The Psychology Centre has found that the community need for neurodiversity assessments outmatches our current trainee clinic capacity. To address the needs of our community the Psychology Centre has expanded to offer neurodiversity assessments with contracted private clinical psychologists who come in to share our space and resources. Self-referrals and referrals from health professionals are welcomed.
The Psychology Centre is part of the Clinical Psychology Training Programme for the 蘑菇视频在线观看. The Private Clinic works in the same space as students, but does not have student involvement unless prearranged and agreed on between the client and the clinician.
The assessment will be wide ranging, and cover many aspects of your life and mental health. You will also be required to complete psychometric questionnaires.聽
A diagnosis of ADHD needs to be robustly evidence-based for a public mental health service psychiatrist to approve the prescription of stimulant medication. The assessment of ADHD requires evidence that you had 鈥榮everal鈥 symptoms of ADHD in childhood and early adolescence for diagnosis. Please consider who might be best placed to provide this information. It could be a family member, partner, or close friend/associate. This person may also be suited to provide evidence of your current functioning, or we can talk to someone else who knows you well now.聽 If childhood evidence does not exist or is unable to be obtained then coming to see a psychologist is not the right assessment option. You will likely need to find a psychiatrist who places less emphasis on collecting childhood evidence.
The assessment of Autism also requires evidence from childhood, and we will likely ask to interview someone who knew you well as a child, as well as someone who knows you well now.
An assessment that includes both autism and potential co-occurring ADHD, sometimes known as 'AuDHD', involves a more complex evaluation.聽 The additional work of incorporating a secondary evaluation into the assessment usually requires an additional session, questionnaires and report writing time, which increases the overall cost.
The process regarding accessing stimulant medication treatment for ADHD:
- A report which supports the diagnosis of ADHD will need to go to your GP who will consider treatment options and can make a referral for stimulant treatment.
- A psychiatrist at the public mental health team will review the report and will decide to either approve or decline the prescription based on the strength of information in the report.
- The client does not have to wait for an appointment with mental health, they will only have to see their GP to manage the medication once approved by the Psychiatrist.
- A drug test is often requested.
The clinic cannot guarantee that the mental health team will authorise the prescription of stimulant medication.
Please note:
If you have current difficulties with serious mental health conditions or trauma, please seek support and treatment for these issues BEFORE considering an assessment of ADHD or autism.
ADHD is a lifelong condition that requires management and cannot be "cured". It is only able to be diagnosed if the symptoms cannot be better explained by another condition.聽 Treating and seeking support for treatable conditions first means that you can heal or treat the condition, and feel better sooner, and if you still believe you are experiencing symptoms of ADHD, it will make an ADHD assessment much clearer. Sometimes a diagnosis cannot be made in the presence of another active mental or physical health condition. This can be very frustrating, especially if you have been waiting a long time for an ADHD assessment or have paid for one privately. If you are going through a period of unusually high stress, grief, trauma, or adjustment it also may not be a good time for an assessment. It鈥檚 okay to delay.
We are not able to accept referrals for clients who pose an acute and serious risk to themselves or others, or whose primary needs would be better met through mental health services. We are also not able to undertake work related to court or legal matters. We do not provide crisis or emergency support. Please contact the Centre if you would like to confirm suitability.
Please fill out the self-referral form and return to psychclinic@canterbury.ac.nz if you would like to be triaged for a private assessment.聽