Currently undergoing Certification audit by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Audit scope

Assessments

Assessments that turn into
plans, not paperwork.

We name our instruments, choose them deliberately, and write the results into the participant’s Behaviour Support Plan and NDIS plan goals. Reports are signed by a named clinician, and the data on file is dated. None of it sits in a drawer.

01 – Assessment menu

Choose the assessment from the full list.

The menu keeps the assessment catalogue compact while still naming the tools, support question, age band, and NDIS use case. The exact stakeholder attachment can be dropped into this list once supplied.
Full assessment list
NDIS cognitive and adaptive assessment package

NDIS cognitive and adaptive assessment package

A combined cognitive and adaptive-functioning assessment package used for access requests, plan reviews, and functional evidence.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture
For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

WAIS-5 or WISC-V where clinically indicated.

ABAS-3 adaptive-functioning data from a reliable informant.

Background review, behavioural observations, and NDIS goal mapping.

How it is used
Useful when the question is functional capacity, support needs, intellectual disability evidence, or whether current supports match the plan goals.

Neurocognitive and diagnostic assessment

Gold-standard cognitive and autism assessment options selected against the referral question, age, communication profile, and available history.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

WAIS-5, WAIS-IV comparison material, or WISC-V where clinically indicated.

ADOS-2 where autism observation is part of the assessment question.

Developmental history, adaptive functioning, and collateral evidence.

How it is used

Useful where NDIS access, plan review, autism evidence, intellectual functioning, or complex diagnostic formulation needs a defensible assessment base.

Functional capacity and adaptive behaviour

A practical and adaptive-functioning assessment that describes what a person can do, what support they need, and where environments create barriers.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Vineland-3, ABAS-3, WHODAS, or LSP-16 where appropriate.

Routine mapping across home, community, education, work, and support settings.

Recommendations linked to NDIS goals, support intensity, and capacity building.

How it is used

Useful for plan reviews, support needs evidence, capacity-building goals, psychosocial functioning, and daily-living supports.

Thriving Kids assessment and supports

A developmental, functional, and family-centred profile designed to remain useful across NDIS, Thriving Kids, health, and education systems.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Developmental, adaptive, and strengths-based profile.

DECA, ASQ:SE-2, and wellbeing tools where they fit the child and referral question.

Family routine interview and participation goals.

Plain-English recommendations for coaching, therapy, and supports.

How it is used
Designed for families navigating the 1 October 2026 Thriving Kids rollout and children who may still require NDIS evidence.

Positive behaviour support and risk assessment

A structured functional behaviour, PBS, and risk formulation pathway for behaviours of concern and restrictive-practice reduction.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Record review and stakeholder interviews.

Behaviour data review and functional formulation.

PBS recommendations, risk formulation, and strategies that flow into the Behaviour Support Plan.

How it is used
Supports Specialist Behaviour Support and Implementing Behaviour Support Plans under the NDIS Practice Standards.

Support needs and functional capacity assessment

A practical assessment of daily living, community access, communication, safety, and support intensity.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Functional interview and observation.

Environmental and routine mapping.

Recommendations linked to support categories and plan goals.

How it is used
Useful for plan reviews, support coordination, early childhood supports, and participant goal planning.

WAIS-5 - Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

A standardised measure of adult intellectual ability across verbal comprehension, visual spatial, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Standardised administration and scoring.

Index profile and qualitative interpretation.

Report language linked to function and NDIS goals.

How it is used
Often paired with adaptive-functioning evidence when intellectual functioning or cognitive support needs are in question.
· Source: Pearson – publisher
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition. Key domains are listed below.
What this assessment shows

Verbal Comprehension

Acquired verbal knowledge, word definitions, and reasoning with verbal concepts

Visual Spatial

Analysing visual detail and constructing or matching designs from parts.
Fluid Reasoning
Solving novel problems and identifying patterns without relying on prior knowledge.
Working Memory
Holding and manipulating information in mind across short verbal and visual sequences.

Processing Speed

How quickly and accurately simple visual information is scanned, sorted, and copied.
When we’d recommend it

Adult cognitive assessment for an NDIS access request, plan review, or eligibility evidence (16 to 90 years).

Differential questions about intellectual functioning, learning history, or possible cognitive decline.

Capacity-related questions where a structured profile of strengths and weaknesses is needed.

Pre-employment or vocational planning where understanding processing speed and working memory matters.

WISC-V - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

A standardised measure of intellectual ability in school-age children across the five primary index scores.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Standardised child cognitive testing.

Profile of working memory, processing speed, and reasoning.

Recommendations for home, school, and support planning.

How it is used
Useful where a child’s learning, behaviour support, or functional support plan needs a current cognitive baseline.
· Source: Pearson – publisher
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (Australian and New Zealand). Key domains are listed below.
What this assessment shows

Verbal Comprehension

Vocabulary and reasoning with words. Indicates how a child draws on language to solve problems.

Visual Spatial

Block Design and Visual Puzzles – making sense of how parts fit into a whole.
Fluid Reasoning
Matrix Reasoning and Figure Weights – reasoning with novel patterns and abstract relationships.
Working Memory
Digit Span and Picture Span – holding sequences in mind, often a key bottleneck for classroom learning.

Processing Speed

Coding and Symbol Search – speed and accuracy on routine visual tasks under time pressure.
When we’d recommend it

School-age cognitive assessment (6 to 16 years) where a structured cognitive profile will help shape supports.

Questions about specific learning difficulties, where a profile across the five indices is informative.

Where a Behaviour Support Plan would benefit from knowing a child’s working memory and processing speed.

When the school or NDIS plan goals call for evidence of cognitive functioning to support an application.

ABAS-3 - Adaptive Behavior Assessment System

An informant-rated measure of everyday adaptive skills across conceptual, social, and practical domains.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Parent, carer, teacher, or support-worker rating where appropriate.

Conceptual, social, and practical domain interpretation.

Functional recommendations for daily living and community supports.

How it is used
A core part of functional evidence for NDIS access, review, and support planning questions.
· Source: Pearson – publisher
Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition. Key domains are listed below.
What this assessment shows
Conceptual
Communication, functional academics, self-direction. How a person uses language and thinking in everyday tasks.
Social
Leisure and social skills. How a person interacts with others and follows social rules and routines.
Practical
Self-care, home or school living, community use, health and safety, and (for adults) work. Day-to-day independence skills.
When we’d recommend it

Adaptive functioning evidence required for an NDIS access request alongside a cognitive assessment.

When intellectual disability is being formally considered and DSM-5-TR criteria require both cognitive and adaptive evidence.

When NDIS plan goals are about daily living, community access, or independence and need a baseline.

When a Behaviour Support Plan needs to be anchored in real-world skill data, not just test-room performance.

ADOS-2 - Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule

A structured autism observation tool used as part of a broader autism assessment and developmental formulation.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Module selection matched to age and communication.

Developmental history and collateral information.

Adaptive-functioning evidence such as ABAS-3 or Vineland-3 where indicated.

How it is used
Used when the referral question includes autism evidence, support needs, and functional impact.
· Source: Provided by Atlas Ability Network
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition.

Vineland-3 - Adaptive behaviour

A structured adaptive-behaviour assessment for communication, daily living, socialisation, motor skills, and behaviour where relevant.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Caregiver, teacher, or informant data where clinically appropriate.

Adaptive domain scores and functional interpretation.

Recommendations for capacity building and supports.

How it is used

Useful for functional evidence, plan reviews, intellectual disability evidence, and everyday support planning.
· Source: Provided by Atlas Ability Network
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition.

WHODAS - Disability and functioning

A functioning measure used to describe activity limitations and participation restrictions across life domains.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Domain-level functioning profile.

Participation and daily activity evidence.

Plain-English functional impact summary.

How it is used

Useful where the NDIS question is practical functioning, not just diagnosis.
· Source: Provided by Atlas Ability Network
WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, 2.0.

LSP-16 - Life Skills Profile

A psychosocial functioning measure for everyday life skills, communication, social contact, and support needs.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Psychosocial functioning profile.

Daily living and community participation interpretation.

Recommendations for support planning and recovery-oriented practice.

How it is used

Useful for psychosocial disability evidence and recovery-focused support planning.
· Source: Provided by Atlas Ability Network
Life Skills Profile, 16-item version.

CBCL - Child Behavior Checklist

A caregiver-report measure for emotional, behavioural, and social concerns in children and young people.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Caregiver ratings.

Behavioural and emotional profile.

Support recommendations linked to home, education, and care-team needs.

How it is used

Useful where behaviour, emotional wellbeing, or cross-setting support needs are part of the referral question.
· Source: Provided by Atlas Ability Network
Child Behavior Checklist, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment.

DECA / ASQ:SE-2 - Thriving Kids wellbeing tools

Strengths-based early childhood tools for social-emotional development, resilience, and support planning.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.

What it includes

DECA protective-factor and resilience lens where suitable.

ASQ:SE-2 social-emotional screening where suitable.

Parent/carer coaching recommendations tied to everyday routines.

How it is used

Useful for Thriving Kids, foundational supports, early childhood planning, and family capacity building.

CANS suite - needs and strengths assessment

A structured needs-and-strengths framework that may fit child, adolescent, trauma, and system-planning questions once the exact version is confirmed.

NDIS gold-standard evidence posture

For NDIS purposes, the gold standard is a defensible evidence package: current standardised tools where appropriate, adaptive and functional data, observations, collateral information, and recommendations tied to plan goals and support categories.
What it includes

Final instrument version to be confirmed with the stakeholder.

Needs, strengths, risk, and caregiver-context domains where applicable.

Care-team formulation and support planning outputs.

How it is used

May support care planning and cross-system coordination once the exact CANS version is confirmed.
02 – Process

From referral to report - what to expect.

Six steps, in order. Total elapsed time per participant is operational and depends on instrument mix, scheduling, and whether a Behaviour Support Plan is being written off the back of the assessment.

Referral

A referrer (Support Coordinator, Plan Manager, GP, paediatrician, or family member) sends through a current NDIS plan, the goals extract, and consent for assessment.

Who’s involved

Referrer, participant or nominated decision-maker.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
Intake call
A short call to confirm the referral question, the participant’s setting, any existing reports, and which instruments are likely to fit. We confirm the funding category before booking.

Who’s involved

Intake coordinator, participant or family.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
Assessment session(s)
A named clinician administers the relevant standardised cognitive and adaptive instruments. Sessions may be split across more than one visit so the participant is not over-loaded.

Who’s involved

Named clinician, participant, optional support person.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
Scoring and analysis
Raw responses are scored using publisher-supplied norms. The clinician integrates background information, behavioural observations, and quantitative results.

Who’s involved

Named clinician, supervisor where applicable.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
Report writing
A written report is drafted in plain English where possible, with confidence intervals on test scores, and recommendations linked back to the participant’s plan goals.

Who’s involved

Named clinician, supervisor sign-off.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
Linking to the Behaviour Support Plan
Where a Behaviour Support Plan applies, the assessment data is used to shape proactive strategies, fade restrictive practices, and inform the review schedule.

Who’s involved

Behaviour support practitioner, participant, implementing providers.
Typical duration
[Typical duration – pending]
03 – Report structure

What a report from us contains.

Every report follows the same nine sections, in this order. A report you can’t navigate is a report nobody uses, so we keep the structure consistent and the language plain where the clinical content allows it.
Cover sheet
Names the assessor, the supervisor where relevant, the date the assessment was administered, and the date the report was finalised. Credibility starts here.
Background and presenting concerns
Why the assessment was requested, the participant’s background relevant to the question, and what the referrer needs the report to address.
Tools administered
Each instrument named in full, with edition and publisher, so the choice of tool can be verified independently.
Behavioural observations during testing
How the participant engaged with the testing – attention, fatigue, language, sensory factors. Important for interpretation.
Quantitative results
Index scores and subtest scores reported with their 95% confidence intervals, percentile ranks, and qualitative descriptors.
Qualitative interpretation
A clinician’s integration of the numbers, behavioural observations, and background into a coherent picture.
Recommendations linked to NDIS plan goals
Each recommendation cross-references a goal in the participant’s current plan, so the report is usable, not ornamental.
Recommendations for the Behaviour Support Plan
Where applicable: how the assessment data should shape proactive strategies, environmental adjustments, and fading of any authorised restrictive practice.
Review and re-assessment schedule
When the data on file should be refreshed, and what would trigger an earlier re-assessment.

04 – Behaviour Support Plan

Why we link assessment scoresto the Behaviour Support Plan.

A Behaviour Support Plan that isn’t anchored in current data is a guess. We use the assessment on file to shape proactive strategies, environmental adjustments, and any plan to fade authorised restrictive practice over time.

This isn’t a stylistic preference. It is what the regulator and the standards require:

National Disability Insurance Scheme (Restrictive Practices and Behaviour Support) Rules 2018 set the minimum requirements for behaviour support plans, including review obligations and lodgement of plans containing regulated restrictive practices.

The NDIS Practice Standards - Specialist Behaviour Support Module 2 and Module 2a (Implementing Behaviour Support Plans) require evidence-informed practice and effective implementation.

The Positive Behaviour Support Capability Framework sets out what a practitioner is expected to be able to do at each capability level.

We cite legislation by full name and link to the authoritative source. We don’t paraphrase the law in our voice.

Worked example – generic, illustrative

A WISC-V profile shapes a BSP strategy

Scenario

A school-age child shows a Verbal Comprehension Index in the average range, but a Working Memory Index in the low range, on the WISC-V.
What the data suggests for the plan

Verbal explanations land - instructions can be given in language the child already understands.

Multi-step instructions are likely to overload - break them into one step, with visual prompts.

Behaviours of concern that emerge during long verbal exchanges may reflect cognitive load, not defiance - that distinction belongs in the BSP.

Illustrative only. No real participant. The point: a Behaviour Support Plan reasoned from data is different from one reasoned from impression.

05 – Funding

Funding, pricing, and what NDIS will cover.

Psychology assessments under the NDIS are typically funded from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living (the support category that funds therapy aimed at building independence). Assessments that feed into a Behaviour Support Plan may also draw on Improved Relationships. Occupational therapy assessments may sit under Improved Health and Wellbeing depending on the participant’s plan.
The current price limits are set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, published by the National Disability Insurance Agency. Always check the current document – the NDIA updates it each financial year.
Pending – supplied by stakeholder
Our published price schedule
We publish prices once they have been measured for 90 days, or earlier if the stakeholder confirms a posture in writing. We won’t print numbers we can’t back.
Honesty bar
The 90-day rule applies to every operational number on this site: turnaround, acknowledgement times, and pricing. If you see a figure here, we have measured it.
Plan-managed and self-managed participants
Send through:

A copy of the current NDIS plan or the goals extract.

Plan manager contact details (for plan-managed participants) so we can send the service agreement to the right place.

Consent for assessment and information sharing.

Self-funded and Medicare clients
Some psychology services are claimable through Medicare under a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP. Our posture for Medicare-funded assessments is being finalised.
[Medicare assessment availability – pending]

06 – FAQ

Common questions.

Plain-English answers to the questions we hear most often. Where the answer depends on stakeholder data we don’t have yet, we say so.
How long is an assessment?
The administration time depends on the instruments. Pearson lists around 45 minutes for the seven-subtest WAIS-5 Full Scale IQ, and around 60 minutes for the ten primary subtests. Children’s assessments and adaptive interviews add time on top.
The total time we book per participant – including breaks, intake, and feedback – is operational and varies. We publish that figure once we have measured it. [Total booking time per assessment – pending]
No. An assessment can be requested to investigate a question (for example, whether intellectual disability is present, or to provide evidence for an NDIS access request). A pre-existing diagnosis is not required.
Yes. We write in plain English wherever the clinical content allows it, and we keep technical terms inside their own labelled sections so a Support Coordinator or support worker can find what they need without wading through jargon.
Some assessments can be split between home and clinic. Cognitive instruments like the WISC-V have standardised conditions that work best in a quiet, distraction-controlled space. Adaptive interviews and observations can usually happen at home. The clinician will discuss the right mix with you.
Some components of the Wechsler scales can be administered via telehealth using the publisher’s digital platform; others must be administered in person. We won’t shoe-horn an instrument into a format it isn’t standardised for.
Our telehealth posture for each instrument is being finalised. [Telehealth scope per instrument – pending]
You can request a copy of the report. Raw test protocols are usually held by the assessor under publisher copyright and professional practice rules – they are released to another suitably-qualified clinician on written request, not directly to a participant or family. We will explain this clearly at intake.
Tell us. We treat disagreement as feedback, not friction. You can request a clinical review meeting, ask for a second clinician to review the file, or make a formal complaint under our Complaints and Feedback Policy. None of these affect your current supports.
Not automatically. Standardised cognitive and adaptive scores are usually stable across short timeframes; re-administration too soon can produce practice effects that distort the result. The end-of-plan comprehensive report summarises progress and flags whether re-assessment is clinically warranted for the next plan.
Only the people you have consented to receive it. Typically that includes the participant, the nominated decision-maker, the referrer, and any treating clinician you nominate. We will not share the report without written consent, and we keep a record of every release.
Psychologists in Australia must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and listed on the AHPRA Register of Practitioners. You can verify any practitioner there: ahpra.gov.au – Registers of Practitioners.
The named roster of clinicians on staff is being finalised. [Clinical roster – pending]