Cerebral Palsy Psychology

Cerebral palsy psychology at Scope.

We offer specialised psychological services for individuals with cerebral palsy, including therapy, assessments, and NDIS support. We don't diagnose cerebral pasly, but measure abilities and guide environmental supports.

Cerebral palsy psychology is available in-clinic or online.

What is cerebral palsy?

1 in 700 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy in Australia.

Cerebral palsy is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by disturbances that occur in the developing foetal or infant brain. The central feature of the condition is motor impairment and activity restrictions, and the condition is parmanent and non-progressive. Cerebral palsy is often accompanied with sensory, perception, cognition, communication, behavioural, epileptic and musculoskeletal challenges.

How does cerebral palsy impact daily life?

The impact of cerebral palsy on daily life can vary widely, depending on the severity and type of your condition. Common challenges include:

Mobility
Communication
Performing daily activities
Social isolation
Mental health (anxiety and depression)

How can a psychologist help?

Cerebral palsy therapy

Our therapy services aim to address the unique challenges of cerebral palsy, including physical accessibility, self-advocacy and environmental support. We understand that navigating daily life can be challenging, frustrating and isolating. Our psychologists have extensive experience managing difficulties that arise when navigating a world that may not always align with your needs.

Cerebral palsy assessment

50% of children with cerebral palsy are diagnosed with intellectual disability. Assessment at Scope provides more than just a diagnosis. We conduct thorough evaluations that help you to understand the specific strengths and challenges associated with cerebral palsy and your neurodevelopmental condition.

NDIS services

Our Independent Daily Living (ILD) Assist service is designed to help you transfer therapeutic skills into your everyday life, making it easier to manage challenges related to mobility, social participation, and emotional well-being in a supportive and practical way.

How much does cerebral palsy psychology cost?

Therapy

(+$50.00 new client fee)

Medicare Rebate

Registered Psychologist – $220.00-$250.00 per hour

Private Health Insurance

Provisional Psychologist – $160.00 per hour
Registered Psychologist – $220.00-$250.00 per hour

NDIS Claims

Provisional Psychologist – $156.16 per hour
Registered Psychologist – $222.99 per hour

Are you eligible for therapy rebates? Check out the list of our funding bodies to find out which rebates you might qualify for:

Assessment Packages

We've streamlined your neurodevelopmental assessment needs with cost-effective packages. Assessment packages help you to save money through bundling, when booking in for multiple assessments. This not only provides financial savings, but also ensures that you receive the most thorough evaluation possible.

Where should I start?

Have a specific mental health challenge?

Pick an experienced psychologist

Each Scope psychologist brings different experiences and training. We’ll help you pick the right person for your needs.

Have a specific question?

Diagnostic assessment

Assessment to diagnose ADHD, autism, giftedness, specific learning disorders and intellectual disabilities.

Need space to process?

There doesn’t have to be anything “wrong”

Therapy can be a judgement free space to simply process, reflect and consider different perspectives.

Unsure if you need an assessment?

Neurodevelopmental screening

Screen your symptoms of ADHD and autism and get guidance from a psychologist without committing to a full assessment.

What you can expect from us...

Scope is a truly neuro-affirming practice. All of our practitioners and team members value lived experience and take the position of an ally in every interaction. Our services are strengths-based and built around the self-identified needs of our clients. We always aim to identify environmental change to support our clients without changing the individual. Our team includes ND and NT individuals and we can't wait to meet you!

Inclusive

Our neurodevelopmental assessments are available to everyone, including people with all verbal abilities (including non-verbal), low and no vision, and low motor skills.

Diverse

We have an extensive library of assessment tools to tailor your assessment and answer your questions.

Accessible

You can access assessment 100% online, in-clinic, through home visits*, or through our rural outreach services.

* Home visits are limited by time taken to travel from our clinic locations. Please ask our client support team for more information.

What should I bring?

Records

Bring any relevant medical and educational records, such as previous assessments and reports, and a list of your current medications.

Questions

You may want to jot down any questions or concerns you have about your symptoms or challenges before your first session.

Items

It may be helpful to bring a notepad and pen to take note of important information, and also a comfort item to make you feel at ease.

FAQs

If your child is experiencing difficulties with learning but has only received support through standard classroom curriculum, then your psychologist will provide a provisional diagnosis. A provisional diagnosis gives appropriate evidence for your child to receive targeted intervention at school and sometimes from other professionals like a speech pathologist or tutor. Your child is still entitled to the support that they need to learn effectively in the classroom even with a provisional diagnosis.

If your child continues to struggle after six months of targeted intervention, then the psychologist can demonstrate the difficulty is persistent and confirm the diagnosis. Confirming a diagnosis typically involves another 1.5-hour assessment appointment, with an associated cost of up to $550.00. As such, we recommend waiting to commence assessment until after six months of targeted intervention (support in addition to the standard curriculum) has been provided.

You have two options when it comes to seeking a formal assessment and diagnosis—a psychiatrist or a psychologist. A psychiatrist doesn’t typically complete neurocognitive assessment, so you don’t get to learn all that much about your brain. However, they can provide medical management for your symptoms in the form of medication. A psychologist helps you to understand your brain and can also teach you ways to manage your symptoms alongside or sometimes without medication.

Medical Management (Psychiatrist)

Seeing a psychiatrist for a diagnosis can help you to access medication for your symptoms.

Pros:

Immediate symptom reduction
Scientifically proven
Predictable effects

Cons:

Possible side effects
Doesn’t address underlying issues
Unknown long-term effects
Dependency and tolerance

Behavioural Management (Psychologist)

Seeing a psychologist for a diagnosis can help you to understand your differences and difficulties, and learn to support them and live well with them.

Pros:

Addresses underlying issues
No side effects
Improves quality of life
Skill development

Cons:

Results are less immediate
Time-consuming