the person thinks, feels, and experiences the world.

For younger clients, sessions may also include play-based or creative tasks to support comfort, connection, and naturalistic observation. We use sensory and play-based approaches to help children feel at ease and express themselves authentically. Caregivers receive a prep checklist with suggestions for toys or materials to have on hand, and families are welcome to share short video clips (for example, moments of play, transitions, or social interactions) to help us build a well-rounded understanding.

For cognitive and learning assessments, this stage involves standardised testing sessions using gold-standard tools that measure areas such as reasoning, memory, processing, and academic skills (for example, the WISC-V or WIAT-III). The number of sessions can vary (typically between one and four) depending on age, attention needs, and the areas being explored.

Your psychologist will explain what to expect and tailor the structure to each person, ensuring the process feels manageable, flexible, and accessible.

5. Observations and/or Professional Collaboration

In some cases, we may recommend a school observation (available in Meanjin (Brisbane) or Naarm (Melbourne) or consultation with other professionals, such as teachers, occupational therapists, or speech pathologists, to gather additional context. This can be particularly helpful when more information is needed to support diagnostic clarity or planning.

If in-person observation isn’t possible, we may invite you to share short video clips of your child during everyday moments, such as play, transitions, or social interactions, to help us build a fuller picture of their experiences.

6. Comprehensive Report

At the end of the assessment process, we provide a detailed, personalised report that brings together all the information gathered throughout your assessment journey.
Each report outlines:

our findings and key insights;
any relevant diagnoses (if applicable);
cognitive and learning profiles, including areas of strength and support;
practical, individualised recommendations for home, school, work, and community life.

Each client receives a comprehensive report written in accessible, plain language, alongside full technical and statistical data for professionals. This ensures the report is both easy to understand and suitable for sharing with schools, workplaces, or other clinicians.

Reports are written to meet the professional requirements of formal diagnostic systems (such as the DSM-5-TR) while remaining affirming, balanced, and meaningful. We know that some formal language can feel clinical or deficit-focused, so we carefully balance this by highlighting the whole person - their unique strengths, patterns, and ways of thinking - and how these interact with the world around them.

Our goal is for every report to feel clear, empowering, and useful — providing not just a diagnosis (where relevant), but a deeper understanding of how the person learns, communicates, and experiences the world. Reports are designed to be shared confidently across settings, helping families, educators, and professionals work together in supportive, informed ways.

7. Feedback Session

Once the report is complete, we’ll meet for a feedback session to walk through the results together. This is a chance to make sense of the findings, ask questions, and reflect on what they mean for you or your child.

This session is where we bring the report to life. We take the clinical terms and criteria, and translate them into real-world meaning, helping you understand how this fits with your identity, challenges, and everyday experiences. It’s also where we highlight patterns, strengths, and key support needs in a way that feels grounded, human, and useful.

For children and adolescents, the initial feedback session is usually parent-only. This allows us to go through the findings in detail, including graphs, scores, and recommendations, and to have open discussions with parents about next steps.

When sharing results directly with a child or adolescent, we use a separate approach that’s developmentally appropriate, visual, and strengths-focused. If you’d like them to be involved, we offer optional feedback sessions tailored to their age and needs:

Child feedback sessions are visual, playful, and strengths-focused, designed to help younger children understand how their brain works, celebrate what makes them unique, and gently introduce supports that can help things feel easier.
Adolescent feedback sessions are more collaborative and insight-based, offering space to explore identity, self-understanding, and ways to navigate school or life with more confidence and support.

If you’d prefer to share the information with your child yourself, we can also provide a tips sheet to help guide that conversation in a supportive way.

We know that receiving an assessment can feel big, especially when it touches on identity, support, or future pathways. Wherever you’re at in this process, we’ll move at your pace and make sure you feel supported as you take it all in.

How We Decide What’s Done Online or In Person

Most of our Autism and ADHD assessments are conducted entirely via Telehealth, using a process that’s been carefully adapted to work well in online settings. We follow the same structure, depth, and professional standards as in-person assessments, with the added comfort and flexibility of completing sessions from home.

Some parts of our cognitive and learning assessments need to be completed in person to ensure the accuracy and standardisation of testing tools. These sessions are available in Meanjin (Brisbane) and Naarm (Melbourne). Where possible, other parts of the process, such as intake, questionnaires, and feedback, can still be completed online to offer flexibility and accessibility.

If in-person sessions or school observations aren’t possible, we may invite you to share short videos from home to help us build a fuller picture of your child’s strengths and daily experiences.

Fees & Payment

If you’d like to learn more about how assessment fees work, including session rates, rebates, and payment options, you can visit our Fees page.

What If I'm Exploring Both Autism & ADHD?

Many people we work with are seeking clarity around both Autism and ADHD, either for the first time or after already receiving one diagnosis. We offer combined (AuDHD) assessments when appropriate, and we can also assess for one condition if the other has already been diagnosed. If you’re unsure which kind of assessment is right for you or your child - whether that’s Autism, ADHD, a combined pathway, or a learning and cognitive focus - we can talk it through together during your intake session to find the best fit.

Why would someone seek a formal diagnosis?

For many individuals and families, a formal diagnosis can offer more than just access to supports. It can be a meaningful step toward self-understanding, community connection, and identity.

A diagnosis may also support access to adjustments in education or work, or be required for services such as the NDIS or DSP. It provides legal protection under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992), which upholds your right to inclusion and support.

That said, a diagnosis is only one part of the picture. Some people come to us seeking a learning or cognitive profile to better understand how they think and learn, even if they’re not seeking a formal diagnosis. We explore neurodivergence and learning differences in a way that is collaborative, respectful, and aligned with your goals, whether you’re seeking clarity, advocacy, or simply curious about your experience.

It’s also important to note that a formal diagnosis is not guaranteed through this process. We take a holistic approach and consider multiple sources of information including formal diagnostic criteria, standardised screeners and measures, self-report, input from family or teachers, and in some cases, school observations. While some parts of the process involve structured tools, we do our best to make every step affirming, transparent, and person-centred.

Will the Report Be Accepted by NDIS, DSP, or Schools?

Our reports are comprehensive and written to meet clinical and ethical standards. While we aim to provide helpful documentation for accessing supports (such as NDIS, Disability Support Pension, or school accommodations), we can’t guarantee how third-party organisations will interpret or accept a report, as their decisions are based on a range of internal criteria. If additional documentation is required (such as a tailored letter or summary) we can provide this as an optional add-on.

💫 Next Steps

If you’re curious about whether an assessment is the right choice for you or your child, we’re here to help guide you through it. You’re welcome to get in touch with any questions, or head to our New Clients page to fill out a short form and express your interest. You can also explore our FAQs or take a look at our Fees page if you’d like more clarity before reaching out, your questions are always welcome here.
Wondering who “we” are? Meet Lucinda & Marini - the psychologists behind Time & Space.