Learning/cognitive assessment
Learning/cognitive assessments for children and teenagers in Derby and Derbyshire.
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A comprehensive assessment of learning, sometimes referred to as a cognitive evaluation, plays a vital role in unraveling the workings of your child's mind. It can be conducted independently or as part of a diagnostic assessment, such as ADHD.
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Through a learning assessment, our clinicians gain insights into your child's cognitive abilities and identify their specific strengths and weaknesses in the learning process. This information is highly valuable in understanding your child's situation and providing tailored recommendations for their academic and home environments.
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The learning assessment entails an extensive IQ test that not only provides an overall ability score but also breaks down the results into various categories, including:
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Processing speed
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Working memory
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Verbal comprehension
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Perceptual reasoning
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Visual spatial ability
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Mathematical aptitude
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Comprehension skills
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The specific tests administered will depend on your child's age. Extensive research has been conducted on cognitive tests involving tens of thousands of children across different age groups. This allows for a comprehensive evaluation of your child's performance in comparison to their peers of the same age. Parents and teachers find this information helpful, as it often reveals that a child excels in one area while facing challenges in another, highlighting previously unrecognized learning needs. The assessment process primarily utilizes interactive iPad-based tools, which children and young individuals typically find enjoyable.
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Why might my child need a learning assessment for school?
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Understanding how a child learns is an essential component in supporting them to reach their educational potential. A formal cognitive assessment provides a detailed cognitive profile, helping to identify a child’s strengths and weaknesses across different aspects of intelligence (including verbal skills, non-verbal reasoning, working memory and processing speed abilities) and overall IQ details.
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It is quite common to come across children with "spiky" learning profiles, where they show above-average abilities in certain areas while performing at an average or below-average level in others. They often compensate for their weaknesses by relying on their strengths in different domains. The ability to 'mask' specific difficulties in school can often mean that some learning needs can be missed. A learning assessment can show insight into these difficulties, how the child thinks and processes information and support the development of strategies to enhance their skills and adapt the environment to meet their needs.
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When we understand a child's memory capacity, processing speed, and verbal comprehension, it yields benefits not only in the home setting but also in school. With this knowledge, we can provide guidance on facilitating easier learning experiences for your child and improving their ability to follow instructions.
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Parent's also use our assessments and comprehensive reports with recommendations to submit as evidence towards an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan).
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We can also offer NICE (National Institute for Health & Care Excellence) guideline learning disability assessments.
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Fees
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All learning assessments include a developmental history, detailed report, school liaison where needed and recommendations.
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Each learning assessment is unique to each child, so will need to be discussed and planned in advance. A clinician will work with you to figure out which tests fit your needs.
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This is not a set cost, but you can expect a basic cognitive assessment to cost around £950.
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To make a booking or discuss your needs, contact us by e-mail.
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info@thechildpsychologyhub.co.uk
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