Aligning Health follows the NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to diagnose Autism. The NICE guidelines recommend a comprehensive assessment process including ADOS 2 alongside formal assessment tools and clinical interview.
Sarah conducts the Autism assessments. She is trained as an ADOS 2 Therapist. Sarah offers the following;
Autism Spectrum Disorder Consultation
Assessment
Feedback to Client.
Report to GP or Specialist provided to the client within 4 weeks of second appointment. ,
A diagnosis of Autism requires a multidisciplnary approach to health care. This includes a Paediatrician, a Psychologist and a Speech Therapist.. Assessment aims to determine if the client meets the DSM 5 criteria for Autism using standardised testing methods. An analysis of the level of functioning, support needs, strengths and understanding of the individual form a picture. It is this picture that is assessed to decide whether a diagnosis of Autism is present.
What happens in a session?
An Autism assessment is conducted over 2 sessions and a third session for reporting the findings and providing feedback. Each session lasts betweem 45 mins to 90 minutes depending on the need of the individual. .
For children an ADOS- 2 assessment is conducted followed by a parent interview.
For adults an ADOS-2 assessment may be administered along with standardised assessments including the CAT-Q, RAADS-R, AQ-10, AQ Test and the EQ Test. All these assessments are designed to provide a picture of overall functioning and level of ability.
What to bring to an appointment?
Please bring your completed Intake form and any referrals from health care providers. For children please bring a toy they are comfortable with and some snacks. For adults please bring a water bottle with you.
Telehealth vs Face to face Appointments
Telehealth appointments are available for aults only. A child will require face to face consultations for the ADOS 2 session. The parent interview may be conducted via telehealth or in person. The feedback session may be conducted via telehealth
Fees
Autism Assessment including 2 face to face sessions and feedback session - $1500. incl GST
Autism pre-assessment to determine if a full autism assessment should be conducted -$600 including report (Should an autism assessment be recommended this fee is deducted from the overall cost of the Autism assessment.
Please note NDIS do not cover the cost of Autism Assessments.
To make a booking and Cancellation Policy
To make a booking it is recommended to speak with Sarah to discuss what you are looking for in a diagnosis. You will be sent an Intake form outling conditions to work with Aligning Health including privacy and consent forms. Please call Sarah directly on 0407 289 769 or email info@aligninghealth.com.au
Fees are to be paid 7 days in advance. Please note a report will not be prepared until all fees are paid. If the full fee is paid prior to 7 days a 5% discount applies.
24 hours is required to cancel an appointment. Failure to cancel appointments will incurr the full fee.
What Autism may look like?
Autism is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual 5 (DSM5) as deficits in social communication and social interaction across a variety of contexts.
Social communication may include:
difficulties with conversations,
trouble understanding social relationships
honesty and a strong sense of justice
words or phrases that seem out of place
mutism
minimal facial expression
Social interaction may include:
trouble with eye contact,
oversharing
not picking up on non-verbal behaviours
Not liking crowded spaces
misunderstanding communication overtures
Behaviours may include
lining things up
needing to complete things
minimal imagination
intense emotions that are out of place
difficulty in understaning and regulating emotions,
noticing details that others may not notice.
Autism may include repetitive behaviours and sensory difficulties. Autism may become really focused on a special interest. Autism may look like meltdowns or difficulty with change and routine.
Masking is common in Autism. This is learned behaviour to socialise with others. It may look like forced expression or covering how one is feeling in social situations. Masking can leave a person feeling exhausted after social interaction and the person may not be aware they are masking- just experiencing fatigue after being with others. It can be difficult to diagnose females and women particularly due to masking behaviours.
A diagnosis of Autism covers 3 levels. Level 1 requires some support, Level 2 requires substantial support and Level 3 requires very substantial support.