Autism Assessment — Child Matters

At Child Matters | Teen Matters, our experienced team provides thorough and inclusive autism assessments tailored for individuals of all ages – children, teenagers, and adults alike.

Our assessments are meticulously carried out by our highly trained clinicians who adhere to gold standard practices, ensuring a comprehensive report and detailed feedback is provided at the conclusion of the process. Throughout it all, we strive provide a safe space and neuro-affirming experience for all involved.

We know that autism assessment can be a big undertaking, so we aim to make the process as comfy and enjoyable as possible. We offer our assessments at our Busselton location or, for our local child and teen clients, in the familiar surroundings of their home.

Discover more about our premises here.

PLEASE NOTE: Assessment wait times can be up to 6 months from the point at which requested information is returned.

Child Autism Assessments (up to 12 years old)

Initiating an autism assessment can feel like a daunting task for both you and your child. We offer extensive knowledge, clear guidance, and comprehensive information to ensure that the process is as supportive and seamless as possible.

We require a referral from a paediatrician, psychiatrist, or general practitioner to undertake your child’s autism assessment. This referral must specifically state the need for an autism assessment. We do not accept self-referrals.
Once we have received a referral, we will reach out to you to discuss our assessment process and request more information from you. As part of this, we will ask you to complete and return our autism assessment intake form.
Only once all requested documentation has been completed and returned to us will we be able to offer your child an assessment appointment time.
Please note, appointment wait times may be up to six months from the point at which we receive all completed documentation requested from you.
Your child’s assessment will take place at our Busselton premises, unless a home assessment is recommended. All families who live further than a one-hour radius of Busselton will be invited to attend our practice for their child's assessment.
Please allow at least 3 hours on the day.
Ideally all parents/carers of your child will attend the assessment and contribute to the information gathered. Please let us know if this will not be possible.
Our team will typically consist of three clinicians comprising of our psychologists and our speech pathologist. As part of this, they will simultaneously conduct one-to-one, face-to-face testing of language/social skills with your child and a comprehensive face-to-face interview with all parent(s)/carer(s).
If your child takes medication on a regular basis, please be sure that this is administered as per usual on the day.
We are unable to advise you on the day if your child meets autism criteria, as our team of clinicians who complete the assessment will need to collate all the information gathered and confer accordingly.
Our clinicians may need to contact or visit your child's school/day-care to gather further information and/or conduct additional observations. This is not always necessary and will only be done with your prior consent.
Our team will collate data, confer, and discuss findings before drafting a comprehensive report - this process takes 3-4 weeks. Once the draft report is complete, one of our clinicians will call you with the outcome and email the draft report for your review.
Once completed the final copy of the report will be provided to you and results sent to your child’s referring doctor.
If requested, we can offer a feedback session to discuss the report results with you and your child.
For all costs, please contact us on (08) 9751 2305.
The total cost of assessment is invoiced and emailed on the day of assessment, and payable within seven (7) days. If an appointment waitlist is in place, a deposit may be requested prior to secure the assessment date.
Once payment is received, receipts will be emailed to you.
Medicare rebates do not apply with general practitioner or public paediatrician referrals. You may be able to claim partial rebates back from Medicare, however Child Matters Teen Matters cannot guarantee rebates will apply for your family. Please contact Medicare to confirm your rebate. We also recommend families check that they are registered for the Medicare family safety-net (not as individuals) to maximise any rebates you may be eligible for.
Please note: Further cognitive/ adaptive behaviour testing may be required to confirm intellectual disability as a co-existing diagnosis. This is only required if requested by the referring doctor/specialist or flagged by our team on the day of assessment. Cost for this testing is not included in the fees quoted.

Teen Autism Assessments (13 to 17 years old)

Embarking on the journey of autism assessment for your teen is no small feat. We strive to provide thorough direction and support at every step to make sure the experience is smooth and reassuring for you.

We require a referral from a paediatrician, psychiatrist, or general practitioner to undertake your teen’s autism assessment. This referral must specifically state the need for an autism assessment. We do not accept self-referrals.
Once we have received a referral, we will reach out to you to discuss our assessment process and request more information from you. As part of this, we will ask you to complete and return our autism assessment intake form.
Only once all requested documentation has been completed and returned to us will we be able to offer your teen an assessment appointment time.
Please note, appointment wait times may be up to six months from the point at which we receive all completed documentation requested from you.
Your teen’s assessment will take place at our Busselton premises, unless a home assessment is recommended. All families who live further than a one-hour radius of Busselton will be invited to attend our practice for their teen's assessment.
The assessment takes place over two separate sessions:
- Session One is for a comprehensive face-to-face interview with all parent(s)/carer(s), without your teenager present. Ideally all parents/carers attend the assessment and contribute to the information gathered. Please allow 3 hours for this session.
- Session Two is for your teen only (unless otherwise requested), where our team will conduct one-to-one, face-to-face testing of language/social skills. Please allow 2 hours for this session.
The assessment team will typically consist of two psychologists. If your teen's paediatrician/psychiatrist/general practitioner indicates a significant language disorder should be considered, our speech pathologist will be added to the assessment team.
If your teen takes medication on a regular basis, please be sure that this is administered as per usual on the day.
We are unable to advise you on the day if your teen meets autism criteria, as our team of clinicians who complete the assessment will need to collate all the information gathered and confer accordingly.
Our clinicians may need to contact or visit your teen's school/day-care to gather further information and/or conduct additional observations. This is not always necessary and would not be done without your prior consent.
Our team will collate data, confer, and discuss findings before drafting a comprehensive report - this process takes 3-4 weeks. Once the draft report is complete, one of our clinicians will call you with the outcome and email the draft report for your review.
Once completed, the final copy of the report will be posted to yourself and your teen's referring doctor.
If requested, we can offer a feedback session to discuss the report results with you and your teen.
For all costs, please contact us on (08) 9751 2305.
The total cost of assessment is invoiced and emailed on the day of assessment, and payable within seven (7) days. If an appointment waitlist is in place, a deposit may be requested prior to secure the assessment date.
Once payment is received, receipts will be emailed to you.
Medicare rebates do not apply with general practitioner or public paediatrician referrals. You may be able to claim partial rebates back from Medicare, however Child Matters Teen Matters cannot guarantee rebates will apply for your family. Please contact Medicare to confirm your rebate. We also recommend families check that they are registered for the Medicare family safety-net (not as individuals) to maximise any rebates you may be eligible for.
Please note: Further cognitive/ adaptive behaviour testing may be required to confirm intellectual disability as a co-existing diagnosis. This is only required if requested by the referring doctor/specialist or flagged by our team on the day of assessment. Cost for this testing is not included in the fees quoted.

Adult Autism Assessments (from 18 years old)

We understand the significant impact that an autism assessment can have on individuals. Our top priority is to provide clear information and unwavering support throughout every step of the process. Our aim is to make the experience as manageable and comforting as possible, guiding you with transparency and empathy.

We require a referral from your psychiatrist or general practitioner to undertake your autism assessment. This referral must specifically state the need for an autism assessment. We do not accept self-referrals.
Once we have received a referral, we will reach out to you to discuss our assessment process and request more information from you. As part of this, we will ask you to complete and return our autism assessment intake form.
Only once all requested documentation has been completed and returned to us will we be able to offer you an assessment appointment time.
Please note, appointment wait times may be up to six months from the point at which we receive all completed documentation requested from you.
The assessment takes place here in our Busselton premises, and consists of one or two in-person sessions. These sessions will ideally involve a family member or significant other (either in person or via phone contact), and should be someone who knows you well - either now, as a child, or both. Please let us know if this is not possible.
Please allow two hours per session.
Our assessment team will typically consist of two psychologists and is conducted with a comfortable interview style format.
Please bring with you on the day (if possible) any old primary school reports you can locate as well as one or two photographs of you as a child.
If you take medication on a regular basis, please be sure to take this as per usual on the day.
Please do not bring children on the day.
We are unable to advise you on the day if you meet autism criteria, as our team of clinicians who complete the assessment will need to collate all the information gathered and confer accordingly.
Our clinicians may need to gather further information; however, this is not always necessary and would not be done without your prior consent.
Our team will collate data, confer, and discuss findings before drafting a comprehensive report - this process takes 3-4 weeks. Once the draft report is complete, one of our clinicians will call you with the outcome and email the draft report for your review.
Once completed, the final copy of the report will be posted to yourself and your referring general practitioner or psychiatrist.
If requested, we can offer a feedback session to discuss the report results with you.
For all costs, please contact us on (08) 9751 2305.
The total cost of assessment is invoiced and emailed on the day of assessment, and payable within seven (7) days. If an appointment waitlist is in place, a deposit may be requested prior to secure the assessment date.
Once payment is received, receipts will be emailed to you.
Medicare rebates may apply if you are under 25 and have a psychiatrist referral, however Child Matters Teen Matters cannot guarantee rebates will apply for your circumstances. Please contact Medicare to confirm your rebate. We also recommend that individuals check that they are registered for the Medicare family safety-net (not as individuals) to maximise any rebates you may be eligible for (under 25 years of age).

Absolutely. Our team consists of highly-trained clinicians who possess vast experience in diagnosing and assisting individuals with autism. Additionally, a clinical psychologist supervises all autism assessments to offer an extra layer of expertise for each individual's case.
Developing an understanding of oneself is important. Undertaking the process of self-discovery allows us all to lead more authentic lives, develop personally, make better-informed life decisions, and form genuine connections with others.
Our emphasis as a neuro-affirming practice is on highlighting strengths rather than weaknesses, and we strive to support our clients to embrace their uniqueness. Autism especially, in our view, is a remarkable and multifaceted neurotype that contributes to the world's creativity, order, kindness, and much more. While some harmful stereotypes persist, society is increasingly recognising the importance of listening to and celebrating the diverse voices of individuals with autism - and we love to see it!
We sure do! Our team has significant experience in diagnosing and providing support for girls and women with autism.
It's common for individuals assigned female at birth to experience delays in diagnosis. This is because previous research primarily concentrated on how autism manifests in males. Fortunately, the landscape is evolving, and we are thrilled to witness a growing research emphasis on understanding how autism manifests in females.
We do not provide formal ADHD diagnosis as part of our autism assessments. Nonetheless, autism and ADHD are frequently co-existing conditions, and we may observe ADHD characteristics during the autism assessment. If we believe that additional investigation for ADHD is necessary, we will suggest this in your assessment report for your specialist to consider.