Overview

This interactive two hour professional development workshop brings together paediatricians, psychologists, speech pathologists, and lived experience to explore contemporary, multidisciplinary approaches to assessment and support for children and adolescents with complex neurodevelopmental and mental health presentations.

The workshop will incorporate collaborative feedback and neurodiversity-affirming practice, moving beyond foundational assessment frameworks. It focuses on the practical realities, benefits, and challenges of multidisciplinary assessment, ongoing case formulation, and collaborative intervention - emphasising lived experience and inclusive practice.

Participants will engage with real-world case studies, including perspectives from neurodivergent clinicians and clients, to gain insight into:

• The distinct and complementary roles of paediatrics, psychology, and speech pathology in complex assessments (e.g., autism, ADHD, co-occurring mental health challenges)
• How collaborative, multidisciplinary assessment can improve diagnostic clarity, therapeutic alliance, and outcomes for clients and families
• Navigating practical barriers such as rural access, NDIS requirements, and ongoing case management
• Integrating lived experience and neurodiversity-inclusive practices throughout assessment, feedback, and pathways to support.

The workshop features interactive discussion, panel Q&A, and actionable strategies for enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration in both private and public sector settings.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe the benefits, challenges, and practicalities of multidisciplinary assessment for complex neurodevelopmental and mental health presentations.
• Identify the key roles and assessment tools used by paediatricians, psychologists and speech pathologists, and how their perspectives can be integrated.
• Apply practical strategies for collaborative feedback and ongoing case management, including supporting clients and families across assessment and intervention phases.
• Recognise the value of lived experience and neurodiversity-inclusive approaches in shaping assessment, feedback, and pathways to support.
• Navigate common barriers to multidisciplinary collaboration, such as service access and funding constraints.
• Mitigate diagnostic overshadowing and bias through reflective and neurodiversity-affirming practice.

Presenter(s)

About the presenter(s)

Alana Portacio (Speech Pathologist)
Alana Portacio is a Speech Pathologist and Research Assistant with over 10 years experience who is currently working in Catholic Education in Western Australia and Curtin University. She specialises in early intervention and paediatrics care, with a particular focus on hearing loss, neurodiversity, trauma/mental health, and motor speech conditions.  

Marie-Louise Limb (Clinical and Counselling Psychologist)
Marie-Louise Limb is a registered Clinical & Counselling Psychologist with over 20 years experience across private practice, education, disability, and justice settings. Marie specialises in the assessment and intervention of complex neurodevelopmental conditions in her own private practice.

Dr. Aspasia Stacey Rabba (Educational and Developmental Psychologist)
Dr Aspasia Stacey Rabba is an educational and developmental psychologist, lecturer, and researcher at Monash University and Monash Health. Stacey has over 15 years of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals, and the people who care about them. Her expertise lies in the assessment and diagnosis of autism in underserved populations, such as individuals with co-occurring psychiatric conditions and those from culturally and linguistically diverse populations.  

Dr. Deena Parbhoo (Paediatrician)
Dr Deena Parbhoo is a highly experienced General Paediatrician who works at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Monash Children’s Hospital, and Ascot Vale Paediatrics. She provides care to infants, children, and adolescents, managing a wide range of acute and chronic medical conditions. Dr Parbhoo’s clinical expertise includes general paediatrics, neurodevelopmental conditions, and infectious diseases.

Notes

Target Audience

This event is aimed at paediatricians, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and other health professionals involved in assessment and intervention with children and adolescents presenting with complex needs.

Duration of Access

This event will be recorded. The recording will be emailed to all registered within 2 weeks post event and available for viewing up to 90 days.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.