Initial Assessment
All families start with an intake behaviour assessment. This consists of a 2 hour appointment in our Penrith Clinic, with our clinical director. We will assess your child and their needs through an interview and observation. We also provide you with a summary report of our assessment, results and recommendations for the next steps. To learn more, book your free consult today:
Our Intake Process
Our initial intake assessment consists of a 2 hour appointment, in our clinic with our clinical director. In this appointment, our clinical director will ask you questions about your child's interests, their skills, and any concerns you have about their behaviour or their development. We may also discuss your needs as a family, and any relevant additional considerations we may take into account to support you moving forward.
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Our assessments are primarily interview and observation based, and do not require your child to directly engage with our clinical director. This is intentional - as we feel that it is unreasonable to expect young children to come into a new clinic, and engage with someone they do not know or may not feel immediately comfortable with. We allow children to take their time in this appointment, and always attend to their needs first throughout the entire assessment. If they would like to engage with our staff, we will reciprocate, and take the time to observe and follow their lead, but we will not ask them to demonstrate anything in particular unless led by them.
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We utilise a range of developmental assessments, and tailor this to each child. Common assessments we use include the Early Start Denver Model Checklist, the VB-MAPP, EFL Checklist, PEAK Assessment, and the Vineland-3 Adaptive Behaviour Scales. These assessments look at a range of developmental domains including language and communication, social skills, play skills, and cognitive skills, to help us identify where your child may need support. These assessments can also be helpful when you are considering seeking a formal diagnosis. We do not conduct diagnostic testing, and cannot diagnose children with Autism, however, we can help you identify if there are concerns that you can then raise with your general practitioner, or paediatric psychologist. If in doubt, we always recommend talking to your health care professional.
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After your appointment, our clinical director will spend an additional two hours, writing a summary report for you. This will include the results of any developmental assessment conducted, and recommendations for your child's therapy plan. This may also include a funding recommendation as required and can be submitted to the NDIS as evidence. Also, you can request a copy to your paediatrician as supporting documentation to assist them in the diagnostic process.