Psychology

A psychological assessment may be beneficial if parents, carers or teachers have concern surrounding a child’s behavioural, psychological, cognitive, and emotional function. Assessments consider the child as a whole and consider their family, school and community and are based on the child’s individual needs. In addressing strengths and identifying deficits, children are able to feel supported and thrive in their academic and everyday lives.

Some things that a psychological assessment may consider are:

• Behavioural, emotional, and social development: personality and social-emotional evaluation strategies examine depression, anxiety, or social deficits which may be a contribution to difficulties experienced at home or school.
• Mental Health: where mental health is a concern, through assessment, a psychologist can provide strategies on how to manage behaviours at home and school. They can also assist additional allied health professionals with information on treatment planning.
• Memory and Attention: Neuropsychological testing can be used to identify attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These tests can also measure memory skills, reasoning capabilities, as well as executive functioning, like planning and organizational skills.
• Achievement: psychological and educational assessments can identify academic strengths and pinpoint learning disabilities like dyslexia through measuring proficiency of reading, mathematics, and writing
• Intelligence: assessments look for developmental delays, intellectual gifts and/or disabilities, communication and language skills, non-verbal reasoning skills and speed of absorbing and processing new information.