Cognitive & Educational Assessments
Understanding Your Child’s Learning Profile
At Steps and Stones Psychology in Blackwood, we understand that seeing your child struggle in the classroom is stressful. You may notice a gap between their intelligence and their grades, or perhaps their teacher has raised concerns about their reading or attention.
Our Educational and Cognitive Assessments are designed to investigate these challenges deeply. We don’t just look for a label; we look for the why. By using gold-standard clinical tools, we can identify Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), Intellectual Disability, or Giftedness, providing a clear roadmap for their education.
What We Assess
We provide a comprehensive investigation into your child’s cognitive potential and academic achievement.
1. Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Investigating Dyslexia, Dysgraphia & Dyscalculia
If your child is bright but struggling with specific skills, they may have a learning disorder. We assess the gap between their cognitive potential and their academic performance to identify:
- Reading (Dyslexia): Issues with phonological processing, reading accuracy, and fluency.
- Written Expression (Dysgraphia): Challenges with spelling, grammar, and handwriting organisation.
- Mathematics (Dyscalculia): Difficulty with number sense, calculation, and mathematical reasoning.
2. Cognitive Capacity (IQ) & Intellectual Disability
Understanding Intellectual Potential
We assess your child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses. This is essential for:
- Intellectual Disability (ID): Diagnosing global developmental delays to support NDIS access and school funding (requires Adaptive Functioning assessment).
- Giftedness: Identifying high-potential learners who may need extension programs (such as IGNITE).
Our Comprehensive Assessment Process
A proper educational assessment is more than just a single test. At Steps and Stones, we conduct a rigorous clinical investigation to ensure the results are comprehensive and align with the diagnostic standards expected by schools and paediatricians.
1. Initial Clinical Interview
We begin with a detailed intake session with parents to discuss developmental history, medical background, and specific educational concerns.
2. Cognitive Testing (WISC-V)
We administer the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V). This maps your child’s verbal comprehension, visual-spatial skills, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.
Note: If your child is non-verbal or has significant language barriers, please view our IQ & Cognitive Assessments page for information on the UNIT-2 Non-Verbal test.
3. Academic & Phonological Testing (WIAT-III & CTOPP-2)
We administer the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III) to measure performance in reading, writing, oral language, and mathematics.
For children presenting with reading or spelling difficulties, we may also administer the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2). This investigates phonological awareness and rapid naming, key indicators of Dyslexia.
4. Behavioural & Adaptive Investigation
To get a complete picture, we gather data from multiple sources:
- Adaptive Functioning: Questionnaires (like the Vineland-3) to see how your child copes with daily living skills.
- Behavioural Screening: Checks for co-occurring issues like ADHD or Anxiety that might be affecting learning.
5. Teacher Consultation
We value the teacher’s voice. We conduct interviews or collect standardised questionnaires from your child’s school to understand how they function in the classroom environment.
Fees & Investment
We believe in transparent pricing. Our assessments are comprehensive packages that include the intake, all testing sessions, scoring, the full diagnostic report, and the feedback session.
Option 1: Standard Educational Assessment ($1,450)
- Includes: Clinical Interview, WISC-V (IQ), WIAT-III (Academic), CTOPP-2 (if required), Adaptive Functioning, Teacher Consultation, Report & Feedback.
- Best for: Investigating Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Giftedness, or Intellectual Disability.
Option 2: Comprehensive Neurodevelopmental Assessment ($1,750)
- Includes: Everything in Option 1 PLUS a full ADHD investigation (Conners 4, Clinical Interview for ADHD & Computerised Attention Testing where required).
- Best for: Children with complex presentations where attention, hyperactivity, and learning difficulties overlap.
The Outcome: A Roadmap for School
Once the data is analysed, you will receive a Comprehensive Diagnostic Report.
This document is designed to meet the clinical standards required for:
- Individual Education Plans (IEP): Specific strategies for teachers to use in the classroom.
- School Funding (SSO Support): Providing the evidence required for funding applications (if criteria are met).
- Exam Accommodations: Evidence for extra time or scribe support in senior school years.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need a referral for educational or cognitive testing. You can book directly with us.
The face-to-face testing is typically completed in one session with plenty of breaks to keep your child fresh. However, depending on your child’s pace and attention span, we can split this into two shorter sessions to ensure they are comfortable and performing at their best.
An IQ test measures potential (cognitive ability). A Learning Assessment measures performance (reading/writing skills). To diagnose a Specific Learning Disorder (like Dyslexia), we typically need to do both to see if there is a gap between their potential and their performance.
Unlock Your Child’s Potential
Gain the clarity you need to support your child’s learning journey. Contact us today to schedule a comprehensive educational assessment.