This page walks you through what happens before, during, and after your child's assessment — the intake interview, testing day, and feedback session. Save the link; come back to it any time.
Before the Assessment
When working with children, parents usually take part in an initial intake session where your questions and concerns are discussed, along with a thorough background history. The parent intake form you complete online beforehand covers most of this so we can use our time together to dig into what matters most.
Please bring copies of
- Previous assessments
- School report cards
- Individualised education / support / programme plans (ISP / IEP / IPP)
- Teacher reports
- Work samples
- Any similar information you have available
After the intake interview, I review the records you've shared and, with your written authorisation, communicate with other professionals involved in your child's care.
Questionnaires & assessment tools
Questionnaires are usually sent to the client (child / adolescent / adult), to parents, and — with your permission — to teachers. Once these are reviewed, the assessment tools are chosen to answer your referral questions while keeping time and cost reasonable. This typically includes:
- Cognitive measures (WPPSI-IV, WISC-V, or WAIS-IV depending on age)
- Achievement measures (WIAT-III)
- Rating scales related to behaviour and adaptive functioning
Preparing Your Child
Younger students
You can let them know:
- I'll be figuring out what they've learned and what's good for them to work on at school, and finding ways to make some things easier.
- We know they're working hard — we just want to make sure everyone knows how they learn best.
Older students
You can let them know:
- I'll be figuring out why a particular subject feels harder or less enjoyable than others.
- They won't get a grade and aren't expected to get everything right.
A small but important note: please avoid telling your child that we'll be "playing games" or that "there are no right or wrong answers." Some tests use blocks or pictures, but they do have correct and incorrect answers — and framing it as a game can affect how seriously your child engages with the tasks.
Testing activities can include
- Answering questions out loud and on the computer
- Building designs and completing puzzles
- Familiar school tasks — vocabulary, reading, writing, and math
- Drawing
- Memory "games"
Things to Remember on Assessment Day
Helpful
- A good night's sleep the night before
- A good breakfast to sustain attention
- Take medications as usual unless we've discussed otherwise
- Bring a water bottle and / or snack
Please avoid
- Telling your child what time testing will finish — they sometimes fixate on it
- Bringing iPads or tablets to play with — I'll provide one during breaks if appropriate
If your child isn't feeling well, please call or text me as soon as you know, so we can reschedule.
The Assessment Sessions
Most assessments take place over one or two sessions:
- Younger students usually do best with two morning sessions on different days.
- Middle-school-aged and older students can often complete the evaluation in a morning and an afternoon session on the same day.
- Occasionally I'll decide that shorter sessions are more appropriate for a particular child.
- Sessions usually last three to four hours, depending on the referral questions and your child's pace.
For all-day assessments, please plan to take your child off-site for a 45 to 60-minute lunch break away from the office.
The Feedback Session & Report
Once testing is finished, the data is analysed and the written report is prepared. We then meet for a feedback session to discuss the results.
During the feedback session I:
- Review the results of the evaluation with parents or guardians
- Make recommendations
- Answer any questions you may have
The report is sent electronically within one to two days after the feedback session. Additional services — such as consultation with schools or attending school meetings — may be available on request.