Demystifying the psychological testing and assessment process for your child.
There are many different names for psychological testing and assessment: diagnostic assessment, cognitive assessment, psychoeducational evaluation, learning assessment, intelligence testing, and more. If one of these has been suggested for your child, then you are probably hoping for an answer to the question: why does my child find learning, communication or friendships so difficult?
Many parents fear that the psychological testing and assessment process is only about finding out if their child meets the criteria for diagnosis (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, etc.). While formal diagnosis is an important part of the process––especially for access to funding and support––psychological assessment itself can offer much more. A good assessment will help families make meaning of their child’s experiences and increase understand of their strengths and limitations. A psychological assessment will also provide guidance on intervention and support selection for years to come.
What is involved in a psychological assessment often depends on the individual psychologist and their professional background. For me, a comprehensive assessment includes the collection of many different sources of information that helps me build an integrated understanding of why the child’s difficulties occur. The assessment process may include the following:
Phase 1: Initial Interviews (2–3 hours)
The first step in the assessment process is often a discussion with the family about the child’s strengths and difficulties, medical and developmental history, social relationships, academic history, and family history. During this interview, the family will work with the psychologist to develop questions about their child they hope the assessment will answer. This interview also is a chance for parents to clarify any concerns they have about the process.
A teacher/educator interview is another important step to determine how your child’s difficulties present in the classroom and with peers. This is an opportunity for the psychologist to start to identify what academic interventions have been trialled to date and what supports are missing from the educational setting.
Finally, to centre the individual at the heart of the assessment process, an interview with your child is important to gain their view of what is occurring. Depending on the age of the child this might occur in the family interview or through play later in the assessment process.
Phase 2: Testing (4–6 hours)
The testing phase provides many opportunities for the psychologist to gain objective data about your child’s experience. Based on the information collected so far, and the assessment questions developed by the family in the parent interview, a selection of standardised tests will be administered. This usually includes the completion of several standardised questionnaires for parents and teachers and standardised testing direct with your child. During testing sessions with your child, the psychologist will also assess how your child approaches complex or unfamiliar problems, how they cope under pressure, and how they engage and interact with someone new.
Phase 3: Feedback and Implementation Support (2+ hours)
Once the psychologist has had some time to review all the different sources of information, they will schedule an initial feedback session. During this session the psychologist will provide the answers to the questions you had about your child, explain any diagnoses given, and walk you through the recommendations to support your child at home and school.
Feedback sessions can include a lot of new information, so the psychologist will provide clear actionable steps and many of opportunities to ask questions. They may even suggest a further session to support the implementation of the recommendations provided or provide a feedback session to your child’s teacher to explain the school-based recommendations in greater depth.
At the conclusion of the assessment process, you will be provided a report documenting the main findings of the assessment process, including a summary of strengths and difficulties, diagnoses, and recommendations. This report can be used to support applications for funding or support, and to help other health care providers and school staff to gain a better understanding of your child. The report will also serve as a reference point for comparison in the future if a re-assessment is completed.
The psychological assessment process can be daunting. It can also be an enlightening and validating experience in which you gain a greater understanding of your child, and helps you to pave the path forward.
