Services that Choice Point Psychology Can Provide

Support across the lifespan. Our psychologists work with children, adolescents and adults.

Psychological Assessments with Dr Nicholas Harris

Neuroaffirming ADHD, Autism, Cognitive & Learning Assessments | Children, Adolescents & Adults

Understanding Yourself or Your Child Should Feel Empowering

Many people seek assessment after years of feeling:

Different
Overwhelmed
Misunderstood
Exhausted from masking
“Smart but struggling”
Unsure why everyday life feels harder than it seems for others

Assessments are designed to provide:

Clarity and understanding
Validation and self-awareness
Practical recommendations
Support planning and accommodations
Meaningful insight beyond a diagnosis alone

At Choice Point Psychology, Dr Nicholas Harris provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults across ADHD, Autism, cognitive functioning, intellectual disability, and Specific Learning Disorders.

Explore Assessment Services

ADHD Assessments Autism Assessments Cognitive & Learning Assessments Adult Assessments Assessments for Girls & Women NDIS & DSP Assessments Assessment Process FAQs Fees & Pricing Contact Us

Dr Nicholas Harris conducting a cognitive assessment. Cognitive assessments involve tasks using iPads, as well as verbal responses, and pen-and-paper tasks.

Why Families, Adults, and Professionals Choose Dr Nicholas Harris

Over 15 years’ experience in psychological measurement, psychometrics, and assessment
Neuroaffirming and trauma-informed assessment approach
Expertise in ADHD, Autism, intelligence, cognitive, and learning assessments
Assessments for children, adolescents, and adults
Experience with high-masking and internalised presentations
Comprehensive reports and feedback sessions
Assessments supporting NDIS, DSP, schools, and workplace accommodations
Assessments conducted by a Clinical Psychologist and university lecturer

To learn more about assessment pricing and fees, visit our Assessment Fees & Pricing Page.

What Makes Our Assessments Different?

Many Traditional Assessments

Feel rushed or impersonal
Focus only on symptoms
Miss high-masking presentations
Rely heavily on checklists
Feel deficit-focused
Provide limited practical recommendations

Our Assessment Approach

Comprehensive and collaborative
Neuroaffirming and trauma-informed
Relational and emotionally safe
Individualised and strengths-based
Integrates psychometric and clinical understanding
Focused on meaningful recommendations and clarity

Many people seeking assessment have previously felt dismissed, misunderstood, rushed, or reduced to a checklist of symptoms. Some individuals worry that their experiences may not be “obvious enough,” particularly if they are high-masking, academically capable, emotionally internalising, or have spent years compensating for difficulties privately.

At Choice Point Psychology, assessments with Dr Nicholas Harris are designed to be comprehensive, collaborative, neuroaffirming, and deeply individualised.

ADHD Assessments on the Central Coast NSW

Attention & Focus

Distractibility, forgetfulness, zoning out, and difficulty sustaining attention.

Emotional Regulation

Frustration, overwhelm, burnout, impulsive reactions, and emotional sensitivity.

School & Work

Inconsistent performance, procrastination, unfinished tasks, and exhaustion.

Executive Functioning

Organisation, planning, time management, motivation, and task initiation.

Dr Nicholas Harris provides comprehensive ADHD assessments for children, adolescents, and adults across Wyong, Gosford, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Sydney, the Hunter Region, regional NSW, and Australia-wide via telehealth where appropriate.

Adult ADHD Assessments in Newcastle, Sydney & Australia-Wide

Many adults seek ADHD assessments later in life after years of anxiety, burnout, low self-esteem, feeling different, struggling silently, or being overlooked because they achieved academically or masked symptoms effectively.

        Common Experiences in High-Masking ADHD
        Appearing capable while feeling constantly overwhelmed
Performing well academically while feeling exhausted from compensating
Looking organised externally while feeling chaotic internally
Being quiet or compliant while experiencing racing thoughts
Perfectionism, fear of failure, and chronic self-criticism

      

Autism Assessments for Children and Adults in Newcastle, Sydney & Australia-Wide

Dr Nicholas Harris provides neuroaffirming Autism assessments for children, adolescents, and adults across the Central Coast NSW, Wyong, Gosford, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Region, Sydney, and regional NSW.

Social Experiences

Feeling different from peers, rehearsing conversations, and navigating social expectations.

Internal Experiences

Internal anxiety, sensory overwhelm, burnout, shutdowns, and exhaustion from masking.

Routine & Regulation

Need for predictability, intense interests, repetitive patterns, and regulation needs.

ADHD and Autism Assessments for Girls and Women

Girls and women are frequently underdiagnosed because presentations are often more internalised, subtle, masked, or misunderstood.

        Common Internalised Presentations in Girls & Women
        Perfectionism and anxiety
Emotional sensitivity and overthinking
Social masking and burnout
Quiet inattentiveness
Friendship difficulties and chronic self-doubt
Sensory overwhelm and exhaustion from compensating

      

Intelligence, Cognitive, and Learning Assessments in Wyong and Gosford

Dr Nicholas Harris provides cognitive, intelligence, and Specific Learning Disorder assessments for children, adolescents, and adults across the Central Coast NSW, Wyong, Gosford, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Sydney, and regional NSW.

Reading

Understanding reading accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and dyslexia-related difficulties.

Writing

Exploring written expression, organisation, spelling, and dysgraphia-related concerns.

Mathematics

Assessing numeracy, problem-solving, and mathematics-related learning difficulties.

Cognitive Profile

Understanding memory, reasoning, processing speed, and intellectual functioning.

Assessments for NDIS, DSP, Schools, and Support Planning

Psychological assessments may support NDIS applications, Disability Support Pension applications, school accommodations, workplace adjustments, diagnostic clarification, treatment planning, and support recommendations.

What Happens During a Psychological Assessment?

Assessments are designed to provide a clear, comprehensive, and supportive understanding of strengths, challenges, neurodevelopmental presentations, and support needs.

Initial Consultation

We discuss presenting concerns, developmental history, goals, and what you are hoping to understand.

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Questionnaires & Screening Tools

Information may be gathered from clients, parents, teachers, partners, or other supports.

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Clinical Interviews & Observation

Interviews and observations help build a full picture of strengths, challenges, and context.

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Psychometric Assessment

Evidence-based tools may assess cognition, learning, attention, adaptive functioning, and behaviour.

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Comprehensive Report

Findings, formulation, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations are integrated into a report.

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Feedback Session

Findings are discussed collaboratively, including recommendations, supports, and next steps.

The Goal of Assessment

The goal is not simply to determine whether someone “meets criteria,” but to develop a meaningful understanding of how they experience the world, what supports may help, and how their strengths and challenges interact within everyday life.

Frequently Asked Questions About Psychological Assessments

What types of assessments do you offer?

Dr Nicholas Harris provides ADHD assessments, Autism assessments, cognitive assessments, intelligence assessments, Specific Learning Disorder assessments, and achievement assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.

What makes an assessment neuroaffirming?

A neuroaffirming assessment recognises neurodivergence as a difference rather than a flaw. It considers strengths, lived experience, masking, sensory needs, communication preferences, and environmental fit, rather than focusing only on deficits.

How long does an ADHD assessment take?

Assessment time varies depending on age, complexity, and referral questions. Comprehensive ADHD assessments usually involve clinical interviews, questionnaires, psychometric data where relevant, report writing, and a feedback session.

Can adults be diagnosed with Autism later in life?

Yes. Many adults seek Autism assessment after years of masking, burnout, anxiety, relationship difficulties, or feeling different without knowing why.

Can girls and women have ADHD or Autism?

Yes. Girls and women may present with more internalised, subtle, or masked symptoms, including anxiety, perfectionism, emotional exhaustion, quiet inattentiveness, social camouflaging, and burnout.

What is masking in ADHD or Autism?

Masking refers to hiding, suppressing, or compensating for neurodivergent traits to meet social, academic, or workplace expectations. It can contribute to exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and delayed diagnosis.

What is included in a cognitive assessment?

Cognitive assessments may examine verbal comprehension, visual reasoning, working memory, processing speed, problem-solving, intellectual functioning, and adaptive functioning depending on the assessment goals.

What is an achievement or learning assessment?

Achievement assessments examine academic skills such as reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, and academic fluency. These assessments can help identify Specific Learning Disorders such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia.

Can assessments identify intellectual disability?

Yes. Intellectual disability assessment usually involves cognitive testing, adaptive functioning assessment, developmental history, and clinical interpretation of daily functioning and support needs.

Can assessments support NDIS applications?

Yes. Assessments may assist with diagnostic clarification, functional evidence, support recommendations, NDIS applications, NDIS reviews, and planning for reasonable and necessary supports.

Can assessments support Disability Support Pension applications?

Assessments may provide evidence relevant to functional impairment, cognitive functioning, adaptive functioning, and diagnostic clarification, which may assist with Disability Support Pension applications or supporting documentation.

Can schools use the assessment report?

Yes. Reports may assist schools in understanding learning profiles, neurodevelopmental needs, classroom adjustments, examination accommodations, behaviour support, and educational planning.

Can ADHD and Autism occur together?

Yes. ADHD and Autism commonly co-occur. A comprehensive assessment considers overlapping presentations, differences between conditions, and how they may interact in everyday life.

Can trauma, anxiety, or burnout look like ADHD or Autism?

Yes. Trauma, anxiety, depression, burnout, ADHD, and Autism can overlap in presentation. Comprehensive assessment helps consider differential diagnosis and how multiple factors may interact.

Do you assess twice-exceptional individuals?

Yes. Twice-exceptional profiles may involve high intellectual ability alongside ADHD, Autism, learning difficulties, or other support needs. Assessment can help clarify both strengths and challenges.

Do all assessments include a report?

Comprehensive assessments generally include a written report outlining relevant history, assessment findings, formulation, diagnostic impressions where appropriate, and practical recommendations.

What happens in the feedback session?

The feedback session explains assessment findings, discusses diagnoses where relevant, answers questions, and explores recommendations, supports, and next steps.

Do I need a referral for an assessment?

Some clients are referred by GPs, paediatricians, psychiatrists, schools, or allied health professionals, while others contact the clinic directly. You can contact Choice Point Psychology to discuss what may be suitable.

Helpful Links

Assessment Fees & Pricing Frequently Asked Questions Contact Choice Point Psychology Therapy Services Meet the Team Psychology Blog

Enquire About an Assessment

If you are seeking clarity, understanding, diagnostic assessment, or support recommendations for yourself or your child, contact Choice Point Psychology.

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