Behaviour & emotional assessment for children and adolescents · Gold Coast Understanding what is driving your child's behaviour and emotions.
A structured assessment of behaviour, attention, anxiety and mood for children and adolescents. It draws on what parents and teachers see and on standardised rating scales, so that the right support can be chosen.
GP, paediatrician or school? Refer a child.
- Who this is for
- Children and adolescents whose behaviour, attention, worry or mood is a concern at home, at school or in both settings.
- What it can clarify
- What is driving the behaviour: attention and self-regulation, anxiety or mood, a learning difficulty, stress or change, or a combination, and what will help.
- What you receive
- A feedback discussion and a written report describing the pattern, the likely contributors and specific recommendations for home and school.
- Format
- A parent interview, standardised parent and teacher rating scales, time with your child where helpful, and a feedback appointment.
- Next step
- Request an assessment, or book a 15-minute discovery call if you are unsure whether this is the right assessment.
The same behaviour can have very different causes. A structured assessment tells them apart before a decision is made about what to do.
Difficult behaviour, meltdowns, withdrawal, school refusal or constant worry are usually the visible part of something else. That might be difficulty with attention and self-regulation, anxiety, low mood, a learning difficulty that makes school frustrating, or a response to stress or change.
When it helps
When a behaviour and emotional assessment helps
- Behaviour at home or school is hard to manage and the reasons are unclear, or differs markedly between home and school
- Worry, sadness, irritability or withdrawal has lasted for weeks and is affecting school, friendships or family life
- A school has raised concerns about attention, impulsivity or conduct
- A paediatrician, GP or family wants standardised information before deciding between therapy, school support and further assessment
Where autism or ADHD is the specific question, see our autism and ADHD assessment. Where learning is the main difficulty, see our cognitive and learning assessment. Where the picture is already clear, psychological therapy can begin without a separate assessment. If there is immediate risk to your child or others, contact your GP, the nearest emergency department, or call 000.
What is involved
What the assessment includes
A parent interview and developmental history: when the difficulties began, what tends to come before and after them, sleep, health, family and school circumstances, and what has already been tried. Age-normed rating scales completed by parents and, with your consent, teachers. These cover attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, anxiety, mood, conduct, social functioning and adaptive skills. They show how your child compares with others of the same age, and whether the picture is the same at home and at school. Time with your child where it adds information, including self-report questionnaires for older children. Adolescents can have part of the appointment on their own. Brief standardised measures of attention or learning where the history suggests these are contributing. The information is brought together into an explanation of what is driving the behaviour and what keeps it going. This is set out in a written report with specific recommendations for home and school, and explained in a feedback appointment.
What it clarifies
What the assessment can clarify
- Whether attention and self-regulation difficulties are present across settings at a level that warrants further neurodevelopmental assessment
- Whether anxiety or low mood is present, how severe it is compared with other children of the same age, and how it is affecting daily life
- Whether a learning difficulty is making school frustrating and showing up as behaviour
- The situations and triggers in which the behaviour occurs, the response to stress or change, and which support fits: parenting strategies, school adjustments, psychological therapy, medical review or further assessment
Where the findings point towards ADHD, autism, a learning disorder or a mood or anxiety disorder, the report says so and sets out how that question is confirmed. Our child and adolescent clinicians are introduced on the team page.
After the assessment
What happens next
- A written report describing the pattern and the contributors, with the rating-scale results your paediatrician or GP will want, and specific recommendations for home and school
- Where therapy would help, a plan for psychological therapy, which can be rebated under Medicare with a mental health treatment plan from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician
- Where further assessment is indicated, a clear next step: a neurodevelopmental assessment, a learning assessment, or paediatric review
If your child or adolescent needs someone to talk to now, Kids Helpline provides free, confidential support around the clock on 1800 55 1800. In an emergency, call 000.
Cost & funding
Fees and funding
The assessment is quoted individually according to its scope, with a written estimate before booking and a booking fee credited to the total. The assessment itself is privately funded; Medicare does not rebate psychological assessment. Psychological therapy that follows can be rebated under Medicare's Better Access program with a mental health treatment plan from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician. This applies where a condition such as anxiety or depression has been diagnosed. NDIS funding may apply where the assessment informs a participant's supports. See our fees and policies.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Does my child have to attend?
Not always. Much of the information comes from parents and teachers. We see your child when it adds to the picture, which is usual for school-aged children and adolescents.
Is this an ADHD assessment?
It can identify whether attention and self-regulation difficulties are present across settings and at a level that warrants a full neurodevelopmental assessment. Where ADHD is already the specific question, our autism and ADHD assessment is the more direct route.
Is the assessment rebated by Medicare?
No. Psychological assessment is not rebated under Medicare. Therapy that follows can be rebated under Better Access with a mental health treatment plan from a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician, for a diagnosed condition such as anxiety, up to ten sessions a calendar year.
Why is my child so angry? Should we see a psychologist?
Frequent anger or outbursts are usually a sign of something underneath: anxiety, frustration with learning, difficulty with attention and self-regulation, poor sleep, or a response to change at home or school. If the outbursts are frequent, intense for your child's age, lasting weeks, or affecting school and family life, an assessment can help. It works out what is driving the behaviour, so that the response fits the cause.
What are the signs my child needs to see a psychologist?
Worry, sadness or irritability that lasts for weeks rather than days; behaviour that is hard to manage across settings; withdrawal from friends or activities; school refusal; big changes in sleep, eating or energy; or a school raising concerns about attention or conduct. Any one of these is a reason to talk to your GP, and an assessment can then clarify what is going on and what will help.
For referrers
For paediatricians, GPs and schools
A structured assessment of behaviour and emotional functioning using multi-informant standardised rating scales, developmental history and, where indicated, targeted testing of attention or learning. The written formulation and recommendations answer the question before the treatment decision, and identify children who need a full neurodevelopmental or learning assessment.
- Behaviour, attention or emotional regulation concerns where the contributors are unclear or differ between home and school
- Anxiety or low mood in a child or adolescent where standardised information is wanted before a treatment plan
- Triage before a full autism, ADHD or learning assessment
Funding. The assessment is privately funded. Psychological therapy that follows can be rebated under Medicare Better Access with a mental health treatment plan, where a mental disorder such as anxiety is diagnosed. The Better Access items do not fund assessment. Refer through our referrer page, by fax or by email; every referral is acknowledged on receipt.
Request an assessment
Tell us your child's age, what is happening and where. Every enquiry is reviewed by our team and a psychologist, and we reply by email within two working days with fit, the likely fee and the next available appointment.
GP, paediatrician or school? Refer a child · Phone enquiries are welcome during business hours on 0452 452 262; if we are with a client, please leave a message and we will call you back.
Request an assessment Book a 15-minute discovery callSources: Australian ADHD Professionals Association, Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for ADHD; MBS Online, Better Access items for psychological therapy.