Our clinic assesses children to determine if they have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We assess children when it is unclear whether they have ASD or another diagnosis. If a child has many signs of ASD, their paediatrician may be able to diagnose ASD and the child does not need to be assessed by our team.

We are a group of health professionals at IPC Health including:

• Paeditrician
• Psychologist
• Occupational therapist
• Speech pathologists
• Wellbeing coordinators

We work in a team to support your family through the autism assessment process. We provide support, education, assessments and recommendations.

There is an out of pocket fee of $100 for the autism assessment process.

We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to check in at reception and settle in before the assessment.

Your family will go into a room with the paediatrician while the rest of the team will go behind an observation window where they will complete the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) assessment. The ADOS is used to assess and diagnose ASD. The team will assess your child’s:

• communication
• social skills
• play
• behaviours

Once the assessment is finished, you will have time to wait while the team meets to discuss the outcome of the assessment. Then your family will meet with the paediatrician and assessment team who will discuss the outcome with you.

The process typically takes about 3 hours from the time you arrive at the clinic to when you receive feedback on the assessment outcome.

If your child has not been diagnosed with autism, you may feel relieved but could also feel a bit confused.

The paediatrician would have provided the reasons why your child has not received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. This will be repeated in the written report given to you.

Because each child is different and will have different needs, further information will be provided by your wellbeing coordinator.

IPC Health has a range of other services to help support your family. You can see whether your child may be eligible for services by contacting our referral team .

Talking to other families who have had similar experiences can help you feel less alone. They can also be useful to point you in the right direction. Here are some places you can find families to connect with:

• Facebook group: Melbourne’s West ASD Network
• Amaze website: Support groups

Some people may find the autism assessment process difficult. You might want to speak to someone about how you are feeling, or just ask questions.

Here are some places you can go if you would like to talk to someone:

• Autism Connect website : A free national autism helpline
• Head to Health website : Free mental health service

For urgent support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

You might want to be connected to other services that can support your family.

Amaze is the peak body for autistic people and their supporters in Victoria. You can explore their website to link up with other support services.

You can also be linked to other services at IPC Health . Explore our website to see our services or speak to your wellbeing coordinator if you would like to find out more.