PSYCHOLOGICAL & EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

When it comes to receiving an assessment for any psychological or education-related condition, there is no need to have a referral from a GP or other healthcare professional. Currently, we do not claim from NDIS or Medicare rebates to cover the fees of assessment, so a referral will not lead to a reduced cost.

As our assessments do not require referrals or NDIS eligibility, we can help you, a loved one, friend, or colleague receive an assessment. While some of our assessments are focused on young children, we do provide assessments for adults, such as with our autism assessment. Our assessment costs, as of 2025, range from $1,500 to $2,000.

The main difference between a psychological assessment and an educational assessment is what’s being evaluated. Psychological assessments look at the broader components of an individual’s mental health, cognitive functions, neurodevelopmental conditions, and/or behavioural patterns. 

These factors can impact a client’s day-to-day life and how they navigate the world. When an assessment is complete and a final diagnosis made, the client will be equipped with strategies and suggestions of what can be done to help them navigate their psychological condition. This could include ongoing therapy, medication, lifestyle adjustments, and more.

Educational assessments are focused on conditions or learning difficulties that impact an individual’s academic performance. These assessments will often focus on factors such as:

• Dyslexia (difficulty reading);
• Dyscalculia (difficulty with mathematics and numbers);
• Dysgraphia (difficulty with writing);
• Learning profiles (e.g. academically gifted or underachieving); and
• Overall school-readiness

The resulting findings of these educational assessments are typically used to inform school-based support for the client, implement individual learning plans, organise exam accommodations, and more.

In certain instances, there will be an overlap of psychological and educational assessment for some clients. For example, a child with autism may experience learning difficulties and will need to be assessed on this front along with their autism assessment.

There are several indicators that can help you determine if a learning difficulties assessment is necessary for your child. Three key learning difficulties to be mindful of are dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.

Dyslexia pertains to difficulties associated with reading, which can present itself as jumbling words, misreading or misspelling words, the need to reread text over and over to understand it, difficulty retaining information from what they read, delayed speech development, and more.

Dyscalculia relates to difficulties with numbers and mathematical equations. Your child may struggle to learn how to count, have difficulties recognising numbers, experience trouble with concepts of quantity, find it hard to tell the time, etc.

Dysgraphia pertains to issues with writing abilities and fine motor skills. Your child may struggle to hold a pencil properly, experiences difficulties drawing shapes or letters, has poor fine motor coordination, finds it difficult to trace shapes, etc.

These three are certainly worth keeping an eye on. But if you find your child is trailing behind any typical developmental milestones pertaining to their cognitive capacity and motor skills, it could be worth enquiring about an assessment.

We provide assessments for both adults and children, though certain assessments are exclusive to children. Here’s a breakdown of who we provide assessments to relative to the type of assessment being requested:

• Autism assessments: Adults, teenagers, and children.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) assessments: Adults, teenagers, and children.
• ADHD assessments: Adults, teenagers, and children.
• Dyslexia and learning difficulties assessments: Teenagers and children.
• IQ and intellectual disability testing: Adults, teenagers, and children.

Yes, they can. Having an official diagnosis for different disabilities or learning difficulties can be helpful for receiving further support. In order to qualify for NDIS coverage for neurodevelopment disorders or intellectual disabilities, an individual needs to be properly assessed and formally diagnosed.

While educational assessments do not pertain to NDIS, the findings from these can be helpful in ensuring individuals get the proper support and accommodations from their school or educational facility.

Assessment times differ depending on the psychological or educational assessment being requested, and they’re often adjusted based on the needs of the individual being assessed. In general, however, most Conscious Healthcare SA assessments will involve a few sessions that take place over a few weeks or a couple of months. You’ll get a clear timeframe once the initial session is arranged.