Assessments - with Educational Psychologist

Specialisation - Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Dyslexia Testing. Dyslexia Assessment. Assessment Services.

Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Specific Learning Disorders. General Learning Difficulties. Giftedness. Learning Disability.

Assessments are provided to children, adolescents and adults (from 6 years onward). Assessments provide information about a person’s learning style and thinking abilities as well as their academic skills. The purpose of an assessment is often to confirm a diagnosis of an SLD (please note intervention is not part of the process).

 
If a student is experiencing learning problems, an assessment also helps in identifying the weaknesses that are contributing to their learning problems as well as their learning strengths. The assessment itself is a starting point for future educational planning; whilst some recommendations for intervention are provided in the report, intervention itself is not offered (e.g., tutoring). Assessment results can be used to inform the development of personalised learning plans.

The assessment process varies depending on the reasons for needing an assessment but may include: consultation, classroom observation, cognitive assessment, educational assessment and social, emotional and behavioural assessment as appropriate.

After the assessment is administered a report is provided 2 to 4 weeks later (provided all questionnaires are completed on the day of the assessment by parents/caregivers). Depending on the results, the report may include recommendations for further assessment by other professionals such as specialist tutors, behavioural optometrists, educational audiologists, paediatricians, occupational therapists and speech therapists.

Whilst the primary purpose of an assessment is generally to confirm a diagnosis, intervention recommendations are included in the report however, it is up to the discretion of a student's teacher/school to determine the appropriateness of their implementation on a day-to-day basis in the classroom.

Tests used during the assessment process may include:

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults  - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition (WIAT-III)
• Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ IV COG)
• Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth Edition (WJ IV ACH)
• Woodcock Johnson Tests of Oral Language - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV OL)
• The York Assessment of Reading Comprehension (YARC)
• The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing - 2nd Edition (CTOPP-2)
• Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH)
• Behaviour Rating of Executive Function - 2nd Edition (BRIEF)
• Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC3)
• Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory Adult (CEFI- Adult)
• Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals - Screening Test (CELF-5 Screening)
• ADHD Rating Scale-5 for Children and Adolescents
• Adult ADHD Rating Scale - IV (BAARS-IV)

A range of screening checklists are also used as part of the assessment process to inform the results from formal testing. These are completed by parents/caregivers on the day of the assessment.

School assessments

Schools are welcome to request on-site assessments (minimum travel costs may apply depending on distance).

Also offered - Assessments to Support Special Examination Arrangements/SEAS Applications for secondary and tertiary students.