When concerns span both attention and social communication, a combined assessment gives a more complete picture — in a single, integrated process.
ADHD and autism frequently co-occur, and their presentations can look similar on the surface — difficulties with attention, emotional regulation, social interaction, and managing daily demands are common to both. When both are suspected, assessing them together in a single process is more efficient and produces a more coherent clinical picture than two separate assessments.
What's involved: A combined ADHD and autism assessment for children, adolescents and adults. Covers attention, executive functioning, social communication and related emotional wellbeing — with a single integrated report and feedback session. Suitable for NDIS applications, schools and GP or specialist referrals.
Research consistently shows that ADHD and autism co-occur at high rates. A significant proportion of autistic individuals also meet criteria for ADHD, and vice versa. When both are present, the presentations interact in ways that can be difficult to disentangle — and understanding those interactions leads to more targeted recommendations for home, school and daily life.
Assessing both together means:
A combined ADHD + autism assessment may be appropriate when:
We offer combined assessments for children, adolescents and adults.
The combined assessment follows the same structured five-stage process, tailored to cover both ADHD and autism domains.
We begin with a detailed clinical interview to understand current concerns, developmental history and daily functioning across home, school and social settings. For children, this session involves parents or caregivers directly.
Assessment activities are typically conducted across 2–3 sessions, covering both ADHD and autism domains. Sessions are structured but relaxed, adapted to the individual's age and pace. Standardised measures include the Social Responsiveness Scale – Second Edition (SRS-2) for autism features, alongside the Conners rating scales for ADHD and attention, the DASS-21, RCADS, and measures of executive functioning and adaptive behaviour. Information from parents, teachers or the workplace is also gathered where appropriate.
Once assessment sessions are complete, all questionnaires are finalised, background information is reviewed, and data from both domains is scored, interpreted and clinically integrated together. This typically takes around 3–4 weeks from the initial intake session. The exact timeframe depends on the complexity of the presentation and how quickly questionnaires are returned.
Dean prepares a single, comprehensive written report covering both ADHD and autism findings — with a unified diagnostic formulation and practical recommendations. The report is written clearly for families, while meeting the documentation standards required by GPs, schools, NDIS and other supports.
We meet to walk through the full report together — explaining findings across both domains, answering questions and discussing practical recommendations in detail.
At the conclusion of the assessment, you receive a single comprehensive written report and a dedicated feedback session with Dean. The report covers both ADHD and autism findings in an integrated way, including:
The goal is a report that makes sense of the full picture — not two separate documents stapled together.
ADHD and autism frequently co-occur and share overlapping features. Assessing both together in one integrated process is more efficient, avoids duplication, and produces a more coherent clinical picture. The findings from each domain are interpreted in light of the other, leading to more nuanced and useful recommendations.
No. It's an integrated process where both domains are assessed and interpreted together. You receive one report with a unified clinical picture — not two separate documents. The combined package is also more cost-effective than completing two individual assessments separately.
Due to the broader scope, a combined assessment typically involves 2–3 sessions. The full process — from initial intake through to the written report — is usually around 3–4 weeks.
An MHCP is not required to book an assessment. However, a GP referral may support a Medicare rebate for some parts of the process.
In most cases, a parent or caregiver will need to be present — particularly for younger children. This can be flexible depending on age and circumstances, and some background information can be gathered via questionnaire or Telehealth. Please contact us to discuss your child's specific situation.
Yes. Combined ADHD and autism assessments are available for adults as well as children and adolescents.
When ADHD and autism are assessed together, the result is a more complete understanding — and more targeted support. Get in touch to find out if a combined assessment is the right fit.
