Unfortunately not always. Medicare does not routinely provide a rebate for adult ADHD or autism assessments.

There is one limited Medicare pathway for people under 25 who are being assessed for autism. To access this rebate you need an eligible referral from a consultant paediatrician or psychiatrist. A standard GP referral is not enough for this pathway.

If you already have an eligible referral, please let me know before your assessment so I can check whether Medicare rebates can be applied to part of your assessment.

For most clients, assessment fees are paid privately. Private Health Insurance may cover some. You'll need to ask your provider as companies and policies vary widely.

No. I can support you to understand medication pathways, but I can't prescribe it. 

Yes, but I can't guarantee that an access request will be granted. NDIS access depends on many factors that are beyond my control and this space is changing all the time.

Nope. You can just book yourself in, but G.P., psychology, psychiatry, and paediatrician referrals are very welcome.

Payment can be divided across the assessment process, provided the full fee is paid before the feedback appointment.

Not at this stage. Little Bird Psychology is an assessment practice and does not provide crisis or emergency mental health support. If you need urgent mental health assistance, please contact an appropriate crisis or emergency service.

It’s such a fair question. A neurodevelopmental assessment is a significant expense, particularly because there is currently no Medicare rebate for ADHD assessments, and minimal for autism assessments.

Most assessments involve around 5–6 hours with me directly, across the Planning Session, assessment appointments and feedback, and up to around 10 hours of psychologist time altogether. Behind the scenes, I’m reviewing questionnaires and background information, gathering information from other people, scoring and interpreting assessment measures, considering different explanations, working through the diagnostic criteria, writing your report and developing recommendations.

For context, the Australian Psychological Society recommends a fee of $330 per 46-60 minute standard consultation, and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc recommends $340 for 2026–27. I’ve deliberately set Little Bird’s fees below those recommended rates. I want comprehensive assessment to be as accessible as I can reasonably make it, particularly when public assessment options in Tasmania can involve considerable waits.

But the time we spend together isn’t just about reaching a diagnosis.

Having 5–6 hours together gives me time to properly get to know you. I can learn how your brain works, what makes life harder, what you’ve already figured out for yourself, the things you’re really good at, and the little clues that might help explain why some things have never quite worked.

That information becomes a roadmap for what comes next. Along with your report, you’ll leave with practical recommendations and Little Bird resource packs selected for you, so the end point isn’t simply “Yes, you have ADHD” or “Yes, you’re autistic.” It’s “Now that we understand this, what can we actually do with it?”

For some people, a shorter assessment, including a psychiatric assessment where accessing medication is the main goal, is absolutely enough. Little Bird is designed for people who want more time to unpack the whole picture and work out what this new understanding means for everyday life.

Child and adolescent assessments take even more resources. They involve bringing together information from the young person, parents, teachers and sometimes other professionals. That extra time gives me more opportunities to notice important clues across different settings and ultimately make recommendations that are as useful as possible for that particular child and family.

There are direct costs behind the scenes too, including psychological assessment tools, scoring and licences. And although I deliberately keep my reports relatively short and written in plain language, turning a lot of complex information into something clear and genuinely useful takes time.

Ultimately, you’re not paying for a diagnosis. You’re paying for the time and expertise to understand the whole picture and to leave with a much clearer idea of where to go next.

There’s a super descriptive Privacy Policy page - see the link at the top of the page.

I’ll give you some homework to do before the Planning Session, but, comfy clothes, water, snacks, fidgets - you can bring anything you like to make you feel comfy.