Psychology Assessments
Here at Sum of Us Kids, we are passionate about helping children reach their potential and for families and schools to understand their strengths and needs. Our experienced psychologists can provide a variety of in-depth psychology assessments for your child, including autism diagnostic assessments, dyslexia, ADHD and educational psychology assessments.
Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Diagnostic Assessments
If you suspect that your child may have dyslexia or dysgraphia, understanding the diagnostic assessment process is crucial. Here’s what you can expect:
Initial Screening: The process typically begins with a preliminary screening to identify potential signs of dyslexia or dysgraphia. You may be asked to complete questionnaires focusing on your child’s reading, writing, spelling, and language skills, along with input from teachers and your child themselves.
Comprehensive Evaluation: If concerns arise during the screening, a comprehensive evaluation will follow. This involves a team of professionals, including psychologists, educators, and speech-language pathologists. They will assess your child’s:
- Cognitive Abilities: Such as processing speed, working memory, and verbal comprehension.
- Academic Skills: Through standardised tests assessing reading, writing, spelling, and related tasks.
- Language Skills: Including vocabulary, grammar, and verbal expression.
- Behavioural Observation: To identify additional challenges or strengths.
Autism Diagnostic Assessments
Our psychologists are experienced in assessing autism in children of all ages and follow the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and a neurodiversity affirming paradigm.
ADHD Diagnostic Assessments
Our psychologists can assess your child for ADHD. These assessments may include behavioural observations in the classroom, cognitive testing, emotional and behavioural assessments, and liaising with teachers.
Throughout the assessment process, we take a holistic approach, considering your child’s individual strengths and challenges, as well as the impact of ADHD symptoms on various aspects of their life. Our goal is to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your child’s unique needs.
Educational Psychology Assessments
In an educational psychology assessment battery for your child, various aspects of their cognitive, academic, social, emotional, and behavioural functioning are typically evaluated. Here’s what you can expect:
Cognitive Abilities: Your child’s intellectual functioning will be assessed, focusing on areas like verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.
Academic Achievement: The assessment will evaluate your child’s performance in core academic areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, and possibly other subjects to identify any learning difficulties or areas where they may need extra support.
Attention and Executive Functioning: Your child’s attention span, impulse control, organisation, planning, and problem-solving skills will be evaluated, as these are crucial for academic success.
Memory: Their short-term and long-term memory abilities will be assessed to understand how well they learn and retain information.
Language Skills: Expressive and receptive language abilities, including vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills, will be evaluated.
Behavioural and Emotional Functioning: The assessment will observe and evaluate your child’s behaviour, social skills, emotional regulation, and coping strategies in various settings such as school and home.
Adaptive Functioning: The assessment will look at your child’s ability to function independently in daily life activities such as self-care, communication, and social interaction.
Our experienced psychologist have availability now, with no waiting list! If you’re interested in booking in, please get in touch via our ‘Book an Appointment’ page, and we’ll be in touch ASAP 🙂
Assessments FAQs
You are able to use Medicare rebated sessions only when:
- There is a valid 82000 referral from a Paediatrician to assess for Autism. At this stage ADHD and cognitive assessments are out of pocket expenses.
- The child is present for the session.
Yes, provided that this is not used solely for diagnostic purposes but is part of a client’s ongoing functional assessment and a diagnosis will support treatment goals. It is best to check with your NDIS coordinator regarding your individual plan.
