You've received a letter from CASA. Here's what to do next.

Every CASA letter is different. The exact assessment you need depends on the wording of the referral questions, the class of medical certificate you hold or are applying for, and the diagnosis or history under review.

Before you book anything, upload the complete letter — every page, including attachments — and any previous reports you already have. We will review the request and confirm the appropriate assessment pathway before fees are agreed.

• A current psychological or psychiatric assessment
• Psychometric testing (e.g. mood, anxiety, personality inventories)
• Cognitive or neuropsychological testing
• A diagnostic clarification (for example ADHD or autism)
• A mental health review after treatment, medication change or hospitalisation
• A return-to-flying assessment
• Comment on stability, relapse risk and functional capacity for safety-critical work

Requirements vary according to the individual case, medical certificate class, diagnosis, treatment history and the specific information requested by CASA or the referring DAME.

Comprehensive aviation psychological, cognitive and neuropsychological assessment relies on more than self-report. Please gather any of the following that are available:

• The complete CASA correspondence and any DAME referral
• Previous psychological, psychiatric, neuropsychological and diagnostic reports
• Relevant hospital, specialist and allied-health reports
• Primary, secondary and (where relevant) tertiary school reports
• Previous cognitive or psychometric testing
• Current medication list and treatment history
• Previous aviation medical correspondence

A signed authority to obtain and exchange information will generally be required so that the psychologist can contact relevant current and previous treating professionals. If relevant records are unavailable, incomplete or withheld, this will be documented in the report and may limit the conclusions that can be reached.

CASA publishes Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) that tell DAMEs how to work up specific conditions — ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, autism spectrum, alcohol and substance use, head injury, cognitive impairment and more. We write to those same decision points: aeromedical implications, risk factors, approach to certification, information required, and indicative outcomes. This makes the report easier for your DAME and CASA Aviation Medicine to action and reduces requests for further information.

Aviation Psychology Australia provides an independent clinical opinion and assessment findings responding to the referral questions provided by CASA or your DAME. We do not determine whether a medical certificate is issued.

Final certification decisions remain with CASA and the relevant aviation medical decision-makers. We will not promise, guarantee or predict a certification outcome.