Autism Assessment

Speech Pathology Component

At Wonder Words Speech Pathology, we provide evidence-based autism assessment services as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary diagnostic process — with a strong focus on supporting families every step of the way.

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Understanding your child’s communication, strengths, and support needs.

Autism assessment is not a single test or appointment — it’s a thoughtful process that brings together information from families, clinicians, and everyday environments to build a clear picture of a child’s profile, strengths, and support needs.

Best Practice & National Guidelines

Autism assessments in Australia are guided by the Australian National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism. These guidelines emphasise that autism is best understood through a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment — particularly when a child’s presentation is complex or includes overlapping developmental differences.

  • National guidelines recommend that autism be assessed through a collaborative process involving multiple professionals.

    This approach:

    • Brings together information from families, clinicians, and everyday settings

    • Considers co-occurring differences such as language, learning, attention, or emotional regulation

    • Ensures a thorough and balanced understanding of your child’s profile

    Autism is not identified through a single test — it is understood through a comprehensive, structured process.

  • Speech pathology plays a key role within this framework by providing detailed assessment of:

    • Social communication and interaction

    • Language development

    • Functional communication and participation across settings

    These areas are central to understanding how a child communicates, connects, and navigates everyday environments.

  • At Wonder Words, our role is to provide high-quality speech pathology assessment data that contributes to the broader multidisciplinary picture.

    Our assessments:

    ✔ Are commonly requested by paediatricians
    ✔ Provide clinical evidence to support diagnosis
    ✔ Focus on communication, interaction, and everyday participation
    ✔ Deliver strengths-based, practical recommendations

    Formal diagnosis remains the responsibility of your child’s paediatrician, consistent with professional scope and national guidelines.

Our Assessment Pathway

This pathway does not provide a formal diagnosis, but offers comprehensive clinical information to support the diagnostic process.

    • 1-hour intake appointment (Google Meet)

    • Detailed developmental and communication history

    • Discussion of strengths, concerns, and goals

    • Confirmation of paediatrician involvement

    • Receptive and expressive language assessment

    • Pragmatic (social communication) assessment

    • Observation of play and interaction

    • Parent-completed questionnaires

    • ADOS-2 administration (where clinically appropriate)

    • Structured observations aligned with diagnostic criteria

    • Everyday communication and participation

    • Practical information to support therapy planning

    • Clear summary of findings

    • Autism-related clinical indicators (if present)

    • Strengths-based interpretation

    • Individualised recommendations for:

      • Therapy supports

      • Educational adjustments

      • Further assessments

    Written specifically to support paediatrician review.

    • Dedicated session to explain findings

    • Time for questions

    • Clear next-step planning

FAQs

  • No. A formal autism diagnosis is made and signed off by your referring paediatrician.

    In most cases in Australia, paediatricians request reports from allied health professionals (such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and psychologists) to help form a multidisciplinary assessment before confirming a diagnosis.

    At Wonder Words, we currently offer a speech pathology–led autism assessment that contributes detailed clinical evidence to this process. This pathway does not provide a formal diagnosis, but offers comprehensive clinical information to support the diagnostic process.

  • The full assessment process typically involves approximately 6–9 hours in total.

    This includes:

    • Parent intake & planning

    • Assessment sessions

    • Scoring and clinical analysis

    • Report writing

    • A dedicated parent feedback session

    The exact number of hours may vary depending on your child’s individual needs and the complexity of their profile.

    Following your intake call, we will provide you with a written, personalised quote before any assessment sessions are booked, so you have clarity and transparency around time and costs.

  • This service may be suitable if:

    • You are exploring whether autism may be part of your child’s profile

    • You are linked with (or planning to see) a paediatrician

    • You want a detailed, strengths-based assessment to inform diagnosis and supports

    • You value a clear, ethical, and transparent process

  • Funding Information

    NDIS

    • You may be able to use NDIS funding. Because NDIS plans and goals differ, we recommend discussing your funding and how to best use your plan with our Client Care Team.

    Medicare Rebates — Helping Children With Autism & Allied Health Referrals

    • In Australia, Medicare provides rebates for certain allied health services that contribute to the assessment or treatment of autism and other complex neurodevelopmental conditions, when referred appropriately by a paediatrician or psychiatrist.

    • Under Medicare’s allied health scheme for complex neurodevelopmental conditions — often referred to under the Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) initiative — children may be eligible for a limited number of rebated allied health assessment sessions.

    • This can include assessment services with a speech pathologist ordered by a paediatrician as part of diagnostic work (e.g. up to four rebated assessment services).

    • After diagnosis, a paediatrician may also refer children for treatment/management services (up to a combined total of 20 allied health sessions for therapy once a Treatment and Management Plan is in place)


    Private Health Insurance

    • Some private health insurance extras policies provide rebates for speech pathology sessions. Coverage depends on your policy — contact your insurer for details.

    Our Client Care Team will guide you through funding options before booking.

Next Steps

If you’d like to discuss whether this pathway is right for your child, please contact our Client Care Team. If you’re ready to enquire, please do so via our enquiry form. 

We’re here to answer questions, explain the process, and support you through next steps.

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