Child Psychological Assessment and Testing Sydney

Child Assessment - Fee Structure

As of 1st July 2010, the Australian Psychological Society's (APS) recommended fee for psychological assessment is $212 per 50 minutes, and $398 for the preparation of a 5 to 6 page extended psychological report.

Our fees are considerably lower than the APS recommendation and are based on a different structure. Fees based on hourly rates would be determined only at the completion of the assessment and report. Our fees are determined as per assessment and do not increase if additional time or more than one session is needed to evaluate a child's functioning. This includes unexpected difficulties during testing (e.g., fatigue) that may require additional sessions.

All fees include a clinical interview, administration of the selected psychological tests and a written report with specific recommendations. Our reports are individually prepared and very detailed, usually consisting of 5 to 7 typed pages and 3 to 5 pages of tables and graphs.

Based on the significant number of families and children we tested, we were able to comprise a list of assessment categories that most parents are interested in:

Assessment of Intellectual Ability
Time Involved: Approximately 2 to 3 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of the WISC-IV Australian, or for preschool children the WPPSI-III Australian, and a written report. The report provides information about the child’s background, his or her test taking behaviour, and an interpretation of the results. A concrete IQ score is suggested and ranges of IQ and percentile ranks provided. The child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses are discussed and suggestions provided for future plans.

Assessment of Achievement Ability
Time Involved: Approximately 2 to 3 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of the WIAT-II Australian and a written report. The report provides information about the child’s background, his or her test taking approach and an interpretation of the results. Concrete scores suggested for reading, mathematics and language abilities and ranges and percentile ranks provided for more accuracy. Age and grade relevant interpretation is provided to explain whether the child’s scores reflect age and grade appropriate performances. Suggestions are made about areas of academic strengths and weaknesses and about future directions in educational advancement.

Assessment of both Intellectual and Achievement Abilities
Time Involved: Approximately 3 to 4 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of WISC-IV Australian and the WIAT-II Australian and a written report. The report provides information about the child’s background, his or her test taking approach and an interpretation of the results. Separate sections report performances on the WISC-IV Australian and on the WIAT-II Australian. In addition, a comparative analysis is provided between the WISC-IV Australian and the WIAT-II Australian results. The child’s academic performance is evaluated in terms of his or her intellectual ability. The comparison includes an interpretation whether the child performed consistently with his or her intellectual abilities, or whether child under or over performed. In cases of over or under achievements, suggestions made about approaches to best utilise the child’s academic potential.

Assessment of Developmental Level/School Readiness
Time Involved: Approximately 1 to 1.5 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment includes developmental scales to determine the child's motor skills, language skills, academic skills, self-help skills and social-emotional skills. This is often the "assessment of choice" when "in depth" knowledge is not required and the child is not experiencing notable difficulties.

Psychological Screening
Time Involved: Approximately 1 hour

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment instruments include basic psychological screening and a parent questionnaire. This option is suitable for families who want to find out whether their child is experiencing any difficulty and whether there is a risk of a childhood disorder. Further assessment may be recommended.

Clinical/Diagnostic Assessment (Including the assessment of Autism)
Time Involved: Approximately 3 to 4 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment instruments are selected on the basis of the referral question and may include tests of intellectual abilities, childhood and adolescent psychopathology, memory and attention, and social functioning. As a standard procedure, parents or caregivers are asked to complete an "in depth" questionnaire about behavioural observations. The report provides information about the child's emotional and behavioural functioning and suggestions are made about future treatment and directions. Diagnostic assessments are suitable for children experiencing severe behavioural difficulties at school or home, or suspected of ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

PLEASE NOTE: DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS WITH APPROPRIATE REFERRAL ARE COVERED BY MEDICARE.

Our written reports are sent to you by registered mail, within two weeks of the assessment date. Immediate reports may be provided in special circumstances. These are prepared and mailed within two days of the assessment (Note: extra charge applies).

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE OFFER A MEANS-TESTED OPTION FOR FAMILIES EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. DEPENDING ON THE ASSESSMENT REQUIRED, WE OFFER 30% TO 50% OFF OUR STANDARD FEES. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR MEANS-TESTED OPTION FAMILIES NEED TO BE ISSUED BY A CURRENT CENTRELINK HEALTHCARE CARD OR MEET THE LOW INCOME TEST REQUIREMETS (MORE INFORMATION: HERE ).

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Call: 0421 812 198
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