Ernest Materyn
Psychologist
Assessments · All ages

A journey to understanding how your mind works

Autism, ADHD, and cognitive assessments for children and adults. Every assessment concludes with a detailed report and a feedback session, so you leave understanding what we found and what to do next.

Who is the assessment for?

What I assess

Autism

For children whose social communication, sensory experience, or development follows a different pattern. The assessment draws on a detailed developmental interview with you as parents or caregivers, structured observation with your child using established clinical frameworks, and standardised questionnaires from home and school.

The report describes your child's profile respectfully and specifically — strengths as well as support needs — with tailored recommendations for home and school, and for funding pathways such as the NDIS.

For adults whose social communication or sensory experience follows a different pattern — including those exploring a question they have carried for years. The assessment draws on a detailed developmental interview, structured observation using established clinical frameworks, and standardised questionnaires from the people who know you best.

The report describes your profile respectfully and specifically — strengths as well as support needs — with tailored recommendations for work, study, and daily life, and for funding pathways such as the NDIS.

ADHD

A comprehensive picture of your child's attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning, combining clinical interview, computerised testing, and evidence-based screening tools, with parent and teacher reports to capture how things look at home and at school.

Where results support a diagnosis, the report is written to be useful to GPs and paediatricians considering treatment options, and includes practical strategies for home and the classroom you can start on straight away.

A comprehensive picture of attention, impulsivity, and executive functioning, combining clinical interview, computerised testing, and evidence-based screening tools, with informant reports to capture how things look across work, study, and home.

Where results support a diagnosis, the report is written to be useful to GPs and psychiatrists considering treatment options, and includes practical strategies you can start on straight away.

Cognitive functioning

Standardised cognitive testing (IQ) provides a clear profile of your child's cognitive strengths and learning needs — commonly used for educational planning, applications for learning support or extension programmes, and access to disability or support services.

Standardised cognitive testing (IQ) provides a clear profile of cognitive strengths and learning needs — commonly used for study adjustments, workplace applications, and access to disability or support services.

Results are always interpreted in context — carefully, and only as far as the data support.

The process

4 steps

Enquiry

We talk through what's prompting the assessment and confirm it's the right fit.

Interview

A detailed developmental interview with parents or caregivers, with questionnaires from home and school.

A detailed developmental interview, with questionnaires from those who know you well.

Assessment

Structured sessions tailored to your child and the reason for assessment — in person or via telehealth.

Structured sessions tailored to you and the reason for assessment — in person or via telehealth.

Report & feedback

A comprehensive written report, and a session to walk through what it means.

PaediatricianPsychiatrist or psychologist?

ADHD pathways

A question psychologists are often asked: what is the difference between an ADHD assessment conducted by a paediatriciana psychiatrist and a psychologist? They are different services with different strengths - not competing versions of the same thing, and often at their best in combination. For children, the same comparison applies equally to psychiatrists.For children, the same comparison applies equally to paediatricians.

A paediatricianpsychiatrist is a medical specialist whose consultation can lead to a diagnosis and, where appropriate, a prescription. A psychologist-led assessment is a broader undertaking: a comprehensive evaluation that examines not only ADHD but the conditions that can resemble or accompany it. Under Australia’s evidence-based ADHD guideline, appropriately trained psychologists, psychiatrists, and paediatricians are all recognised to conduct ADHD assessments.

PaediatricianPsychiatrist
Psychologist assessment
The service
A consultation focused on diagnosis and medical treatment.
A comprehensive psychometric assessment - conducted, scored, and interpreted against standardised norms.
What it examines
Symptoms and health history, from a medical perspective.
The full presentation - attention, hyperactivity, and executive functioning - examined through standardised measures, informant reports, and computerised cognitive testing, with careful attention to the conditions that can resemble or accompany ADHD.
What you receive
A diagnosis where criteria are met, and a treatment plan, typically shared with your GP.
A comprehensive written report of approximately 20 to 25 pages: the findings and the evidence behind them, strengths and challenges, any applicable diagnostic conclusions, and tailored recommendations. A hard copy and a digital copy are provided, and a feedback appointment walks you through all of it.
The understanding you leave with
Whether ADHD criteria are met, and a direction for treating it.
Why daily life feels the way it does - how attention and thinking actually work, and where strengths lie. That understanding informs the supports you seek, the strategies you adopt, and the decisions that follow, long after the assessment ends.
Medication
Can prescribe, where clinically appropriate.
Cannot prescribe - the report provides the clinical evidence a prescriber needs to consider medication.
Documentation for NDIS, school, work, or study
A diagnosis letter, which may support some applications.
A comprehensive report written in line with formal documentation requirements.
Often the better fit when
The question is medication, and the presentation is clear.
You want answers rather than only a label - the whole picture, a complex or overlapping presentation, or documentation that carries weight with schools, employers, and the NDIS.

Many people benefit from both. A comprehensive assessment first builds the full picture; the report then gives the prescriber the evidence they need, often making that appointment shorter and more focused. Where the only question is medication and the presentation is straightforward, a specialist consultation alone may be the right choice - contact our practice, and we will help you decide.

Common questions

Planning your assessment

Current availability. The assessment process can begin within 4 weeks of your enquiry. Spots are limited — early enquiry is encouraged.

How long does an assessment take?
Most assessments are completed within approximately four weeks. The process usually begins with an intake interview, followed by one or two assessment appointments and a feedback appointment. Timeframes can vary depending on the type and complexity of the assessment.
Do I need a referral?
You don't need a referral - you may contact our practice directly to arrange an assessment. Where appropriate, a referral from your GP, paediatrician, or psychiatrist can provide helpful clinical information and support coordinated care.
What happens at the first appointment?
The first appointment is an intake interview with parents or caregivers only - your child does not attend. We discuss the questions you want answered, relevant history, and what daily life looks like at home and at school.The first appointment is an intake interview. We discuss the questions you want answered, relevant history, and what daily life looks like. From there, I map out the assessment sessions and explain each step, so you know exactly what to expect.
Can assessments be completed by telehealth?
Some components may be completed by telehealth, while others require in-person attendance in Port Macquarie. The most appropriate format will be discussed during the initial consultation.
What will I receive following the assessment?
You will receive a comprehensive written report outlining the assessment findings, any applicable diagnostic conclusions, and recommendations tailored to your circumstances. A feedback appointment is also included to explain the results and answer your questions.
Can the report support NDIS, school, or educational applications?Can the report support NDIS, educational, or workplace applications?
Where relevant, the report can provide clinical evidence to support NDIS access requests and adjustments at schooleducational or workplace adjustments. Decisions regarding eligibility, funding, and support remain with the relevant organisation.

Unsure which assessment is right for you?

Contact our practice to discuss the most appropriate option.

Enquire about an assessment