THERAPY AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES
Assessment and therapy services are currently designed for 6 to 25-year-olds and aim to be inclusive and respectful of people from all backgrounds. You do not need a referral to access these services, however, I do accept referrals from GPs and paediatricians. Details regarding services, fees and the space can be found below.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Therapy services are available to children, teens and young adults. I offer both in-person and online consultations. I use CBT, ACT and mindfulness as my primary treatment frameworks and have experience in treating anxiety and phobias, mood disorders, challenges with self-esteem and identity, and social and adjustment difficulties.
I also work with clients who have recently received a neurodevelopment diagnosis such as autism or ADHD, and provide support around understanding and embracing their differences or disability. I strive to understand the unique issues and specific cultural contexts applicable to my clients to provide a service that is sensitive to their specific needs. I also work collaboratively with clients and the system around them (including parents/carers, schools, and other relevant professionals) to achieve positive outcomes.
I offer cognitive testing for individuals aged 6 - 16 using the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). For individuals over the age of 17, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) is used. These measures are considered the gold standard in terms of intelligence testing and can be used for purposes of identifying an intellectual disability, giftedness, specific learning difficulties, placement in specialised programs and clinical intervention.
A full cognitive assessment usually requires an intake session, a testing session, a school consultation and a feedback session. A comprehensive report detailing the results will also be provided.
Educational assessments can help identify areas of learning strengths and difficulty as well as whether a Specific Learning Disorder is present in young people. Assessment tools can vary depending on the exact referral question, but generally, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III) are used. The WIAT-III gives a summary of skills in common school subjects like reading, math, written language, and oral language.
The assessment usually requires an intake session, two testing sessions, a school consultation, and a feedback session. A comprehensive report detailing results and recommendations will also be provided.
Please note: If you are specifically seeking an SLD (e.g. dyslexia) diagnosis for a child in primary school, you require at least 6 months of targeted intervention in the area of difficulty before a diagnosis can be formally made.
Assessments for autism are about understanding an individual’s social communication style, passions and interests, sensory experiences, self-regulation strategies, adaptive functioning skills and support needs. Autism is developmental in nature, which means we are interested in understanding how traits have presented and evolved across the lifespan.
Assessments include a comprehensive parent interview, questionnaires, direct assessments and teacher interviews. Assessments draw on different tools including the CARS, MIGDAS and ADOS-2. A feedback session and a comprehensive report will also be provided.
There are three main types of ADHD—inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, or combined. Thus, ADHD assessments explore attention, focus, restlessness, hyperactivity, impulsiveness and emotional regulation, and how brain differences might be impacting everyday life. As with autism, ADHD is a developmental disability, and thus, we are interested in how different traits have presented and evolved over the lifespan.
Assessments for ADHD include a comprehensive parent/individual interview, questionnaires, direct assessments and teacher interviews. A feedback session and comprehensive report will also be provided.
If you are a foster carer requiring counselling or work with a child in out-of-home care who requires a trauma-informed developmental assessment, please get in touch to see whether I can assist.
I do not provide Family Law Court assessments or assessments ordered by the Melbourne Children’s Court.
FEE INFORMATION
A standard 50-minute consultation is $230. However, fees will vary depending on the type of service being provided. More details can be provided upon enquiry. A few other fee considerations include:
Payment is required on the day of appointments. Only visa or credit card payments are accepted unless the payment is being made by a third party (e.g. TAC), in which case bank details will be provided. Amy does not accept cheques or cash under any circumstance.
If clients are having difficulties making a payment on the day, they are required to inform Amy as soon as possible to discuss payment options. Subsequent sessions cannot occur until outstanding fees have been paid.
If a client needs to cancel or postpone an appointment, they will need to provide at least 48 hours notice to avoid a cancellation fee. Appointments cancelled within 24-48 hours will incur a 25% cancellation fee. Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will incur a 50% cancellation fee.
Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)
Medicare rebates are available for psychological treatment by registered psychologists under the Australian Government's Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative.
Under this scheme, individuals diagnosed with a mental health condition can access up to 10 individual sessions per year with a partial rebate of $96.65. You can access a referral from your GP.
Helping Children with Autism (HCWA)
Under the government funded Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) initiative Medicare rebates are available for assessment and treatment services for children and young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This plan is only available for those under 25 years old. Under a HCWA plan, clients are eligible for a partial rebate of $96.65.
This plan provides the following:
- 4 appointments for private diagnosis referred by a paediatrician or psychiatrist to a psychologist, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, audiologist, optometrist, orthoptist or physiotherapist. This is called the ‘Helping Children with Autism Increased Access to Diagnosis’.
- 20 sessions with a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, audiologist, optometrist, orthoptist or physiotherapist. This is called the ‘Helping Children with Autism Treatment Plan.’
Before a psychologist can undertake assessment or treatment under the HCWA initiative, the young person must have been referred by a paediatrician or consultant psychiatrist.
A reduced fee is available for clients who have a Health Care Card. Please contact me for more information should you have access to a healthcare card.
I am not a registered NDIS provider. I am currently only accepting NDIS clients on self-managed NDIS plans.
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I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. I pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging and express a commitment to ongoing efforts to engage in culturally safe practice with First Nations and culturally diverse clients.
I also acknowledge and respect the individual and collective contributions of those with a lived and living experience of neurodiversity, disability and mental illness and am comMitted to creating an inclusive space for people from all backgrounds.
Copyright © 2023 Amy Miko - All Rights Reserved.