Child & adolescent · Behaviour and emotion
When behaviour is hard to manage, it is usually telling us something.
A careful assessment of what is driving a child's behaviour and feelings, drawing on parent and teacher input, in Southport and by telehealth where suitable.
Behaviour is a form of communication. Our assessment looks underneath it to understand what is driving it, and what will genuinely help.
When a child's behaviour or mood is hard to manage, families often want to know why before they decide what to do. We assess what is going on, drawing on what you see at home, what teachers see at school, and standardised questionnaires that put it in context. We locate the difficulty in patterns and situations, never in a label about the child.
What we look at
What might be driving the behaviour
The same behaviour can have very different causes. A good assessment tells them apart.
- Attention and self-regulation: difficulty focusing, sitting still, or managing impulses
- Anxiety and mood: worry, low mood or big feelings that are hard to settle
- Learning: a learning difficulty that makes school frustrating and shows up as behaviour
- Stress and change: a response to something happening at home, at school or in a child's world
- Patterns and triggers: when, where and with whom the behaviour happens, and what tends to come before and after it
How we build the picture
Your view and your child's teacher's view, together
Children often behave differently at home and at school, so seeing both views matters. With your consent we gather input from parents and teachers and use standardised rating scales, which let us compare what you are seeing with what is typical for a child of the same age. We bring these together with a developmental history and, where helpful, time with your child, to understand the whole picture rather than a single moment.
A note on what we offer: this is an assessment to understand behaviour and emotion. It clarifies what is happening and what is likely to help, and we can point you towards the right support. The assessment itself is not a behaviour-change programme.
What is involved
The assessment, step by step
- Getting started. A first conversation to understand your concerns and what you are hoping to learn.
- Information gathering. A developmental and family history, and, with your consent, input from teachers and other professionals who know your child.
- Rating scales. Standardised questionnaires completed by parents and, where appropriate, teachers, to put the behaviour in context.
- Bringing it together. We look at the patterns across settings to understand what is driving things.
- Feedback and report. We talk you through what we found and give you a written report in plain language, with practical next steps for home and school.
What you will receive
What it clarifies, and what helps
A written report in plain language that describes the patterns we see, sets out what is likely to be driving the behaviour and feelings, and suggests practical next steps for home and school. Where it would help, we point you towards the right support, which may include therapy or further assessment of attention, learning or development. With your consent we share the report with your GP, paediatrician or school.
“We locate the difficulty in patterns and context, never in a label about the child.”
Cost and funding
Clear on cost before we begin
Fees for this assessment are quoted at intake, and we confirm the fee with you before we begin. Some assessments attract Medicare or NDIS support depending on the question and the funding pathway; we confirm this with you before booking. Our fees are on the Fees and Policies page.
Take the next step
You do not need a referral for a private appointment. Request an appointment or call 0452 452 262. GPs, paediatricians and schools can refer through our Make a referral page.
Request an appointmentSources: standardised parent and teacher behaviour rating scales used as part of a broader clinical assessment.