ADHD & Autism Assessments
Have you been searching for services related to getting an ADHD or autism diagnosis? Look no further!
Our efficient online assessment process ensures we save you both time and money on your diagnosis.
See more information about our program below!
What Makes This Program Different?
We are completely online! This allows us to see anyone living in New Zealand with an internet connection. The flow-on effect has meant we have eliminated the cost of renting commercial space with all our professionals working online from home. This savings has been passed on to you in our sliding scale fees.
You are sent all your questionnaires and observer reports prior to your appointment. This allows us, in the background, to organise and start on your report before seeing the Psychologist. It gives the Psychologist a better understanding of you before they meet you and they can ask tailored questions as a result. We find with all the information we gather ahead of time, this appointment only needs to be about an hour.
Once the appointment is completed, the team email your report and any referral information within approximately 4-6 weeks.
Is This An Official Diagnosis?
Yes, we are qualified to conduct psychological evaluations and grant official diagnoses when a client meets the diagnostic criteria. With the appropriate release, we can forward your assessment to others on your treatment team (counsellors, prescribers, et cetera), and we are happy to answer any questions they have about our team’s qualifications as well.
Please understand that if your goal in getting an assessment is medication, you will still need to have this verified by a licensed Psychiatrist prior to being prescribed meds for ADHD outside of Canterbury. Canterbury has a different process, please speak with your GP prior to applying.
We do not have a private in-house Psychiatrist at this time. If you are a Psychiatrist offering this kind of service and want to be part of The ACFB Fund, please email us at: info@acfbfund.org.nz to organise a meeting to talk more.
Making Mental Health Support Accessible
At The ACFB Fund, we believe that everyone deserves access to mental health support and resources, regardless of their circumstances. Our mission is to break down barriers and foster a society that embraces inclusivity, resilience, and well-being.
Psychological Assessment Team
Dr. Natalie Peart
Co- Clinical Director
Natalie holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Auckland. She has many years of experience working with ADHD and autism in the community and private organisation, working across all age ranges. Natalie is also a member of the Board of Directors, representing the Clinical Team.
Kiia Naidoo
Educational Psychologist
Kiia comes with a wealth of experience running ADHD and autism assessments at her role with the Ministry of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psych), Masters of Applied Social Work, Post Graduate Certificate in Educational and Developmental Psychology, and Post Graduate Diploma in Educational and Developmental Psychology.
Kate Nitschke
Educational Psychologist
Kate has nearly ten years experience as an Educational Psychologist working with the Ministry of Education and within a girls’ secondary school. Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Education), a Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology, a Masters in Educational Psychology, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Psychology Practice.
Sarah Harrison
Psychologist/ Clinical Support Lead
Sarah has 4 years experience in special education, providing behaviour support and psychological services to children and youth with existing diagnoses. Sarah is also the Clinical Support Lead, having helped to build the program into what you see today.
Can I Get A Prescription for my ADHD?
We employ Psychologists, Counsellors, and Occupational Therapists, not Medical Doctors or Psychiatrists. As such we are unable to prescribe medication for ADHD or any other diagnosis. We can provide information about whether or not you meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD.
Many people with ADHD benefit from medication intervention for their symptoms. However, a psychologist does not determine which medication (if any) is appropriate for an individual. With your consent, we can forward your diagnosis to your GP, psychiatrist, our preferred referrer, The Nelson Clinic, or other healthcare provider. However, we cannot and would not tell a prescriber what they should or should not prescribe.
In other words, we cannot guarantee what options your prescriber will or will not offer you based on our diagnosis (stimulant-wise), however, we can refer you successfully with this official diagnosis to the appropriate medical provider.
If you have questions about your medication options, we strongly encourage you to talk to your GP first about who would prescribe medication if you were diagnosed with ADHD and if they have special requirements for a psychological report to access medication options.
What is the fee scale?
Additional FAQs about the Program
Please note: The ranges within the income scale are to account for personal circumstances. Income is household family income, not just the applicant. If you do not wish to submit your financials, we will assess at the top price ($1,500 – $2,000). Even if your household income falls outside of our funding limits, we still encourage you to apply – our program is not limited to the income brackets specified. We will look at ANY and ALL referrals.
If you are looking to get an in-person assessment for autism, please note there will be an additional charge for the in-person clinic appointment required to meet their diagnostic criteria. Also know we are lobbying in the background to bring change so that telehealth diagnoses are accepted and are working with various players and organisations. If you would like to be a voice for change, please reach out to the email below.
We do offer discounts for multiple family members. Please contact us at: info@acfbfund.org.nz for more information. Please have your applications for all family members completed prior to reaching out.
Complex: An application may be considered more complex if there is an indication of other diagnoses or inconsistencies in the results. If it is revealed in the assessment process that your application is more complex, there will be an additional charge as stated above. Reports will not be generated until this additional charge has been paid so please try to give us all the information relevant to assess your fee appropriately. Please note that complex assessments may take more time to complete than other assessments. A team member will discuss this process with you if your application is identified as complex.
Urgent: Urgent or emergency appointments are available for those choosing to pay an additional fee. This ensures a video appointment with a Psychologist and completed reports back to you within 3 weeks from completing your questionnaires and work with Clinical Support . These appointments are on a first-come, first served basis and are limited weekly. Please email: info@acfbfund.org.nz prior to applying to check availability. With this option, no financials are needed, however the fee needs to be paid in full before we confirm any appointments or send any questionnaires. You will need to complete your questionnaires prior to your scheduled appointment to allow the process to keep moving quickly.
Brief: A brief report is one used for the purposes of self-exploration and validation. You will not meet with our Psychologist but you will complete many of the same questionnaires as the full assessment but will not be given an official diagnosis. You will get a letter summarising the findings, we will advise if we believe a further, fuller assessment is needed. Should this be recommended and you wish to upgrade to a full assessment, the amount you have already paid for the brief report will be credited to the assessment amount (see pay scales for those assessment amounts) and you will only need to pay the difference.
In-Person Autism Clinics: For a small subset of clients with an autism diagnosis, it may be appropriate to apply for funding for services like respite, individualised funding, etc. These are through what are called “NASCs” (Needs Assessment Service Coordination).
Each region uses a different NASC and each NASC is overseen by Whaikaha (the Ministry for Disabled people which is being absorbed into MSD).
Whaikaha, in consultation with one of the NASC providers, recently decided that there was no further need to divert from the Autism Guidelines for the diagnosis of autism and allow telehealth diagnoses, although this has been standard since 2020.
Although updated in 2011, this old, outdated document with old research is what is used as the “Gold Standard” for funding purposes. This doc forces usage of outdated in-person assessments and a multidisciplinary approach not required by the DSM for diagnosis.
Our new in-person clinics helps solve the following:
– Telehealth: We offer in-person clinic testing by the OT and Psych in addition to the work you do with the clinical team online.
– Multidisciplinary: By the end of your journey with us, you will have seen a: Counsellor, a Psych (or 2), and an OT. Meeting the criteria from the Autism Guidelines.
– Observations across multiple contexts: We will see you online in your home and in person in our Clinic.
This is the best we can do to navigate the new hurdles put in place. From here, we cannot guarantee that your NASC will provide funding or what reason they will decline next. We can guarantee you a diagnostic assessment that meets all the outlined criteria in the Autism Guidelines.
Clinics will be in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch and will expand with need.
For those who applied and started paying before Sept 1 2024 have been offered this clinic for free, if they need it but need to reply prior to Nov 1. Those who applied from Sept 1 will be asked to pay an additional $1,000 for this additional service.
