Adult neurodivergence
assessment services

What do I assess?

ADHD (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, or combined presentation). ADHD affects attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and impulse control. Inattentive presentations are frequently missed in women and adults who have developed compensatory strategies.

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Autism (all presentations, including those previously described as Asperger’s). Autism involves differences in social communication, sensory processing, and patterns of thinking and behaviour. Many adults, particularly women and gender-diverse individuals, mask their autistic traits at significant personal cost.

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Combined autism and ADHD (AuDHD). Research consistently shows that 50 to 70 per cent of autistic individuals also meet criteria for ADHD (Rong et al., 2021; Attwood and Garnett, 2022). The AADPA Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for ADHD (2022) identifies autism as a high-risk group for co-occurring ADHD. These conditions interact in complex ways, and assessing for both simultaneously produces a more accurate and useful picture than assessing for one in isolation. I routinely screen for ADHD co-occurrence in every autism assessment.

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Cognitive profiling and learning differences. Using the WAIS-IV (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) and the Beery VMI (Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration), I can characterise your cognitive strengths and weaknesses across verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed, and visual-motor integration. This is particularly relevant for identifying Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD), supporting NDIS applications, or informing workplace accommodations.

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How do the assessments work?

Every assessment is tailored to the individual. The process typically involves three to four sessions, with the structure adjusted based on your referral reason, presentation, and whether you are seeking a clinical diagnosis, NDIS evidence, workplace accommodations, or a combination.

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Session 1: Clinical interview and screening (90 minutes)

I begin with a comprehensive clinical interview covering your current concerns, developmental history, schooling and academic experience, occupational history, relationships, mental health background, and what prompted you to seek assessment. Before or between sessions, you complete a set of validated screening questionnaires through NovoPsych (a secure digital assessment platform). For ADHD assessments, these include the ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and the WURS-25 (Wender Utah Rating Scale, measuring childhood symptoms). For autism assessments, these include the AQ (Autism Quotient), RAADS-R (Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale), and the CAT-Q (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire), which measures masking effort and is particularly important for women and gender-diverse individuals. Mood and anxiety screening (DASS-21 or PHQ-9 and GAD-7) is included in every assessment to support differential diagnosis.

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Session 2: Diagnostic interview (60-120 minutes)

This is the core diagnostic session. For ADHD, I use the DIVA-5 (Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults), a structured interview that systematically evaluates all 18 DSM-5 criteria across both adulthood and childhood, with concrete behavioural examples for each criterion and impairment assessment across five life domains. Where possible, a partner or family member joins for the childhood history section. The DIVA-5 is referenced in the AADPA Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for ADHD and produces documentation that meets PBS eligibility requirements for adult ADHD medications. Validation studies of the DIVA-5 report diagnostic accuracy of 92 per cent, with sensitivity of 91.3 per cent and specificity of 93.6 per cent (Hong et al., 2020).

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For autism, I use the MIGDAS-2 (Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing Autism Spectrum), a narrative, sensory-based interview that captures your internal experience, compensatory strategies, and the effort behind your social presentation. I choose MIGDAS-2 over observation-based tools like the ADOS-2 because it is better suited to late-diagnosed adults, particularly women and high-masking individuals, who may present as socially competent in a structured observation setting while experiencing substantial daily difficulties. Research demonstrates reduced diagnostic sensitivity of the ADOS-2 for females (Rea et al., 2023; Kamp-Becker et al., 2018), with women and verbally fluent adults more likely to score below diagnostic thresholds despite meeting criteria on comprehensive assessment. The MIGDAS-2 addresses this gap by centring your subjective experience rather than relying on observable behaviour alone.

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I also review NovoPsych results and any collateral documents (school reports, previous assessments, medical records) during this session.

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Session 3: Extended assessment (if needed, 60 to 150 minutes)

A third session is scheduled when the clinical picture is complex. This may involve further differential diagnostic assessment (distinguishing ADHD from anxiety, autism from complex trauma, or clarifying personality presentations), an additional collateral interview, or cognitive testing using the WAIS-IV and Beery VMI. For NDIS-focused assessments, this session often includes adaptive functioning measurement (ABAS-3) and additional cognitive or executive function testing to provide the quantified evidence the NDIA requires.

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Report preparation and feedback

After the assessment sessions are complete, I prepare a comprehensive diagnostic report. This includes a full DSM-5-TR diagnostic formulation with criteria mapping, integration of clinical interview, psychometric, and collateral data, differential diagnosis reasoning, and tailored recommendations. For ADHD assessments designed to support the medication pathway, the report documents PBS eligibility criteria and is written to give the prescribing clinician the evidence base they need. For NDIS applications, the report addresses all five Section 24 criteria, documents functional capacity across relevant domains, and frames support recommendations in NDIS language. You receive your report and a dedicated feedback session to discuss the findings, ask questions, and plan next steps.

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What about specific assessments for women and gender-diverse adults?

Standard autism and ADHD diagnostic tools were developed and validated predominantly on boys and men. As a result, women, non-binary individuals, and anyone socialised female often present differently from what clinicians have been trained to recognise. ADHD in women tends to be more inattentive and internalised and is frequently misattributed to anxiety or depression. Autistic women and gender-diverse adults often develop sophisticated masking and compensatory strategies that can obscure their autistic traits from clinicians using observation-based assessments.

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022) found that males were more than twice as likely as females to be identified as autistic (1.6 per cent vs 0.7 per cent). This ratio has narrowed significantly from over 3:1 in 2018, reflecting growing recognition that autism in women and girls has been systematically underdiagnosed. Among adults aged 15 to 24, female autism identification nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022, from 0.9 per cent to 1.9 per cent (ABS, 2022).

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My assessment approach is specifically designed for these presentations. The CAT-Q, which I include in every autism assessment, measures the cost of camouflaging, compensation, and assimilation. For female clients, I also use the GQ-ASC (Girls Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Conditions, adapted for adult women), which was validated specifically for identifying autism in women. The MIGDAS-2 centres your internal experience rather than relying on observable behaviour, making it far more sensitive to presentations where the effort behind social competence is invisible from the outside.

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For women seeking assessment during perimenopause or menopause, hormonal changes can amplify previously compensated autistic or ADHD traits, erode masking capacity, and precipitate the crisis that leads to first-time referral. I include hormonal and menstrual history in the developmental interview for these clients and interpret cognitive and mood screening results in the context of hormonal status. What looks like a new onset of difficulties often turns out to be a lifelong pattern that hormonal changes have made unsustainable.

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What about NDIS assessment and reporting?

If you are seeking NDIS access or a plan review, your assessment report needs to do specific work beyond establishing a diagnosis. For autism at Level 1 (previously Asperger’s), the diagnosis alone will not secure access. The report must demonstrate substantially reduced functional capacity across at le

ast one NDIS domain, with quantified evidence and concrete examples. 

 

The NDIA requires evidence across five criteria under Section 24 of the NDIS Act 2013, including that the impairment is permanent, that functional capacity is substantially reduced, and that the person is likely to require support for their lifetime. In 2022, almost three quarters (73 per cent) of autistic Australians had a profound or severe disability (ABS, 2022), yet many adults with Level 1 autism are initially declined because their reports do not adequately document functional impact.

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My NDIS-focused assessments include adaptive functioning measurement (ABAS-3, self-report and informant) to provide standardised data across all six NDIS functional domains, cognitive assessment (WAIS-IV) to document the gap between intellectual ability and everyday functioning that is characteristic of autism without intellectual disability, and executive function assessment where indicated. The report addresses all five Section 24 criteria of the NDIS Act 2013, uses language that maps directly to the NDIA’s eligibility framework, and frames support recommendations as ongoing and disability-specific. I write these reports to give planners the evidence they need to allocate appropriate funding.

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Clinical diagnosis and self-identification

A clinical diagnosis is a formal assessment completed by a registered psychologist or psychiatrist using standardised diagnostic criteria (DSM-5-TR). It involves clinical interviews, validated questionnaires, developmental history, functional assessment, and differential diagnosis. The diagnosis becomes part of your medical record and enables access to NDIS funding, workplace accommodations under the Disability Discrimination Act, Medicare-rebated therapy, and PBS-listed ADHD medications.

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Self-identification is personal recognition of your neurodivergent traits without formal assessment. Many people self-identify after research, self-reflection, and connection with neurodivergent communities. This is valid and meaningful, particularly for those facing barriers to assessment such as cost, waitlists, or historical diagnostic bias.

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The distinction is practical. Self-identification helps you understand yourself, connect with community, and implement personal strategies. Clinical diagnosis is needed when you require formal documentation for funding, services, workplace adjustments, or medication access. Neither is superior. Some people find diagnosis validating and necessary; others find self-identification sufficient. Many engage with both at different times.

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Co-occurring conditions and differential diagnosis

Co-occurring presentations are the norm rather than the exception. Many neurodivergent adults also experience anxiety, depression, complex trauma (C-PTSD), OCD, eating disorders, or personality-related difficulties. These conditions share overlapping features, including concentration difficulties, emotional dysregulation, social withdrawal, executive functioning challenges, and sleep disturbance, which is why accurate assessment requires specific expertise in disentangling them.

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My role is to distinguish between lifelong neurodivergent traits and symptoms arising from mental health conditions by examining developmental history, symptom patterns across contexts, and how difficulties respond to treatment. Autistic social differences are typically consistent across the lifespan, while social anxiety fluctuates with stressors. ADHD inattention is pervasive, while depression-related concentration difficulties often improve with mood stabilisation. Emotional dysregulation in ADHD looks different from the emotion regulation difficulties in borderline personality or complex trauma presentations.

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Many people have unrecognised ADHD or autism because their symptoms were attributed to a mental health condition, or because their neurodivergence contributed to developing anxiety, depression, or trauma responses from years of misunderstanding. A thorough assessment acknowledges this complexity. Many people genuinely have both neurodevelopmental and mental health presentations requiring integrated support.

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What does ‘neuro-affirming’ means in my assessment practice?

Neuro-affirming assessment starts from the position that autism and ADHD are neurological variations with their own strengths, challenges, and support needs. The goal is understanding and support, not correction or conformity.

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In practice, this means I use assessment tools chosen for their sensitivity to diverse presentations, rather than defaulting to instruments validated on narrow populations. The MIGDAS-2 centres your experience; the CAT-Q measures the cost of masking rather than treating successful masking as evidence against autism. I use language that empowers rather than pathologises, recognise strengths alongside challenges, and understand that difficulties often arise from environments designed for neurotypical functioning rather than from something being wrong with you.

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Neuro-affirming practice does not mean lowering diagnostic standards. It means applying criteria thoughtfully, recognising that masking and compensation do not negate neurodivergence, and centring your lived experience as essential diagnostic information. The assessment should serve you by providing a framework for understanding yourself and accessing support, while honouring your autonomy and dignity regardless of outcome.

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What happens after assessment?

Assessment is the beginning, not the end. After your diagnostic feedback session, several pathways are available.

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• If you receive a diagnosis, I can provide ongoing therapy tailored to your neurodivergent profile, drawing on CBT, ACT, DBT, and trauma-informed approaches adapted for neurodivergent adults. For many late-diagnosed adults, post-diagnostic therapy involves reprocessing years of being misunderstood, building self-compassion, developing strategies that work with your neurology rather than against it, and reducing the need for exhausting masking.​

• If your assessment supports an ADHD diagnosis and you wish to explore medication, your diagnostic report is written to give the prescribing clinician (psychiatrist or GP) the evidence base they need, including PBS eligibility documentation. I can coordinate with your prescriber to ensure a smooth handover. Since 2023, PBS-listed stimulant medications for adult ADHD (including lisdexamfetamine and extended-release methylphenidate) require documented evidence of childhood symptom onset and current functional impairment. The assessment report is specifically structured to satisfy these requirements.​

• If you are pursuing NDIS access, your report is structured to address the NDIA’s eligibility criteria, and I can assist with the application process and provide supporting documentation for plan reviews.​

• For workplace-related needs, your assessment can inform accommodation recommendations, return-to-work planning, or fitness-to-work evaluations through my organisational psychology practice.

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Why this practice?

Several features distinguish my assessment approach.

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I assess ADHD, autism, and cognitive profiles under one roof, which means you do not need separate referrals to multiple practitioners. Combined (AuDHD) assessments are available as a single, integrated process rather than two independent assessments bolted together.

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My assessment tools are selected specifically for adult presentations and for the populations most frequently missed by traditional approaches: women, non-binary individuals, late-diagnosed adults, and people with high masking. I use the MIGDAS-2 for autism rather than observation-based tools, the DIVA-5 for ADHD rather than a checklist, and I include masking measurement (CAT-Q) as standard.

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I hold training in WAIS-IV administration and interpretation and use the Beery VMI for visual-motor integration assessment, enabling cognitive profiling, learning disability identification, and the quantified functional evidence that strengthens NDIS applications and workplace accommodation requests.

I am a registered NDIS provider and write reports tailored to the NDIA’s eligibility framework. I am also experienced in WorkSafe, TAC, and medicolegal assessment contexts.

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As a psychologist (rather than only an assessor), I offer continuity of care. If you want therapy after your assessment, you do not need to retell your story to someone new. I hold a PhD and Master of Psychology, AHPRA registration (PSY0001719709) with endorsement in organisational psychology, and full membership of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS) and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi). I am a registered NDIS provider and has completed formal training in WAIS-IV administration and interpretation. I have strong experience in DIVA-5 diagnostic interviewing, and MIGDAS-2 narrative assessment. My assessment practice is informed by the AADPA Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for ADHD (2022) and the NICE guidelines for autism diagnosis in adults (CG142).

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What are the Fees?

• ADHD assessment - $1,500 (Clinical interview, DIVA-5, NovoPsych battery, diagnostic report, and feedback session.)

• Autism assessment - $2,000 (Clinical interview, MIGDAS-2, NovoPsych battery, diagnostic report, and feedback session.)

• Combined autism and ADHD assessment - $2,500 (Integrated assessment process covering both conditions, diagnostic report, and feedback session.)

• Comprehensive cognitive assessment - From $2,500 (WAIS-IV, Beery VMI, cognitive profiling, learning disability screening. Fee varies with battery scope.)

• NDIS-focused assessment  Contact me for a quote

• Diagnosis plus adaptive functioning (ABAS-3), cognitive testing (WAIS-IV), and Section 24 reporting. Additional fee applies depending on the battery required.

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These fees cover all clinical interview sessions, psychometric testing, report preparation, and a diagnostic feedback session. Fees are typically billed across multiple sessions. Clients with a valid GP referral and Mental Health Care Plan may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on some consultation sessions. I recommend consulting your GP for a referral to Behavioural Edge Psychology if you may be eligible. 

 

Behavioural Edge Psychology is located in Caulfield South and St Kilda, with convenient access from across Melbourne's south-eastern and inner suburbs. Assessments are conducted in person at these consulting rooms.