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Adolescent and Adult Diagnosis

The Specialist Youth Autism Diagnostic Clinic provides multidisciplinary Autism assessments to Western Australian youth from age 13 years, with an upper limit of 30 years of age.

This is a pioneering service dedicated to the specialist assessment of adolescents and young adults. A funding grant currently allows this clinic to provide a limited number of diagnostic assessments at no out of pocket cost to families. This service is provided in addition to the already established pathways for Autism assessment and diagnosis in Western Australia (i.e. through the state public health system, Department of Communities, or private practitioners).

The assessment team consists of a Consultant Psychiatrist working with an experienced multidisciplinary diagnostic team comprising of a Clinical Psychologist and Speech Pathologist, who each have extensive experience in the field of Autism.

We conduct evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) according to current international best-practice standards, and assessments conducted in the Specialist Youth Autism Diagnostic Clinic are also aligned with the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism in Australia. All assessments include a comprehensive diagnostic report and we also offer post-diagnostic support so that those diagnosed with Autism can access relevant services. Importantly, our team is dedicated to providing a positive, strengths-based, respectful and inclusive experience of assessment.

Our clinic aims to provide assessment to young people who have clear indicators of Autism but are experiencing barriers to access to assessment either because of the length of waitlists in the public system, or disadvantage in access to private assessment. We also consider referrals in terms of suitability for completion within a single day assessment model. In addition, we require a parent or other childhood caregiver with knowledge of early childhood history to be available for the assessment. We further prioritise referrals for young people who are in need of support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to improve their quality of life.

The Autism Association does not currently have appointments for individuals over 30 years of age. However, we have information about how you can access a diagnosis outside of the Association that you can download here.

Information for families

To be eligible to attend the clinic, we need a referral form completed by your GP or Medical Specialist, and for the young person and/or their family to complete the documents included in our intake pack.

As much as we would like to accommodate everyone who is referred to our clinic, we currently have to work within a priority system. We do not allocate assessment places until we have received and reviewed all paperwork and subsequently accepted a referral for booking. We appreciate the time that is involved in providing the requested information, which is invaluable in assisting the team to determine eligibility for assessment in our clinic, and to tailor the assessment to best meet the needs of the young person. If the referral does not proceed to booking we will provide information regarding other assessment avenues.

 

Information for referrers

We accept referrals from GP’s and Medical Specialists. However, we do not conduct partial assessments (i.e. referrals from private Paediatricians seeking additional clinical psychology or speech pathology assessment) nor do we complete assessments where a provisional diagnosis has already been made.

Please contact the clinic if you are concerned that you are working with a vulnerable family that may need support either to complete our intake forms or provide the requested documentation. If you wish to discuss a potential referral with our team prior to submitting a formal referral, our Senior Clinical Psychologist is available on a part time basis to respond to clinical queries and offer guidance on the suitability of the referral for assessment in our clinic.

Due to the limited number of funded places and high demand for assessment, we are unfortunately unable to offer all referrals an assessment place. All referrals will be considered on a case-by-case basis and those that are not accepted for assessment will be provided with information regarding the usual assessment pathways in Western Australia.

To make a referral to the Specialist Youth Autism Diagnostic Clinic, please complete and return the Referral Guide for Professionals. This guide includes a template referral letter. 

Who should I address the referral to?

Referrals must be addressed to:

Dr Kelly McKenna-Kerr, Consultant Psychiatrist
Youth Autism Diagnostic Clinic
Autism Association of WA
215 Stubbs Terrace
Shenton Park
WA 6008

Referrals can also be sent via email to: youthadult.diagnosis@autism.org.au.

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