Autism Assessment for Teens: What Families Can Expect
Some autistic teenagers reach high school without their autism having been identified or understood. There are a lot of potential reasons why this can happen. The young person’s support needs may have been less obvious in primary school, their strengths may have helped them compensate, or other concerns such as anxiety, trauma or ADHD may have drawn attention away from underlying autism.
However, in high school the increasing academic, organisational and social demands can make long-standing differences more visible. Some teenagers also become exhausted by the effort involved in masking or trying to fit in - autistic burn out in the later years of high school is common.
The Northwest Psychology Practice provides autism assessments for high-school-aged teenagers. The assessment process aims to understand the young person's strengths, experiences and support needs, while involving both the teenager and their family.
What may be included in the assessment?
The exact process is flexible and depends on the teenager's circumstances. It may include:
A detailed interview with parents or caregivers
An interview and testing session with the teenager, including the ADOS-2 where appropriate (The ADOS-2 is standardized observational tool to help diagnose autism.)
Questionnaires completed by the teenager and parents
Review of school reports and previous professional reports
Information from teachers, the school or current treating professionals where needed and with consent
A feedback session with the teenager and family to explain the findings and discuss recommendations
The assessment is not based on one questionnaire or one observation. Information is gathered from multiple sources to build a fuller understanding of the young person across different settings and stages of development.
What happens in the feedback session?
After the assessment is complete, your psychologist will schedule a feedback session for the family where we will discuss the results of the assessment as well as any recommendations and resources that may help. We encourage both the teenager and their parents to attend the feedback session because we believe that young people have a right to understand the assessment outcome and what it means for them. The feedback process gives the teenager and family an opportunity to ask questions and discuss possible supports and next steps.
What information may be helpful?
Families do not need to gather everything before making an enquiry. If available, school reports, previous psychological or developmental reports and information from current treating professionals may provide useful context. Your psychologist will discuss the details with you at your first appointment.
What will be included in the report?
The teen autism assessment includes a comprehensive diagnostic report. The report explains the conclusions reached through assessment, describes strengths and support needs, and provides recommendations about supports that may be helpful.
Families have an opportunity to review a draft and provide feedback about how information has been presented. Reports are usually completed within 6-10 weeks after the final appointment, subject to the psychologist's caseload.
What is the indicative cost?
The total cost of a teen autism assessment typically ranges from $2,800 to $3,080 before any eligible rebates. Face-to-face assessment and feedback time is billed at $280 per hour. Indirect assessment work and comprehensive report writing are charged at a fixed cost of $1,400. The number of face-to-face hours may vary depending on the teenager's needs and the complexity of the assessment.
Depending on the referral and individual circumstances, a Medicare rebate may be available for part of the face-to-face assessment time. A private health insurer may also cover part of the assessment. Medicare does not provide rebates for diagnostic reports or non-face-to-face assessment work.
Taking the next step
If your teenager is in high school and your family is considering autism assessment, begin by talking with us about your concerns and how you think an assessment might help. We can then discuss whether the teen autism assessment service may be appropriate.
Learn about teen autism assessment:
https://www.northwestpsych.com.au/autism-assessments-for-teens
General assessment enquiry:
https://www.northwestpsych.com.au/autism-and-adhd-assessments
This article provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical or psychological advice, assessment or diagnosis.