Understand how you or your child processes, learns and retains information — with a comprehensive cognitive assessment in Heidelberg & Fairfield.
A cognitive assessment gives you a clear, evidence-based picture of how the brain works — helping guide the right support at school, at work, or at home.
- Identify strengths & challenges
- Support learning & development
- Guide educational or workplace strategies
- Build a clearer picture of how you think
Why Families Choose Us
✔ Neuroaffirming, evidence-based testing
✔ Comprehensive assessment reports
✔ Practical recommendations for school or work
✔ For children, adolescents and adults
Not sure if a cognitive assessment is what you need? Speak with our team first and we’ll help you figure out the right approach.
A map of how someone thinks, learns and solves problems
A cognitive assessment looks at reasoning, memory, language and processing speed — the underlying skills that shape how someone learns, not a single “smart or not” number. It’s often the foundation underneath an ADHD, autism or learning assessment too.
- Children, teens and adults
- No referral required
- ~4 hours total, across sessions
Who Conducts the Assessment?
Provisional vs registered psychologist — what’s the difference?
Our fees are structured around this distinction, so it’s worth understanding upfront.
Provisional Psychologist
Completing their final year of supervised practice. Every report is reviewed and signed off by their individual supervisor before it’s issued, and carries the same standing for schools, workplaces and NDIS applications as a registered psychologist’s report.
Registered Psychologist
Fully qualified and working independently, without a supervision requirement on the report itself.
What’s Involved?
Developmental Interview
A conversation about early development, strengths, interests and current concerns — this gives context for everything that follows, and often shapes which tasks we prioritise.
Cognitive Assessment
A series of structured tasks measuring how the brain processes different kinds of information — not a pass/fail test, and not timed to catch someone out. We use the Wechsler scales, matched to age (WPPSI-IV for preschoolers, WISC-V for school-aged children, WAIS-5 for adults).
- Verbal Comprehension
- Visual-Spatial Skills
- Fluid Reasoning
- Working Memory
- Processing Speed
Social-Emotional Questionnaires
Short questionnaires completed by you, and sometimes by parents, teachers, partners or siblings — these round out the picture with how things show up socially and emotionally, not just cognitively.
Report and Feedback
A written report setting out strengths, challenges, diagnosis (where applicable) and specific recommendations — written to be genuinely usable. We then have a dedicated session to walk through the results and answer questions in real time. A couple of weeks later, we check in — reports take time to sit with, and new questions usually surface after the first read.
Getting Ready
How to prepare – and why there’s not much to do
There’s genuinely nothing to study or practise beforehand — cognitive testing isn’t something you can (or should try to) cram for. A little reflection beforehand can still make the developmental interview more useful, if you find it helpful.
Looking Back
- For a child: a baby book, old school reports or early videos can jog memories of developmental milestones
- For an adult: it can help to ask a parent or sibling what school and early childhood were actually like
Thinking About Now
- For a child: current play and social preferences, sensory needs, and what they’re genuinely good at
- For an adult: how you learn best, and where your interests and strengths tend to show up
Fees
What’s Included, and What It Costs
Provisional Psychologist
$1310
- Developmental Interview (1hr)
- Cognitive Assessment (2hrs)
- Social-Emotional Questionnaires
- Comprehensive Written Report
- Feedback (1hr)
Registered Psychologist
$1790
- Developmental Interview (1hr)
- Cognitive Assessment (2hrs)
- Social-Emotional Questionnaires
- Comprehensive Written Report
- Feedback (1hr)
Cost may depend on complexity and whether testing is combined (for example, a cognitive assessment alongside a learning assessment), and whether you book with a provisional or registered psychologist. You’ll get an exact quote after the intake call.
Funding Options
Medicare
Medicare doesn’t cover a standalone cognitive assessment — the exception is when it forms part of an autism assessment under a Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders referral, which your paediatrician or psychiatrist can advise on.
NDIS
Some assessments may be covered under your NDIS plan – speak to your Local Area Coordinator to find out. Please note NDIS does not typically fund diagnostic assessments.
Private Health
Some extras policies offer a partial rebate – speak to your health provider to confirm. Please note that provisional psychologists are not eligible to receive a rebate under some health insurers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cognitive assessment?
A cognitive assessment looks at how your brain processes, learns, retains and applies information — things like memory, reasoning, processing speed and attention. It gives a clear, evidence-based picture of your cognitive strengths and challenges, which can guide support at school, university or work.
How do I know if I need a cognitive assessment?
Common reasons include struggling more than expected with learning or memory, wanting to understand how you or your child thinks and processes information, needing documentation for school or workplace support, or preparing for a learning assessment where cognitive testing forms part of the picture. If this sounds familiar, chat with our team and we’ll help you work out what’s appropriate.
Can adults get a cognitive assessment, or is it mainly for children?
At Minds of All Kinds Psychology, we provide cognitive assessments for children, adolescents and adults. Adults often seek one to understand memory or processing concerns, to support a workplace accommodation, or alongside another assessment such as ADHD or autism.
What’s the difference between a cognitive assessment and a learning assessment?
A cognitive assessment looks broadly at how your brain processes and retains information — memory, reasoning, processing speed and attention. A learning assessment builds on this to look specifically at academic skills like reading, writing and maths, often to identify something like dyslexia or dyscalculia. The two are frequently done together, since a learning assessment usually includes a cognitive component.
What happens during a cognitive assessment?
The process typically involves an initial consultation, one or more testing sessions using standardised cognitive tools, and a feedback session where your results and practical recommendations are explained in plain language.
How long does a cognitive assessment take?
A cognitive assessment involves testing across one or more sessions rather than a single appointment. Timelines depend on age and what’s being assessed — our team can give you a clearer estimate once we understand your situation.
Will I get a diagnosis at the end of a cognitive assessment?
A cognitive assessment on its own doesn’t always result in a diagnosis — it’s often used to build a picture of strengths and challenges that feeds into a broader diagnostic process (such as a learning, ADHD or autism assessment) or into recommendations for school or work. Your feedback session will make clear exactly what the results mean for your situation.
Is a cognitive assessment covered by Medicare or NDIS?
Some rebates may apply depending on your circumstances and referral pathway. If you hold NDIS funding, our reports are prepared to support access requests and plan reviews. Get in touch and we can talk through what applies to you.
Do I need a referral for a cognitive assessment?
No — you can self-refer and book directly. A referral from a GP, paediatrician or school is welcome and can help if you’re hoping to access a Medicare rebate or want the assessment linked with other support you’re receiving.
Can a cognitive assessment help with school or workplace accommodations?
Yes — our reports include practical recommendations designed to be shared directly with a school or employer, covering the kind of support that’s likely to help based on your results.
Can cognitive assessments be done via telehealth?
Some components can be completed via telehealth, such as the initial interview and feedback, though certain testing is required to be done in person depending on age and what’s being assessed. Chat with our team and we can advise what’s suitable for your situation.
Looking for other services?
ready to book your assessment?
Get In Touch
Start with a short intake call — we’ll talk through what’s going on and confirm this is the right assessment before anything is booked in.