Brief Psychological Assessment

Brief neuropsychological assessments may be useful for honing in on specific questions pertaining to an area of cognitive function. They may also provide a broad overview of cognitive functioning, elucidating which areas to examine in further detail. For the medico-legal sector, this is useful to, for example, determine whether brain injury should be included in a road accident claim.

The briefer/targeted psychological assessments involve focussed sessions with a psychologist to determine whether you meet the criteria for a particular diagnosis. The briefer assessment involves a clinical interview, as well a structured diagnostic interview. You will also be asked to complete psychological questionnaires.

Thereafter, your psychologist will meet with you to go through your results. They will also provide recommendations for follow-up treatment/supports. You and/or your referrer will receive a brief written report of your results.

This briefer/targeted assessment could suit you:

• if you suspect you have ADHD and/or Autism and want to pursue a diagnosis/identification.
• If you are seeking the diagnosis/identification to help you understand yourself.

If possible, please bring someone with you who knows you well and can help describe any problems you have been having with your thinking or memory.

Please also bring the following items to all appointments:

• Referral: a valid referral from your GP or specialist (e.g. neurologist, psychiatrist).
• Cards: Pension, Health Care or Veterans’ Affairs cards, or evidence of full time tertiary student enrolment.
• Medication list, including all your current medications, vitamins, and supplements.
• Discharge summaries or reports of any previous assessments (e.g. neuropsychological, neurological, psychological/psychiatric) or investigations (e.g. EEGs, CT, MRI, PET)
• Reading glasses and/or hearing aids if you wear them.