The developmental assessments we run in Wattle Glen are designed to fill in the blanks of what we don’t quite know. Some will provide a more holistic view of your child’s situation. Others will zoom into details such as range and depth of communication, social, emotional, behavioural, daily living, and physical skills. Yet others paint a picture of your child’s mental health.
As soon as you have an inkling that something is not “right”, assessments and diagnostics should be your first stop. You may have been referred here by a teacher, GP, paediatrician in Wattle Glen, or even a fellow parent with previous experience. The reason your child needs an assessment is to benchmark ability and potential. From there, we’ll have a better idea of their goals and the steps we need to take to help them make progress.
Some assessments will be able to give us an indication of possible co-existing conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or dyslexia. Other assessments will provide a diagnosis such as developmental language disorder, developmental coordination disorder, or stuttering. Knowing can be scary. But, the sooner we find out, the faster we can do something about it - and the better your child’s chances of making long-term progress.
In an oral language assessment, your child will listen to and talk in words,
sentences, and stories to identify strengths and areas for improvement in
receptive and expressive oral language.
Assesses communication, social interaction, emotional regulation, behaviour,
and interests as part of a multidisciplinary diagnostic process.
Evaluates literacy and numeracy skills including reading, writing, spelling,
and mathematics compared with age expectations.
Examines speech sound production and clarity compared to other children
of the same age.
Measures stuttering frequency and severity and supports fluent communication plans.
Focuses on understanding social cues, conversation skills,
non‑verbal communication, and emotional expression.
Identifies children at risk for speech, language, or learning difficulties
before starting school.
Analyses behavioural patterns, emotional wellbeing, and developmental needs.
Comprehensive evaluation of emotional and psychological wellbeing
conducted by qualified professionals.
Assesses gross and fine motor skills, coordination, balance, and strength.
Evaluates cognitive abilities and supports tailored learning
and therapy planning.
Families may wish to use funding to help pay for the cost of assessment. If you already have NDIS funding then you can use your child’s NDIS funds for assessment. Children under the age of seven may be able to get NDIS funding based on needing a range of support from multiple professionals such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and psychologists. Children under the age of seven do not need a diagnosis to get NDIS early childhood funding. Typically children above the age of seven do need a diagnosis to get NDIS funding or to continue to get NDIS funding. You may like to get an assessment for this purpose. NDIS funds may be managed by the NDIA (agency managed), managed by an external plan manager (plan managed), or managed by yourself (self managed). I am able to provide services to all NDIS participants.
Funding may be available to help you in tackling your child’s challenges through Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The cost of therapy can add up. Families will find it helpful to tap into whatever assistance that may be available to them. Funding may also be available to help your child at school, develop their academic skills, and support their teacher and other school staff. Funding will be one of the first things for us to consider when completing assessments with your child.
Families may also be able to use their private health insurance to cover some of the cost of assessment. The amount that is covered depends on the private health insurance company so check with your private health insurer.
Families may also be able to get a rebate from Medicare to cover some of the cost of assessment. You will need to get a referral from a medical professional such as a general practitioner (GP) or paediatrician to be able to get a Medicare rebate. A GP can start a chronic disease management plan (previously enhanced primary care plan) for a paediatrician or other specialist can write a referral with medicare items (typically Medicare item 110 or 116) to cover some of the cost of assessment. The Medicare rebate that you receive from a paediatrician or specialist is higher than the rebate from a GP (approximately $55 rebate for a referral from a GP and $77 rebate for a referral from a specialist).
Only one type of funding (NDIS, Medicare, private health insurance) may be used to cover some of the cost of assessment.
