Autism, Assessment and Support

Unique strengths, challenges and needs

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the way people relate to the environment and the people around them. Autistic people may have a different way of communicating and interacting with others, repetitive patterns of behaviours, highly-focused interests, sensory sensitivities, meltdowns/shutdowns… Around 1 in every 100 Australians is autistic. Every autistic person is different (that’s why we define autism as a ‘spectrum’), which means that each person has unique strengths, challenges and needs, ranging from low to high support needs. 

If you suspect that your child or teen is autistic, it is important to receive an assessment and diagnosis by trained professionals, so they can get the strategies, interventions and support they need. Our Kids Clinic provides expert clinical assessment and intervention to children who are or are suspected to be, autistic. As parents, you will receive a copy of the assessment report, which can be used to determine eligibility for funding (such as NDIS) or other support. 

Once a diagnosis is made, our team of psychologists, speech pathologists, and therapy assistants can help your child develop their social interactions and communication skills in a safe, supportive and fun space, and learn more about autism, from a strengths-based perspective. 

We can help you 

At the Kids Clinic, we actively seek the expertise of autistic people and embrace practices that respect and accept individual neurotype. We are not afraid to move away from normative and outdated agendas. With your child, our team of experts will focus on natural developmental processes, coping strategies, autonomy, and well-being; for a confident, assertive and happy child. 

• Autistic self-advocacy to help your child stand up for themselves
• Social skill development to understand better neurotypical interactions, not copy them 
• Assertiveness at home, at school and in the community 
• Deconstructing ‘normative behaviours’ as the gold standard for human behaviours, as ‘masking’ autistic traits can have a huge cost on mental health and well-being
• Encouraging and providing opportunities for sensory and emotional regulation

Our multidisciplinary team

The Kids Clinic is also part of CHAMPS, a multidisciplinary team made up of paediatricians, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. Together, they carry out a series of different assessments over several appointments to determine if your child meets the criteria for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.