Autism & ADHD FAQ

Common questions we receive about Adult Autism and ADHD assessments.

Assessment FAQs

Getting assessed for autism or ADHD can feel overwhelming. This guide answers common questions to help you understand what to expect.

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Getting started

Every assessment includes:           

  • Online questionnaires (completed between sessions)
  • Individual interview with you (online via video-conference)
  • Written report with results
  • Feedback session to discuss findings (online via video-conference)
  • Input from family, teachers, or partners (when relevant)

The exact process varies depending on your chosen assessment package.

Your clinician will tell you if they need specific documents. Feel free to provide school reports, letters, or other relevant information if you think it would help.

Assessment sessions

Assessment sessions: 90 minutes each

Feedback session: 50 minutes

Research shows that accurate assessment requires several different tools and approaches. Doing everything in one day would be exhausting for both you and your assessor. Multiple shorter sessions are more effective and less tiring.

They help understand your strengths and challenges in different areas of life. We can also compare responses from different people (like parents, teachers, or partners) to get a complete picture.

Mental Health Professionals

Choose a psychologist if you want:

  • Detailed, comprehensive assessment
  • Thorough exploration of support needs
  • Help identifying masked or atypical presentations
  • Detailed recommendations for daily life
  • Ongoing psychological therapy tailored to your particular neurotype


Choose a psychiatrist if you want:

  • Quicker assessment process
  • Direct access to medication options
  • Medical approach to treatment

Both psychologists and psychiatrists can diagnose conditions like autism and ADHD, but their training, focus, and approaches to treatment differ. Psychologists specialise in assessments and therapy, while psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication and focus more on biological aspects of mental health.

Psychologists: Cannot prescribe medication (not medical doctors)

Psychiatrists: Can prescribe medication (medical doctors specialising in mental health)

Reports and results

Your report is the official document that:

  • Summarises your background and assessment results
  • States whether you meet diagnostic criteria
  • Includes personalised recommendations
  • Can be shared with employers, schools, or support services
  • May help with NDIS applications or workplace accommodations

Timeline: Reports are usually ready 6-8 weeks after your final session.

This 50-minute session (included in the comprehensive report option) helps you:

  • Understand your assessment results
  • Go through recommendations
  • Ask questions about your report
  • Process any feelings about the outcome

Funding and eligibility

You can get Medicare rebates if:

  • You’re under 25 years old
  • You have a referral from a psychiatrist or paediatrician for “Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder assessment”
  • The assessment includes autism (not ADHD-only assessments)

Rebate details:

  • Maximum 4 sessions per referral
  • Can get another 4 sessions with a new referral (8 total maximum)
  • No rebates available for people 25+ or ADHD-only assessments

Autism diagnosis: May make you eligible to apply for NDIS (doesn’t guarantee acceptance).

ADHD diagnosis: Currently not eligible for NDIS

Some autism diagnoses need confirmation from another professional.