Our services
Welcome to the Houghton Clinic
Navigating developmental milestones for your child or yourself can be overwhelming. As a parent, it’s natural to feel anxious when your child isn’t reaching developmental milestones or if they struggle with social interactions or academics.
Similarly, as an adult, it can be daunting, recognising differences or facing challenges at work or university, with family relationships and often in social settings.
You've likely explored various avenues, from online research to discussions with your GP, friends and family. However, the decision to seek a professional assessment marks a significant step towards understanding and addressing these concerns definitively.
At Houghton Clinic, our goal is to help find a path forward. Through comprehensive assessments, we aim to identify any differences accurately, providing you with invaluable insights and, where appropriate, strategies to support both your child and your family.
Embedded within research programs at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre , we are committed to using evidence-based tools and assessments, ensuring that the information you receive is both timely and relevant.
Take the next step with us at the Houghton Clinic.
Autism assessments
Autism assessments, for both children and adults require an initial consultation between 60-90 mins.
We use the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) in our assessments. It is an assessment informed by observing and interacting with the individual during the appointment.
A diagnosis is made using DSM 5 criteria, the benchmark for neurodevelopmental diagnosis.
A full explanation of an ADOS and the DSM criteria can be found HERE.
For children an assessment might require additional cognitive screening, as well as clinical interviews with parents, carers, teachers and other relevant contacts.
For adults, after an initial consultation, an ADOS can be given that will indicate if an individual meets the threshold for autism. To obtain a diagnosis that indicates severity and can be matched to DSM-5 criteria extra interviews with a partner, parent, friend or even work colleague, to provide additional information is required.
All assessments require a referral. We will provide information and support throughout the process as well as a comprehensive written report. Please read this diagnostic explainer
ADHD assessments
There’s no single one assessment to diagnose ADHD. A number of assessment tools are used to build a picture of what is happening in a person's life whether that's at school, work or at home.
The symptoms of ADHD are broad and include the more well-known signs such as hyperactivity, poor attention, impulsive behaviour and emotional outbursts. But symptoms can also include things like hyper-focus, dyslexia/dyscalculia and auditory processing problems. These can also be learning disorders and not ADHD.
Our evaluation process, includes gathering information from a number of sources that will help deliver an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive report that meets national guidelines.
From July 2024 we will be able to prescribe medication to treat medication for those diagnosed at the Clinic. (Paediatrics only).
Cognitive assessments
Cognitive assessments are used to gain an understanding about the thinking and reasoning skills of an individual. They are used to assess:
- Intelligence
- Verbal and non-verbal skills
- Memory
- Ability to process information
- Identify giftedness
They can also be used to help with personalised learning plans as well as provide advice for workplace supports.
The assessment involves a number of different tasks such as puzzles, answering questions and remembering certain things. They can include an interview with family members, teachers and colleagues. Sometimes it can be useful to observe an individual in their home, school or work place as well.
A detailed report with recommendations will be provided.
You can read about these assessments HERE
Our child assessment process
