Assessment

Anthony’s current practice is focussed on psychoeducational assessment with young people, for the purpose of investigating concerns around their learning. Through assessment Anthony aims to do three things:

Explore the young person’s personal capabilities, which usually include some comparative strengths and weaknesses.
Evaluate the potential impact of these capabilities on the young person’s learning and education, and whether any specific learning difficulties are present.
Identify any appropriate supports or supportive measures that may be helpful for the young person in their learning and daily life.

As means of investigating a young person’s learning, Anthony currently offers the following assessments:

Standard Psychoeducational Assessment

Fee: $1500

A standard psychoeducational assessment includes both a cognitive and academic achievement assessment (see below). Both of these assessments are required in order to provide sufficient information to investigate whether a young person may be struggling with a specific learning disorder, such as the following:

Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading (dyslexia)
Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in writing (dysgraphia)
Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia)

The results of a standard psychoeducational assessment may or may not be suggestive of a specific learning disorder, and a diagnosis of such a disorder may or may not be able to be made. A young person must demonstrate continuing difficulties with learning, despite targeted learning intervention for a period of at least six months, in the area(s) of their academic difficulty, before an appropriate diagnosis can be made.

Cognitive Assessment

Fee: $1000

A cognitive assessment is designed to assess a young person’s cognitive and intellectual skills and investigate potential strengths and weaknesses. This assessment covers the following:

Verbal comprehension — how effectively the brain can comprehend and reason with verbal information
Perceptual reasoning — how effectively the brain can comprehend and reason with visual information
Fluid reasoning — how effectively the brain can use logic and recognise patterns in information
Working memory — how efficiently the brain can recall and then use specific information
Processing speed — how quickly the brain can process and then use specific information

Common assessments used: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children — Fifth Edition (WISC-V)

Academic Achievement Assessment

Fee: $1000

An academic achievement assessment is designed to assess a young person’s academic skills and investigate potential strengths and weaknesses. This assessment covers some or all of the following:

Reading — how well a person can read and understand what they have read
Writing — how well a person is able to express themselves through writing
Mathematics — how well a person is able to solve mathematical calculations and problems
Oral Language — how well a person is able to speak and listen

Common assessments used: Wechsler Individual Achievement test — Third Edition (WIAT-III)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment

Fee: $1800

An ADHD assessment is designed to assess attention and related behaviour and determine whether a diagnosis of ADHD is appropriate for a young person. This assessment involves a structured interview, subtests from both cognitive and academic achievement assessments, tests of executive functioning, and standardised rating scales. The results of an ADHD assessment may or may not be suggestive of ADHD, and a diagnosis of ADHD may or may not be able to be made. A young person must demonstrate symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity for at least six months, and in two or more domains of functioning, before an appropriate diagnosis can be made.

Common assessments used: Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Young People aged 5-17 years (Young DIVA-5)

Full Psychoeducational Assessment

Fee: $2100

A full assessment includes a cognitive assessment, academic achievement assessment, and ADHD assessment (see above). Both the cognitive and academic achievement assessments are required in order to provide sufficient information to investigate whether a young person may be struggling with a specific learning disorder, such as the following:

Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading (dyslexia)
Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in writing (dysgraphia)
Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia)

The results of a full psychoeducational assessment may or may not be suggestive of a specific learning disorder, and a diagnosis of such a disorder may or may not be able to be made. A young person must demonstrate continuing difficulties with learning, despite targeted learning intervention for a period of at least six months, in the area(s) of their academic difficulty, before an appropriate diagnosis can be made.

Adaptive Behaviour Assessment

Fee: $300

An adaptive behaviour assessment is designed to assess a young person’s adaptive or everyday living skills. It investigates skills in communication, community use, functional academics, school and home living, health and safety, leisure, self-care, self-direction, social skills, and work. This assessment may be required as an add-on to other assessment packages, particularly if there are concerns around cognitive functioning.

Common assessments used: Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System — 3rd Edition (ABAS-3)

Review of Provisional Diagnosis Assessment

Fee: $300

In cases where assessment has indicated a possible diagnosis, but a full diagnosis cannot be determined at the time, a provisional diagnosis may be made. For example, if a psychoeducational assessment is suggestive of a specific learning disorder, but targeted learning intervention has not been in place for six months, a provisional diagnosis may be made at the time. That provisional diagnosis would then be reviewed after an appropriate amount of time, in this case, after the young person had received six months of targeted learning intervention in the area(s) of their academic difficulty.

Age at Assessment

The young person must be 5 years old in order to be formally assessed.
There is often value is waiting until a young person has started and become established at primary school (e.g., midway through Year 1 or Year 2) before seeking an assessment.
This gives the young person the opportunity to have a chance to experience the academic curriculum at school and receive support with their learning as necessary.
There can also be a degree of developmental variability in the early years of schooling, and some young people can take longer to develop skills than others.

Before the Assessment

It is requested that the young person has their vision and hearing checked before an assessment. Undiagnosed vision and hearing problems may invalidate assessment results.
It is recommended that you to talk to the young person ahead of the assessment to let them know what will happen during the assessment session and reassure them if they are feeling nervous about it. “You will be working with someone to find out about how you learn and work out some ideas to help you with your learning. You will do a number of different activities. Some parts might be easy for you and other parts might be hard, but you will most likely find it to be a fun, interesting, and positive experience.”

What to Bring to the Assessment?

Completed consent form
Completed assessment questionnaire(s) (if requested)
Reports from any previous assessments
Reports from general practitioners, paediatricians, mental health professionals, allied health professionals, or other health professionals
School reports or report cards (particularly from the past 6-12 months)
Support plans (if available) — learning support plans from school, NDIS plans
The young person’s glasses or hearing aids (if they wear either at home or at school)
The young person should take any medications that they normally take on the day of the assessment
Snack and drink (if desired)

The Assessment Session

The duration of the assessment session is generally about two hours long, per assessment, including breaks. Depending on circumstances however, the assessment session may run shorter or longer.
Multiple assessments can be completed in one session, or across multiple sessions on different days.
Assessments are ideally arranged for the morning, when the young person is most likely to be able to perform to their potential.
Time will be taken at the start of the session to build rapport with the young person and put them at ease before commencing the assessment. Standardised testing procedures do not allow for parents to stay in the room during the assessment.
The assessment can be paused or stopped at any time as needed (e.g., for a rest break, to talk to parents etc).

Assessment Reports & Feedback

A comprehensive assessment report will be written at the conclusion of the assessment. This report will include the following:

Background information about the young person
Review of previous assessments (if available)
Review of current assessments
Assessment results and interpretations of those results
Recommendations for learning and educational support, including access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) for school

Recommendations are personalised for the young person’s specific needs and aimed to be as practical as possible to aid implementation in both the home and school settings. The report and a feedback session to discuss the report are included in assessment fees. Reports are generally completed within two weeks of the completion of assessment. Reports cannot be released until assessment fees are paid in full. Feedback sessions generally run 45-60 minutes in duration.

Click below to book a complimentary phone consultation (15 minutes) to discuss your child’s learning and assessment needs.

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Please note that Anthony is not currently taking clients for ongoing counselling or therapy sessions.