At Elevate Psychology, we provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for children and adolescents in Melbourne, supporting families across the Bayside and South-Eastern suburbs.
Many families seek assessment when they notice ongoing difficulties with attention, impulsivity, emotional regulation, organisation, or learning. Others are responding to school feedback about concentration, behaviour, or academic performance.
Our approach is structured, developmentally informed and collaborative. We work closely with parents, young people and (where appropriate) schools or other third parties to ensure a balanced and accurate understanding of your child’s strengths and challenges.
We regularly see families from:
If you are searching for a child ADHD assessment in Inner East Melbourne or Bayside ADHD testing for children, our team can assist.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention regulation, impulse control and executive functioning.
In children and teenagers, ADHD may present as:
Symptoms must be present across settings (e.g., home and school) and have begun in childhood to meet diagnostic criteria.
A thorough ADHD assessment helps to clarify whether behaviours reflect ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, or other developmental factors. An initial intake session will determine whether a thorough ADHD assessment is recommended, before you make a decision to progress through to the full assessment.
See our Frequently Asked Questions guide for more information about ADHD and ADHD assessment in children and adolescents.
Parents often seek assessment when:
Early identification allows for targeted support and reduces the risk of secondary concerns such as low self-esteem or school disengagement.
Our assessments align with current diagnostic standards and best-practice guidelines. The process typically includes:
(1 hour | telehealth or face-to-face)
This initial appointment focuses on getting to know the individual beyond presenting concerns. We explore developmental history, strengths, interests, sensory experiences, learning styles, and current challenges.
Together, we determine the most appropriate assessment pathway and select assessment tools that best reflect the individual’s profile.
Assessment sessions involve structured and interactive activities designed to understand how your child or young person:
The number and length of sessions vary depending on the assessment type and individual needs. These appointments may occur over several weeks and are discussed during the intake session.
Breaks, pacing adjustments, and accommodations are provided to support comfort and accessibility throughout the process.
To understand experiences across contexts, questionnaires and background information may be gathered from parents, caregivers, teachers, or other supports (where appropriate and with consent).
This helps ensure assessment findings reflect real-world experiences rather than performance in a single setting.
Standardised assessment tools are interpreted alongside developmental history, environmental factors, and lived experience. Results are considered within a neuroaffirming framework that recognises neurological differences as natural variations in human development.
Depending on the type of assessment you are having you will receive a detailed report describing some or all of the following:
Reports are written to support understanding across home, school, workplace, and healthcare settings.
(1 hour | telehealth or face-to-face)
The psychologist will discuss findings in a supportive and collaborative way, ensuring results are clearly understood and questions are welcomed. Guidance regarding paediatric or psychiatric referral will also be provided if required. We also discuss practical next steps and supports moving forward. The written report is provided during this session.
A significant portion of assessment work occurs outside appointment times, including reviewing background information, scoring assessments, clinical interpretation, consultation, and report preparation.
Our assessments reflect Elevate Psychology’s core principles:
We understand that seeking assessment can feel overwhelming. Our role is to provide clarity and practical guidance to help you provide effective support for your child.
If you are seeking clarity regarding attention, learning or behavioural concerns, our team at Elevate Psychology can help.
Contact us to enquire about child and adolescent ADHD assessment in Melbourne’s Inner East or Bayside suburbs, or to discuss whether this service is appropriate for your family.
Parents often consider an ADHD assessment when they notice persistent patterns such as:
If these patterns occur across multiple environments (such as home and school) and have been present for some time, an assessment can help clarify whether ADHD and/or other factors may be contributing.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition and so, to meet diagnostic criteria for an ADHD diagnosis, symptoms must be present during childhood. A formal assessment is usually most helpful once children are school-aged (around 6 years or older).
At this stage, classroom expectations make attention, organisation, emotional management and impulse regulation more visible. Adolescents can also be assessed if attention difficulties become more apparent in high school, which can often occur as subjects become more challenging for the young person. For young women, puberty can exacerbate ADHD symptoms often meaning they get diagnosed from early adolescence onwards.
An ADHD assessment focuses on attention regulation, impulsivity and executive functioning. It typically includes clinical interviews and behavioural rating scales completed by parents and teachers. An ADHD assessment will also include a cognitive assessment, to consider intellectual functioning, working memory and processing speed.
A broader educational assessment evaluates areas in addition to intellectual functioning, process speed and working memory, such as:
In some cases, both types of assessment may be recommended to fully understand a child’s learning and attention profile.
See below for expected costs for our assessment offerings.
Assessment Type | Approx. Clinical Hours | Total Cost* |
Cognitive Assessment
| Approx. 6 hours | $1932 |
Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) Assessment | Approx. 8 hours | $2526 |
ADHD Assessment (Child/Adolescent) | Approx. 9 hours | $2823 |
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment (or ASD Combined Assessment with ADHD) | Approx. 10 hours | $3120 |
ADHD is considered a neurodevelopmental condition, meaning that attention differences often persist into adolescence and adulthood.
However, with appropriate supports, many children develop effective strategies and thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
Early identification allows families, schools and clinicians to put supports in place that help children build skills and confidence over time.
Even when a child does not meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, an assessment can still provide valuable insight.
Attention and learning difficulties can sometimes be related to:
A comprehensive assessment helps clarify these possibilities and provides recommendations to support your child at home and school.
An initial intake session with your assessing psychologist will determine whether an assessment is recommended at this stage, or whether other steps (e.g. treatment for anxiety) is recommended prior to undertaking an assessment.
No referral is required to book an ADHD assessment with a psychologist.
If medication is being considered following assessment, your child will usually need to consult with a paediatrician or child psychiatrist, who are the medical specialists responsible for prescribing ADHD medication in Australia.
The assessment report can be shared with your GP or paediatrician to help guide further care.
Psychologists are trained to conduct comprehensive ADHD assessments and provide a diagnostic formulation based on recognised diagnostic criteria.
The assessment process typically involves:
In Australia, psychologists can provide an ADHD diagnosis within an assessment report, which may then be used to guide educational supports, therapy planning or medical consultation.
If medication is being considered, a paediatrician or psychiatrist must also assess the child, as these medical specialists are responsible for prescribing medication. A psychologist’s assessment report will inform diagnosis in this instance.
ADHD is not typically covered under NDIS. Please consult with the NDIS office on 1800 800 110. Your child may be eligible for NDIS funding on the basis of a different neurodevelopmental diagnosis (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder).
ADHD and anxiety can sometimes look similar because both can affect concentration and behaviour. For example, a child who appears distracted or disengaged in class may be experiencing either:
Some general differences include:
ADHD
Anxiety
You can learn more about this topic here: Understanding The Differences Between ADHD, Anxiety and Learning Difficulties.
A comprehensive assessment helps determine whether challenges are best explained by ADHD, anxiety, learning differences, or a combination of factors.
Yes. A detailed ADHD assessment report can be helpful in supporting conversations with your child’s school.
The report may assist schools in understanding:
Depending on the school and the child’s needs, this information may contribute to adjustments such as:
With your consent, the report can be shared with teachers or wellbeing staff to help ensure recommendations are implemented in a supportive and collaborative way.
