Autism Assessment
Melbourne
Comprehensive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment by clinical psychologists in Melbourne.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
“If you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism”
Dr Stephan Shore
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), sometimes referred to simply as autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition underpinned by differences in an individual’s brain (WHO, 2025). Throughout childhood and adolescence, the human brain develops extensively, giving rise to new ways of thinking, feeling, behaving, and perceiving the world. Whilst “neurotypical” children may follow a standard trajectory of brain development throughout this period, autistic children may develop ways of thinking, feeing, behaving and perceiving that are different from the norm (Holanda et al., 2025). Autism can therefore be considered a “difference” rather than a “disorder” – however, significant differences in the way someone communicates, perceives, thinks, feels and behaves can be difficult when a neurodivergent person must operate in a neurotypical world. Comprehensive autism assessment can shed light on your child’s unique strengths, differences, and challenges – information that will support them navigate life and meeting challenges with the right foot forward.
When Should You Consider an ASD Assessment?
You might be considering an ASD assessment for your child based on a recommendation made by the school, paediatrician, occupational therapist, or someone else. Alternatively, you might be considering an ASD assessment because you have noticed some signs that suggest your child might have autism.
Common signs of Autism include:
- Social communication Differences: Difficulty with two-was conversations, understanding neuro-typical body language, and developing/maintaining relationships with others.
- Differences in non-verbal behaviour: avoiding eye contact, difficulty understanding facial expressions, and tone of voice.
- Restricted and repetitive behaviour and/or interests: Engaging in repetitive movements or speech, insisting on ridged routines, experiencing high levels of distress due to change.
- Sensory seeking or avoiding behaviour: May enjoy intense sensory stimulation (sensory seeking) or find relatively benign sensory stimulation intolerable (sensory avoiding).
- Difficulty understanding the perspectives of others.
- Emotional dysregulation when routines are changed or unexpected events occur.
- Intense and narrow interests.
ASD Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Other Statistics
In 2022, there were 290,000 (1.1% of the population) Autistic Australians, an increase of 41.8% from the number observed in 2018 (205,200 individuals, or 0.8% of the population; ABS, 2022).
4.3% of people in Australia aged between 5 to 14 years are Autistic (ABS, 2022).
Males are twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism than females (ABS, 2022). However, the prevalence of autism in females has increased significantly in recent years, as the unique presentation of autism for girls is further understood (Cook et al., 2024).
Need for Assistance
Autistic individuals often require assistance and support in one or more areas of everyday life. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Autism in Australia, 2022 research publication, 59.2% of individuals with ASD needed assistance with at least one activity (i.e., self-care, school, work, household chores, community access etc) on a daily basis.
Comorbidity and Other Associations
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with several other mental health conditions, as well as several unique and well-documented cognitive profiles.
- 47.8%of children with Autism also have a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit-Hyperactive Disroder (ADHD; Rong et al., 2021).
- 40% of children with Autism also present with an anxiety disorder (Zaboski & Storch, 2018).
- Some research has found that autistic individuals may demonstrate strengths in abstract visual-spatial reasoning and pattern detection (Stevenson & Gernsbacher, 2013; Sharkey & Nickl-Jockschat, 2023).
- Many autistic individuals show a strong ability to understand systems or rules and structure, which may support learning and problem-solving (Woods & Estes, 2023)
- Since comorbidity between Autism and other diagnoses like ADHD is so high, it is important to screen for these during assessment. If signs of other comorbidities reveal themselves, it is important to fully assess the child’s psychological profile. At Social Skills Melbourne, we can assess for a range of diagnoses, including ADHD, Specific Learning Disorders, and Intellectual Disability. Explore our Psychological Assessment page to understand the full range of assessments we conduct.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment
According to the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Australia (2022), Autism-Spectrum-Disorder assessment should align with the Diagnostic Criteria for ASD outlined in the DSM-5-TR.
Summary of DSM-V-TR criteria:
- A. Persistent differences in social-emotional reciprocity, non-verbal communication and the development/maintenance of interpersonal relationships.
- B: Restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interest, sensory seeking or avoiding behaviour.
- Symptoms must be present from early development, cause clinically significant impairment, and not be better explained by intellectual disability alone.
Autism Assessment emphasizes a multi-method approach, typically including:
A clinical interview capturing the child’s developmental history, early behaviour, family and functional impact
Cognitive Assessment (when indicated), that measures and quantifies the individuals intellectual, executive, adaptive and learning functionality. Whilst this is not mandatory, it is almost always beneficial to the client.
Direct Observation of the child, either through the use of psychometric tools or structured environmental observations.
Adaptive functioning analysis investigating daily living skills, communication and social independence.
Standardised questions on ASD symptoms.
The guideline also strongly emphasizes screening for ADHD, anxiety and mood , intellectual disability, as well as language disorders and possible traumatic experiences.
ASD Assessment at Social Skills Melbourne
ASD assessment and diagnosis is based on information gathered through clinical interview, observation, and psychometric testing. It is important to gather evidence from a range on individuals, including the child’s parents, teachers/educators, and the child themselves.
This process identifies the child’s unique strengths and challenges, informs diagnostic formulation and identifies areas for intervention.
A comprehensive report with detailed recommendations will be provided at the end of the assessment process.
Book an Autism Assessment Today
We routinely assess, diagnose and treat Autism and other neuro-developmental disorders in young people aged 6 – 18. If you are interested in an Autism-Spectrum-Disorder (ASD) assessment for your child/adolescent, contact us today and we will speak with you as soon as possible.
How Can We Help With Autism?
Our core service at Social Skills Melbourne is to deliver evidence based social skills group therapy to neurodivergent children aged 4 to 12. Structured group programs like the Secret Agent Society work to develop the social competence and emotional regulation skills that can sometimes be challenging for children with Autism and other neurodivergence to build on their own. Whilst Secret Agent Society is designed for children aged 8 to 12, our other groups like the Westmead Feelings Program and Friends & Feelings Program are appropriate for children between the age of 6 to 12, and the PEERS for Pre-schoolers program is designed to teach foundational social and communication skills to pre-schoolers as young as 4 years.
In addition, if you you are seeking individual therapy, we have availability to see clients in a one-on-one session.