Psychology Assessments for Children & Teens
Comprehensive psychology assessments to better understand your child’s strengths, support needs, and development.
Comprehensive assessments help build a deeper understanding of how children and teenagers think, communicate, learn, and experience and engage with the world. At Beam Health, our multidisciplinary teams work collaboratively to explore each young person’s strengths, differences, and support needs to provide clear, practical recommendations that support wellbeing, learning, participation and confidence.
Our multidisciplinary assessment team works collaboratively to provide clear, practical recommendations that support wellbeing, learning, participation and confidence.
Assessments are tailored to your child or teen and provide practical insights and recommendations to support participation, wellbeing, and confidence at home, school, and in the community.
How We Can Help
Psychological assessments provide a supportive and comprehensive way to understand your child or teen’s unique profile. At Beam, we work with children and teenagers across our clinics in Newcastle, the Central Coast, Cessnock, and Brisbane North. We offer assessments for ADHD, Autism, learning differences, cognitive functioning, academic skills, developmental needs, functional behaviour, and more.
Our clinicians take a neuroaffirming approach, ensuring each young person feels respected, understood, and supported throughout the process. Insights gained from the assessment are translated into clear, practical recommendations for use in therapy, at home, at school, and in everyday life, helping families move forward with clarity and confidence.
Locations
Areas of Support
ADHD
An ADHD assessment is a comprehensive process that helps build a clearer understanding of how your child’s attention, concentration, energy and regulation patterns show up in daily life.
It explores how these patterns align with the criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while also considering other factors that may be contributing. You will receive a comprehensive report that recognises your child’s strengths and differences, along with tailored recommendations to support wellbeing at home, at school, and in social settings.
Autism
An autism assessment is a collaborative process that aims to understand your child or teen’s unique ways of thinking, communicating, learning and interacting with the world.
It explores whether your child meets criteria for Autism under the DSM-5-TR, while also providing clear, personalised recommendations for support, regardless of whether a formal diagnosis is made. The focus is on recognising and valuing strengths and differences, and supporting connection, wellbeing, and understanding.
Intellectual / Cognitive
Cognitive assessments explore how your child thinks, learns, and processes information.
These assessments provide valuable insight into areas such as memory, reasoning, attention, executive functioning and problem-solving, helping us build a clear picture of your child’s unique cognitive profile. By identifying strengths and areas where support may be helpful, we can guide strategies that support learning, confidence, and development.
Academic / Achievement
Academic or achievement assessments explore your child’s learning profile across areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics.
These assessments help identify learning differences, including giftedness, dyslexia, or dyscalculia, and provide insight into strengths and areas where support may be helpful. The goal is to guide personalised strategies that support progress, confidence, and success in school, tutoring, or other learning environments.
Developmental (Bayley 4 A & NZ)
Developmental assessments can be completed for children aged 1 month to 3.5 years old.
These assessments provide a comprehensive snapshot of your child’s development across areas such as communication, motor skills, social interaction, and problem-solving. They help identify developmental differences or delays, as well as areas of strength, supporting early identification and informed decisions about intervention and supports.
Functional Behaviour
A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) helps us understand why certain behaviours occur by examining the situations surrounding them.
This includes gathering information about what happens before, during, and after a behaviour, as well as considering factors such as environment, sensory needs, emotional state, and relationships.
Using a neuroaffirming approach, an FBA helps us better understand how your child experiences the world, so we can work together to develop supports that reduce stress and increase comfort, safety, and understanding. These assessments often form part of a broader behaviour support plan, with practical strategies for home, school, and community settings.
Meet our Children's Assessment Team
FAQs
What is the assessment process like at Beam?
Below is a general guide. Your clinician may adjust the process to best understand your child. They will always confirm with you what is needed at each step of the process.
Assessments usually begin with parent- or carer-only sessions to gather developmental history, understand your concerns, and clarify assessment goals.
Your child will then attend one or more sessions, where we use a mix of structured activities, standardised assessments, and observations. Depending on their age and comfort level, you may be invited to join the session.
We also gather information through questionnaires completed by parents and educators.
After all sessions are complete, we prepare a comprehensive report and provide a feedback session to discuss the findings and recommendations together.
Why are there parent-only sessions?
These sessions help us understand your child’s development history, current needs, and overall context.
They are also designed to ensure conversations are developmentally appropriate and that your child does not need to sit through long or sensitive discussions.
My child’s school has already done part of the assessment. Can you use this?
Yes. We welcome previous assessments, reports and school information. These can provide valuable context and may reduce duplication. However, we still need to complete our own standardised components to ensure clinical accuracy and meet reporting requirements.
How long does the assessment take from start to finish?
Most assessments take around 6 to 8 weeks from intake through to feedback. This can vary depending on availability, complexity, and the speed at which information is gathered.
Why is the process so expensive?
Assessments involve many hours of clinician time, including interviews, testing, scoring, interpretation, and report writing.
Our clinicians are highly trained and adhere to best-practice standards to ensure that reports are accurate, meaningful, and tailored to your child.
We offer payment plans to help families manage costs.
Are there public options for assessments if we can’t afford private fees?
There may be lower-cost options through public health services, school counsellors, or paediatricians, although wait times can be long.
Medicare rebates may be available for certain types of assessments when referred by a paediatrician. We recommend speaking with your GP about referral pathways and available supports.
Can we pay for the assessment in instalments?
Yes. We offer payment plans to help families manage costs. Please speak with our Intake team to discuss what might work best for you.
Why can the price change?
Costs may vary depending on the type of assessment, complexity, and whether additional sessions or testing are required.
Some examples of times we may need additional sessions include completing a school observation, conducting additional interview sessions with alternative support people (educators), or adding additional assessments to support an accurate diagnosis.
We’ll always discuss any changes with you before proceeding.
Do assessments have to be completed by a Clinical Psychologist?
Not necessarily. Our team includes Educational and Developmental Psychologists, Clinical Psychologists and other Registered Psychologists with expertise in assessments. All reports meet professional standards and are suitable for schools, NDIS, and other services.
While all our clinicians are trained and skilled in assessments, we offer a co-sign from one of our Clinical Psychologists to support NDIS applications. This is already factored into the assessment fee.
We’re not sure which assessment we need. What should we do?
Start with a free intake call. Our team will help clarify your concerns and recommend the most appropriate assessment pathway
My child had an assessment a few years ago. Can you reassess them?
Yes. Reassessments are common, especially if circumstances have changed or updated information is needed for school or NDIS. Sometimes, there is a minimal time required between assessment and reassessment. Our Intake team will talk you through this process and determine the appropriate next steps for you.
What’s the difference between assessments completed by a paediatrician and a psychologist?
Paediatricians typically focus on medical and developmental diagnoses, such as physical health or neurological conditions. Psychologists assess cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and learning profiles. These approaches can complement each other depending on your child’s needs.
Can I use this assessment for NDIS funding purposes?
Assessments can support NDIS access and provide evidence of your child’s functional needs. While a diagnosis may support an application, it doesn’t guarantee NDIS funding. We aim to ensure our reports are clear, comprehensive, and aligned with NDIS requirements. If you need specific documentation, please let us know during the process.
Why is cognitive assessment part of the learning difficulties (e.g., dyslexia) process?
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty, meaning that difficulties with reading/writing occur within the context of otherwise typical development and learning abilities. Cognitive testing helps determine whether these literacy challenges are specific to reading/writing rather than indicative of a broader learning difficulty or cognitive challenge.
This is essential for identifying learning disorders such as dyslexia and tailoring support strategies.
What is a neuroaffirming assessment?
At Beam Health, we work within a neuroaffirming framework.
This means we focus on understanding your child or teen’s unique neurotype, strengths, and support needs, rather than viewing differences as deficits.
The goal is to provide meaningful insights and practical recommendations that support your child’s development, wellbeing, and participation across home, school, and community settings, in ways that recognise and respect who they are.
Does Beam offer adult assessments?
Yes. We offer adult assessments for ADHD, Autism, Intellectual/Cognitive, Academic/Achievement, and Functional Behaviour.
See our Assessments for Adults page for more information.
Can someone else bring my child to the assessment?
Ideally, a parent, carer, or legal guardian should attend with the child, as they can provide important background information and help the child feel safe and supported. If someone else needs to bring your child, they should be someone close to the child and familiar with their history. We’ll need to know in advance and approve this arrangement, and we may still require a separate parent/carer session.
Is there a Medicare rebate for assessments?
Medicare rebates are generally not available for psychological assessments unless they form part of a specific treatment plan. We recommend speaking with your GP or paediatrician to explore available options.
Can I claim assessments on private health insurance?
Some private health funds offer rebates for psychological services. Please check with your provider about your level of cover.
Will I attend the assessment with my child?
This depends on your child’s age and the type of assessment. For younger children, parents may be present for parts of the session. For older children and teens, assessments are usually conducted one-on-one. However, our team is very flexible and accommodating to whatever helps you and your child feel comfortable and supported.
Do you contact my child’s school?
We will only contact the school with your written consent, and on occasions, the school will also ask for your consent to speak with us.
School input can be very helpful, and we may request teacher questionnaires or speak with staff to better understand your child’s learning environment. Many diagnoses require evidence of difficulties across multiple contexts, so hearing from your educators can count as one of those contexts.
