Autism & ADHD Assessments

What an Assessment Is — and Isn’t

An Autism or ADHD assessment is a structured process designed to help you better understand how your brain works, how you experience the world, and how lifelong patterns of thinking, feeling, relating, and functioning may fit within a neurodevelopmental framework.

At SHIPS, assessment is not simply a checklist or test result. It is a collaborative clinical process across several/multiple sessions that integrates your lived experience, developmental history, strengths, challenges, and current functioning.

An assessment is:

• Space to make sense of long-standing patterns or questions about yourself

• Comprehensive exploration of attention, regulation, communication, sensory experience, and daily functioning

• A process that may support access to accommodations, supports, or self-advocacy

• An opportunity to develop a more compassionate and coherent understanding of yourself

An assessment is not:

• A quick test or single-session diagnosis

• A judgement about your personality, intelligence, or worth

• A search for “deficits” or “problems”

• A guarantee of receiving a diagnosis

Please note: If you require a report to support an NDIS application, please let us know at the time of the booking.

Neuro-Affirming Values

SHIPS conducts Autism and ADHD assessments within a neuro-affirming and trauma-informed framework.

While diagnostic systems such as the DSM-5-TR describe Autism and ADHD as disorders, we understand neurodivergence as a natural variation in human neurodevelopment rather than a flaw or failure.

Diagnosis is used as a tool for understanding — not a label of limitation.

Our approach recognises that many people — particularly adults, women, gender-diverse people, and individuals with trauma histories — have learned to mask, compensate, or adapt in ways that may obscure their neurodevelopmental differences.

We therefore prioritise:

• Lived experience alongside clinical data

• Strengths as well as challenges

• Context, identity, and environment

• Respectful and non-pathologising language wherever appropriate

Who This Assessment Is For

This service may be suitable if you:

• Have suspected you may be autistic or have ADHD and are looking for support

• Experience ongoing challenges with attention, organisation, sensory processing, social communication, or emotional regulation

• Have received previous mental health diagnoses that never fully explained your experiences

• Want clarity to support self-understanding, workplace or study accommodations, or therapeutic planning

Our assessments are designed primarily for adults seeking thoughtful, comprehensive evaluation, particularly those who may have been overlooked or misunderstood earlier in life.

What Do I Receive at the End of the Assessment?

At the completion of the assessment process, your clinician will meet with you to discuss the outcome and recommendations.

You will receive:

• A detailed feedback session explaining findings and conclusions

• A comprehensive written assessment report

• Diagnostic results (where applicable)

• Individualised recommendations for supports, therapy, accommodations, onward referrals and resources

The report summarises the assessment process, integrates clinical findings, and provides practical guidance moving forward.

Who Conducts the Assessments?

Assessments are conducted by a registered psychologist at SHIPS who have completed specialised training in neuro-affirming Autism and ADHD assessment.

Clinicians receive additional training in structured assessment tools (including DIVA-5 and MIGDAS-2) and work aligned with SHIPS clinical guidelines to ensure assessments are consistent, respectful, and clinically meaningful.

Time Commitment

Autism and ADHD assessments are comprehensive processes completed over several stages.

The standard pathway includes:

• Initial screening phone call (15 minutes)

• Comprehensive intake session (50–100 minutes)

• Completion of questionnaires between sessions

• Diagnostic interview(s) (approximately 1.5 hours each)

• Assessment findings review session (50 minutes)

• Written diagnostic report (provided within 6 weeks)

• Optional follow-up 15 minute phone call

The full process typically unfolds over 8 - 12 weeks, from the commencement of the intake session, depending on scheduling and completion of assessment materials.

Emotional Considerations

Assessment can be a meaningful and sometimes emotional experience.

Many people find that reflecting on childhood experiences, lifelong patterns, or past misunderstandings brings up a range of feelings, including relief, grief, validation, confusion, or insight. This is a normal part of the process.

At SHIPS, we prioritise psychological safety and integration. Feedback sessions are designed to support understanding and emotional processing, not simply deliver results.

You are welcome to discuss any concerns with your clinician at any stage of the assessment process.

Cost Transparency

Autism and ADHD assessments involve multiple clinical sessions, detailed analysis, and comprehensive report preparation. Fees reflect the clinician and service’s time required to conduct a thorough and careful assessment.

During your screening call, you will receive:

• A clear explanation of the recommended assessment pathway

• The total package cost

• Payment structure information and timing

• An opportunity to ask questions before proceeding

Fees

• ADHD Assessment
  $2,000 + GST

• Autism Assessment
  $2,340 + GST

• Combined Autism & ADHD Assessment
  $2,800 + GST

Deposit Payment

After initial screening, and before the initial assessment, a deposit of $2,000 (plus GST) is required. The remaining balance, if required, is due following the initial intake session, once the assessment type has been confirmed.