ACFB Psychological Assessment Program
Seeking clarity about ADHD, autism, and/or general mental health concerns for yourself or a loved one? Our Psychological Assessment Program provides comprehensive, professional evaluations tailored to your unique needs.
With fully online services and pop-up in-person clinics in areas of high need, we’re committed to making high-quality mental health support accessible across Aotearoa.
Whether you’re seeking a diagnosis, workplace or educational accommodations, or guidance for treatment planning, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
***Please read this page and all graphics very carefully as program structure and pricing have changed effective January 1, 2025.***
What Makes This Program Different?
Our program combines convenience, flexibility, and affordability:
- Fully Online Service
All assessments are conducted online, making them accessible to individuals across New Zealand, including rural and remote areas. This approach eliminates the need for travel or physical office visits while maintaining the same high standards of care and professionalism. - Pop-Up In-Person Clinics
To support communities with limited access to online resources or mental health services, we also offer in-person assessments through pop-up clinics in areas of high need. These clinics provide the same comprehensive evaluations, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to access quality care. - Affordable Sliding Scale Fees
We use a sliding scale fee structure based on your financial situation, making high-quality assessments affordable and equitable. - Streamlined Process
Our process is tailored for efficiency and accuracy: - Pre-appointment questionnaires and observer reports are provided for you and a trusted support person to complete.
- This thorough pre-assessment preparation ensures our team has all the necessary background information, reducing the time needed for the appointment interview while maintaining a comprehensive evaluation.
- Most appointments last approximately one hour to 90 minutes. Multiple appointments may be needed for those needing a fuller assessment.
- Detailed Reporting
After your assessment, you’ll receive a detailed written report summarising findings, recommendations, and next steps. Reports are typically delivered within 6-12 weeks of your session and can include insights for educational or workplace accommodations or referrals to other relevant professionals.
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. If you are planning to use this diagnosis for this purpose, our Enhanced options are the best for you. Enhanced Prescreening and Enhanced Reporting are designed to meet the needs of outside providers looking to prescribe medication.
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.
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?
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 Standard price. 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 under $150,000. We will look at ANY and ALL referrals. If you’d prefer to apply through our parent organisation (ACFB) and pay private pay rates, click here.
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.
Full Assessment:Â An application may be considered as needing a more full assessment if there is an indication of other diagnoses or inconsistencies in the results. If it is revealed in the assessment process that your application needs to be upgraded, 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 full 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 needing a fuller examination.
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. 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.
Clinics will be in Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, and West Coast and will expand with need.Â
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.
