Questions You May Have

1. Can I see you in person for assessment?

I mostly offer assessment via Telehealth. This reduces overhead costs, in turn keeping assessment fees affordable. Telehealth also removes some physical accessibility barriers whilst opening up availability to folks anywhere in Australia.

I can offer in-person assessment in Brisbane 1 day a week - yay! If you are local to Brisbane and wish to discuss this option please send me an email.

2. What happens during our assessment?

I aim for assessment to feel conversational. I ask questions and introduce topic areas for us to explore, but this is very fluid and flexible in structure. I often tell people during appointments that"we go where we need to go" rather than assessment feeling like a stiff and formal interview.

During our series of appointments you will be emailed links to online questionnaires you can complete on your computer/smartphone. The results are returned to me. On average you will be sent 4-5 questionnaires (this can vary).

Information about you from a third party who has known you from childhood is needed in most cases. This is to document that traits were evident in your early development, satisfying current DSM 5 TR criteria. To assist with this, I will ask you if there is a parent, Aunty/Uncle, family member, family friend or other safe person you would trust to complete some questionnaires about you. Other sources of helpful information can be school reports, letters from school, prior assessment reports and childhood diaries.

After our assessment conversations and all questionnaires are complete, we meet for feedback where we talk through the assessment outcomes and my recommendations. After feedback I finalise your written report which is sent to you via email approximately 4-6 weeks after feedback.

I understand that it can sometimes be difficult to access third party information and that these sources may not always yield diagnostic information (especially for masked or internalised presentations). Please be assured that I do not include or exclude diagnoses based on singular sources of third party information. My goal is to build a comprehensive understanding of you and your life.

3. Can you assess my child/teenager?

I have very limited availability for child/adolescent assessment as I intentionally focus on adult clients. Child/teen assessment is possible for clients in the Brisbane area in-person only (I do not assess children or adolescents via Telehealth). To enquire about availability please send me an email.

4. How does payment work?

You will be asked to provide credit/debit card information when completing intake forms. Card data is stored securely in encrypted practice management software. A deposit is paid to secure your appointments. I am happy for the balance to be managed with a payment plans e.g. dividing the remaining fee amount into instalments paid at each appointment.

5. Am I guaranteed to be identified as Autistic?

You may or may not receive formal identification or diagnosis. It is important to manage your expectations up front. If assessment suggests you are not Autistic, we will discuss the overall clinical picture of your strengths and differences during feedback as well as other diagnoses that may seem apparent.

6. Can I see you for ADHD assessment?

I am no longer offering ADHD assessment (or combined Autism/ADHD assessment), however I still screen for ADHD in all Autism assessments as a matter of principle.

In all honesty, if you are considering trialing medication if you were to be identified as an ADHDer, I recommend that you go directly to a Psychiatrist. Psychiatrists conduct their own assessments when evaluating ADHD (even if given a Psychologist's report), therefore going directly to a Psychiatrist saves you time and money as you won't be paying for two lots of assessment. A Psychologist assessment is not required to see a Psychiatrist. All you need is a GP referral.

7. Will a diagnosis mean I can apply for NDIS or for Centrelink/Disability Pension?

Reports provided by Kaleidoscope Assessment can be used as evidence to support an NDIS Access Request. However, you will also need other reports/supporting documents as part of the NDIS multidiscipinary/team-based assessment pathway.

If you are seeking Autism assessment with the foreknowledge that you wish to make an NDIS Access Request, please be aware that NDIS have established their own rules that single clinician diagnostic reports are only accepted from Psychiatrists, Paediatricians and Clinical Psychologists at this time. Thus, it is suggested that you seek assessment with one of these professionals should you have NDIS in mind.

It is important to manage your expectations when requesting to access the NDIS. Whilst assessments and reports are completed to robust clinical, professional and ethical standards, both health and allied health professionals have no decision-making power about NDIS Access Requests. We do our best to support client access, but NDIS/the NDIA are the sole decision-makers.

Registered Psychologists can provide supporting evidence for some categories of Centrelink Disability Support Pension (DSP) applications. Therefore, in some cases your assessment report may be used to support a DSP application depending on what grounds you are applying. If applying for DSP, relevant paperwork and forms can be completed at the standard consultation rate ($230/50 min). This is in addition to assessment fees given the time it takes to complete Centrelink paperwork.

8. What else can I use the report for?

Formal diagnosis grants you the right to access supports, accommodations and reasonable adjustments in workplaces and educational institutions, as well as protection under the Disability Discrimination Act (1992). Some people share reports with their GP to confirm the information as part of their medical history. Lastly (but not at all in the least), some folk find relief, hope, self-compassion, self-acceptance, celebration and deep personal meaning in formal confirmation of their neurotype.

9. Are there any downsides, risks or negatives to being identified as Autistic?

This can be hard to predict as there is little concrete information available. Anecdotal feedback from the Autistic community is that there may be difficulties obtaining life insurance policies and entering military/policing career pathways. For folk who are not Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents, there has also been anecdotal feedback that being identified as Autistic can interfere with gaining citizenship/residency. It is difficult to source specific sources of information on these potentials so I recommend that anyone considering assessment research their concerns before making any decisions.

10. Can I see you for ongoing support/therapy appointments?

Kaleidoscope Assessment has been consciously purposed to focus on assessment and supervision in order to meet community needs. I am unable to offer ongoing support or therapy at the present time. I am happy to recommend therapists near to your location or via Telehealth if preferred.

11. How do I book appointments?

The first step is to book an initial appointment here. I will then email you to arrange the rest of your assessment appointments. At the link to the online portal, select a date and time that suits you for the initial appointment. There is a box in the top right of the booking screen to select your location from (e.g. typing in 'Sydney' or 'Adelaide'). This will adjust available appointment times to be shown in line with your timezone.