Is it ADHD, or something else?
Every child is distractible and wriggly at times. ADHD is different because the difficulties are stronger than expected for the child's age, have been there for a long time and show up in more than one place, such as at home and at school. Parents and teachers often notice:
- Trouble listening to instructions, or starting tasks and drifting off before finishing
- Losing belongings, forgetting homework and needing many reminders
- Constant movement, fidgeting, or difficulty staying seated when expected to
- Calling out, interrupting or acting before thinking
- Big reactions to small frustrations, and friendships that are hard to keep
Other things can look similar or sit alongside ADHD, including learning difficulties, anxiety, poor sleep, language difficulties, autism and stressful events. A good assessment considers all of them, because the right support depends on the reasons behind the behaviour.
How we build the picture
No single test shows ADHD. Your psychologist puts together information from several sources:
- A parent interview about pregnancy, early development, health, family history, school and what you see at home.
- Questionnaires for parents and teachers. Standardised rating scales compare your child with others the same age. With your consent, we contact the teacher directly.
- Time with your child to talk, observe and, where useful, complete testing. Cognitive testing, for example the WISC, can show learning strengths and challenges that matter for school.
- Existing reports from the school, speech pathologists, occupational therapists or paediatricians, if you have them.
Teenagers have their own say
ADHD can look different in the teenage years. Hyperactivity may fade into restlessness, while disorganisation, late assignments, risk-taking and conflict at home become the main worries. Girls are more often missed, because inattention is quieter than disruption.
Teenagers take part directly in their assessment, and we give them time to talk without a parent in the room if they'd like. Their own view of what is hard, and what helps, shapes the recommendations.
What happens, step by step
- Get in touch. Call us or send the form on this page. We explain the process and the fee. Please ask your GP for a referral; GPs and paediatricians can use our referrals page.
- Forms and questionnaires. You complete our online client intake form. We send rating scales to you and, with your consent, to your child's teacher.
- Parent interview. You meet the psychologist, often by video, to talk through your child's development and the concerns at home and school.
- Time with your child. Your child comes to Springfield Central or The Gap for observation and any testing. Sessions include breaks.
- Scoring and report. Your psychologist brings everything together and writes the report. They give you a timeline at intake.
- Feedback session. You go through the findings and recommendations, and how to explain them to your child. With your consent, the report goes to your doctor and the school.
Your psychologist confirms the estimated cost with you before testing begins.
Fee guide and MediPay payment plans
Assessments are charged at $230 per hour (as of July 2026). The guide fee below is an estimate; the actual cost depends on what is needed, and your psychologist confirms it with you before starting.
| Assessment | Usually includes | Guide fee |
|---|---|---|
| ADHD assessment | Intake, diagnostic interview (DIVA-5), information from school or family, testing, report, feedback | $2,500 |
Medicare doesn't cover assessments at Psych Connect. The NDIS doesn't pay for assessments to diagnose conditions such as ADHD or autism. If you're already an NDIS participant, your plan may cover a functional capacity assessment; check with your plan manager.
Flexible payment plans are available through MediPay (eligibility applies).
Payment plans are provided by MediPay Holdings Pty Ltd (Australian Credit Licence 474336), not Psych Connect. Applications are subject to MediPay's credit assessment criteria. Terms, conditions, fees and charges apply.
All our fees are on the fees page.
Support at school, and senior exam adjustments
With your consent, you can share the report with your child's school. Recommendations are written so teachers can use them, for example ways to give instructions, break up tasks and plan movement breaks.
Senior exams: QCAA AARA
For senior exams, Queensland students can apply for access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA), such as extra time or rest breaks. Under the QCAA handbook (section 6.4.5, updated January 2026), for Units 3 and 4 the documents for a long-term condition must be dated no earlier than 1 January of the year the student is in Year 10. If the diagnosis was made earlier, an update is needed, not a whole new assessment, and the update can also come from a GP or another relevant professional. The report must state the diagnosis, the date it was made and how the condition affects the student in timed assessment, and it can't come from a practitioner employed by the school.
If your child already has a report from before Year 10, ask us about an update. The school's AARA contact decides what is approved. QCAA handbook, section 6.4.
Medicine and your child's doctor
Psychologists assess and write a report, but we don't prescribe medicine. With your consent, we share the report with your GP, paediatrician or psychiatrist. In Queensland, paediatricians can prescribe ADHD medicine for young people up to age 24; since 1 December 2025, fully qualified GPs (Fellows of the RACGP or ACRRM) can also start ADHD stimulant medicine for adults. Whether medicine is right for your child is a decision for your family and your child's doctor, and an assessment doesn't promise it.
Who does the assessment
Child and teen ADHD assessments are done by one of our two assessing psychologists, who work with you, your child and, with your consent, the school.
Dr Sirous Momenzadeh (Clinical Psychologist)
Director and Principal Clinical Psychologist
PhD, MPsych (Clin)
More than 19 years of practice across public and private settings. His clinical focus includes trauma and PTSD, and the assessment of ADHD and autism in adolescents and adults.
Psychologist with an endorsement in clinical psychology (Psychology Board of Australia). AHPRA registration number PSY0000965905.
Farah Sobhanian (Psychologist)
Registered Psychologist
BA Psychology, Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology
More than 18 years in mental health with individuals, couples and families. She completes ADHD assessments and works with anxiety, trauma, grief and loss.
Psychologist with general registration (Psychology Board of Australia). AHPRA registration number PSY0001260612.
Read their full profiles on our team page.
Where: Springfield Central, The Gap or telehealth
- Springfield Central: inside Springfield Doctors, in the Ipswich region.
- The Gap: inside The Gap Village Doctors, in Brisbane's north-west.
- Telehealth: parent interviews and the feedback session can often be done by secure video; time with your child and any testing are usually in person.
Not every practitioner works at every clinic on every day, so when you call we'll let you know who is available where. Both clinics are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; for Saturdays, please call to check.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call 0410 029 886, or see all our assessments.