Child Neuropsychological Assessment

"My daughter is doing fine in most of her classes but really struggles with mathematics and science.

Could she have a weakness in those areas? If so, how can we assist her?"

"My 8 year old is finding his current school work boring, switching off in class and looking for more stimulating work.

Could he be gifted and talented?"

"My son can’t sit still and gets into trouble for disturbing other kids by the end of most school days. I am concerned that he may have ADHD.

Can this be assessed? What can we do to help him manage better at school?"

"My teenage son was diagnosed with encephalitis 8 months ago and we are concerned about his ongoing memory and attentional difficulties.

How severe are they and what can we do to help him?"

"My child was slightly delayed with her speech, and now struggles to maintain her friendships and communicate her needs at school. I have been told that it might be depression, anxiety or maybe Autism, how can I work this out?"

Neuropsychological assessments are requested to help understand how the different areas and systems of the brain are working.

An assessment is usually recommended when there are significant delays or changes with memory, other thinking skills, or behaviour from childhood to old age, or developmentally a child appears different from their peers. There may be cognitive or behavioural changes that have been observed by the individual themselves or significant others in their life. These changes may include concerns with concentration, organisation, planning, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination, or personality. The cause of these difficulties may be due to a number of different factors, e.g. medical, genetic or psychological. A neuropsychological assessment can assist to clarify the issues of concern and their possible causes through a thorough examination. To learn more about neuropsychological assessments, please click here.

In other cases, there may be a concern about academic performance and management at school either because your child or young person is struggling to keep up with their peers, or because they appear to be bored with their current schoolwork and are striving to find further intellectual stimulation due to Childhood giftedness. Often this latter group of children can develop a reluctance to attend school or show boredom with school work because they are not being stimulated or challenged. They often learn quickly and efficiently and typically excel academically. For a child who is struggling with their reading, written expression or mathematical performance, school can be a miserable place and may lead to school refusal, bullying, anxiety and depression. Neuropsychological assessment can inform the grading of a child or adolescent in both of these situations and educate further strategies to either extend or remediate the child.

To learn more about educational assessments, please click here.

Common areas of concern that lead to neuropsychological assessment can include:
◦ Developmental Disorders (Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder, learning and language difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorders)
◦ Acquired Brain Injury (traumatic brain injury from motor vehicle accidents, tumour, encephalitis, hypoxia)
◦ Epilepsy
◦ Educational or academic concerns (academic potential, learning style, cognitive strengths and weaknesses, giftedness)
◦ Psychiatric Disorders (anxiety and depression)

◦ Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder assessments

Parents are typically the first to notice that their child is showing unusual behaviours when compared with other young children. Some of these behaviours include failing to make eye contact, not responding to his/her name or playing with toys in an unusual and/or repetitive way. Other signs may include few big smiles or expressed joy within 6 months, reduced speech within the first 12 months (e.g., no babbling), and/or a loss or regression of social skills. Presently, there are no medical tests that can reliably diagnose autism. Instead, specially trained physicians and clinical psychologists administer autism-specific behavioural evaluations and autism diagnostic assessments. To learn more about autism assessments at Sage, please click here.

What happens during an assessment?
◦ Child and adolescent assessments involve clinical interviews and standardised tests, individually selected and administered to address the referral question.
◦ The various tests can take the form of paper and pencil tests, in addition to working with various objects, or computerised tests.
◦ The client may also be asked to complete questionnaires to review their mood, behaviour, and personality.
◦ In some cases, parents, guardians or teachers may also be asked to complete questionnaires.
◦ The results of the assessment are used to develop individual recommendations and to engage in a meaningful dialogue with other health care providers involved with the client, their family, educators or carers.

What happens after an assessment?
◦ A comprehensive report including recommendations for therapy or future planning will be prepared for the client and the referrer.
◦ A feedback session will be provided which will cover both the findings and recommendations.

To learn more or to book an assessment, call Sage Clinical Psychology on 0458 507 772 or contact us here.

Child Assessment