Northern Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Clinic (NASDAC)

This clinic sees young children to determine whether they have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The team consists of a paediatrician and allied health professionals (i.e. a Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and/or a Psychologist).

This clinic helps assess children when it is unclear whether ASD or another condition is causing their difficulties. Some children show clear signs of ASD and can be diagnosed by their paediatrician, so they may not need to attend this clinic. Children must be referred by a Paediatrician before their 7^th birthday and must live within the Northern Health catchment area.

What to expect from the service?

Children may have 2-3x separate appointments based on individual needs.

There is no single test that can diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To understand your child’s strengths and needs, we will ask you questions about their development and behaviour, and a clinician will spend some time doing activities with your child.

With your permission, we may also gather information from people who know your child well, such as their kindergarten or school teacher. Once the assessment is complete, we will talk with you about the results and discuss ways to support your child. A written report will be sent to you in the weeks following the assessment.

Appointment information

Referral:

For full eligibility criteria, please see the NASDAC referral form.

Cost:

This is a free service for Medicare patients.

A paediatrician must complete the Northern Health NASDAC referral form for your child, which can be found here.

All sections of the referral form must be completed or the referral will be rejected.

Please fax the completed form and additional documents (letters, reports etc.) to (03) 8405 8616.

If you wish to discuss a referral’s eligibility, please call (03) 8338 3000 or email nasdac@nh.org.au.

Once a referral is accepted, the referrer will be contacted. There may be a long wait for an appointment with our service, and the NASDAC team will contact the family/caregivers directly when an appointment is available. For information about other Paediatric Allied Health services at Northern Health, please click here.