The First Assessment Package

Where your child's journey with BlueRocket begins.

If you've been wondering how your child is going, or someone has mentioned something you'd like to look into, the First Assessment Package is a clear, low-pressure place to start for privately paying/medicare clients.

It's a one-hour, play-based session with a BlueRocket speech pathologist or occupational therapist at our Lathlain clinic, followed by a written report and a 15-minute debrief to talk you through it.

It brings together formal assessment, clinical observation and a real conversation with your family, so we understand your child as a whole and map out the right next steps together. You don't need a referral or an NDIS plan to book.

Book your first assessment here

Is this right for your child?

A First Assessment can be a good starting point if any of these sound familiar:

• You've noticed your child does some things differently from other children their age.
• You'd rather take one clear step than keep wondering.
• An educator, GP, child health nurse or paediatrician has mentioned something you'd like to look into.
• A milestone is taking its time, or your child is approaching school and you'd like a clearer picture.
• You're moving off the NDIS and want to keep supporting your child privately.
• You're waiting for NDIS access and want to understand your child's needs now rather than later.

We see children across a wide age range, and your clinician matches the session to your child.

What the assessment looks at

The session is matched to the things you flag in a short intake questionnaire, so we focus on what actually matters for your family. Depending on your child and your concerns, it can cover:

• Communication and play — understanding language, talking and vocabulary, speech clarity, social connection and pretend play.
• Movement and independence — gross and fine motor skills, drawing and pre-writing, and everyday skills like dressing, eating and grooming.-
• Thinking, social and everyday life — attention, following directions, problem-solving, sharing, turn-taking and self-regulation.

Your clinician chooses the right tools for your child rather than running the same checklist for everyone.

A quick note on what this is and isn't: the First Assessment is clinical and functional. It tells us what your child can do, where they're still developing, and what support is likely to help. It doesn't give a diagnostic label. If a formal diagnosis is what you're after, your GP or paediatrician is the right starting point, and your report can be a useful thing to bring to that conversation.

What happens in the session

You and your child come to our Lathlain clinic, and you stay in the room throughout. A speech pathologist or occupational therapist spends about an hour with your child. The session is play-based, so your child won't be sitting at a desk doing tests. Your clinician weaves in age-appropriate activities, things like blocks, drawing, naming objects and short physical tasks, alongside watching how your child plays, moves and communicates.

We use both formal and informal assessment because they work together. Standardised tools give us an objective benchmark to track progress from. Observation captures the things no test can: how your child approaches a challenge, how they connect, how they communicate when they're relaxed.

If your child is shy or anxious on the day, that's completely normal and we plan for it. Your clinician will adjust the pace, take breaks, and follow your child's lead. A child who feels safe gives us the most accurate picture anyway.

Your report and debrief

Within two weeks of the session, you'll receive a written report. It's strengths-first: what your child can do, then the areas they're still developing. It brings together:

• Your clinician's observations across communication, movement, thinking, social skills and everyday independence.
• Any standardised scores that were used, as an objective baseline.
• The specific areas where speech pathology or occupational therapy could help.
• Practical ideas you can try at home or share with daycare or kindy.
• A clear recommended next step.

We then arrange a 15-minute debrief by phone or back in clinic, whichever suits you. It's a chance to walk through the report together, ask questions, and talk through what we'd suggest next. You're not left to interpret a document on your own.

What it costs

The First Assessment Package is $199. That covers the one-hour session, your written report, and the 15-minute debrief. It's paid when you book, and there are no extra fees.

It's a private fee and isn't claimable against Medicare for this assessment session. If you go on to a program with us afterwards, a Medicare rebate may apply to those sessions where your GP has set up a Chronic Condition Management Plan, and we'll talk you through that when the time comes.

Our approach

A qualified BlueRocket speech pathologist or occupational therapist runs the assessment. We're a neurodiversity-affirming practice, which means we see differences in how children play, communicate, move and experience the world as part of human diversity. Autistic, ADHD, dyslexic and otherwise neurodivergent children don't need to be "fixed". Our role is to understand each child, build on their strengths, and offer support that fits their goals and their family's priorities. Your report reflects this: strengths-first, with no deficit language.

Ready to book?

No referral needed. You can book online, or get in touch and we'll help you get started.

Book your First Assessment here

Want the full detail first? Our First Assessment Package FAQ answers the common questions about when to seek an assessment, what gets assessed, what happens on the day, your report and debrief, and how booking works.

You can also email hello@bluerockettherapy.com.au or call 1300 339 493.