Presence of child psychiatric disorders
Assessment Clinics
Standardised Assessments

Note: Some of the content below is historical information only and will be reviewed and updated further in due course 

Presence of child psychiatric disorders

Child psychiatric disorders are based on [1] the presence of symptom patterns, based on multi-informant reports (eg, parent, child, teacher) and [2] the presence of impairment in a given childs academic, interpersonal, family and social development directly related to the presence of the above symptom patterns.

Assessment Clinics 

(Please note that the ACPU is no longer accepting referrals)

A group of key assessment clinics were established by the ACPU (2004).

The community- and hospital-based ACPU clinics are structured around key high prevalence and high-risk child psychiatric disorders that are frequently psychological and medication treatment non-responsive.  They assist in clarifying diagnostic uncertainties and advise in an ongoing way about specific psychological and medical treatments and their monitoring. For young people [1] where there is a diagnostic clarification issue or [2] who have been through one or more psychological and/or medical treatment regimens and who remain treatment non-responsive, the clinics may be a useful resource. 

These clinics are outlined below, along with examples of disorders they cover (please note that these lists are not exhaustive).

Medical Psychiatry clinic

• neurological disorders with a potential psychiatric component (eg, epilepsy, headache, stroke, neurofibromatosis, DiGeorge syndrome)
• endocrine disorders with a potential psychiatric component (eg, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, precocious puberty, congenital adrenal hyperplasia)

Disruptive Behaviour Disorders clinic

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- Combined Type (ADHD-CT)
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Conduct disorder

Depressive Disorders clinic

• Dysthymic disorder (primarily pre-pubertal)
• Major depressive disorder (primarily post-pubertal)

Anxiety Disorder clinic

• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Specific phobia
• Social phobia
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Panic disorder
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Autistic Disorders clinic         

• High functioning Autistic disorder
• Aspergers disorder

Standardised Assessments

(Please note that the ACPU is no longer accepting referrals)

Referral to one of these clinics resulted in a thorough clinical assessment of symptoms from child, parent and teacher perspectives, cognitive ability, educational ability, biological and psychosocial strengths and weaknesses, parental symptoms associated with managing their child and family functioning.  Assessments generally took place over two sessions or one full day in the ACPU.  Part of the assessment process involved both the parent and the child while other parts only required the child to be present.

The following assessments were undertaken at each assessment session (sessions may not have been conducted in this order):

Session One

• Structured clinical interview with child and separately with the parent(s)/caregiver(s)
• Neurological screen of child
• Demographic screen and developmental history of child, including key biological and psychosocial milestones
• Child-report: Youth Self Report, Childrens Depression Inventory, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale
• Parent/Caregiver report: Child Behaviour Checklist, Childrens Depression Scale, Hopkins Symptom Checklist, Family Assessment Devise, Connors Rating Scales
• Teacher - report: Child Behaviour Checklist, Connors Rating Scales
• Clinician rated Rutter and Graham Interview Schedule

Session Two

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
• Wide Range Achievement Test 
• Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) - memory component

All information collected was fed back to the referring clinician/doctor in the form of a written report summarizing the young person's key strengths and weaknesses and an ongoing priority treatment plan was offered.