Assessments

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Assessments

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a difficulty learning to read.

Children and adults with dyslexia often have difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and may also have difficulties with spelling, writing and reading comprehension.

Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty impacting between 5-10 percent of people. Dyslexia also often runs in families. Dyslexia does not impact on a person’s intelligence and is not caused by vision difficulties.

Dyslexia is a brain-based (neurological) disorder or disability. People with dyslexia have difficulty working with the sounds in language (phonology) and the written form of language (orthography).

How is dyslexia identified?

Dyslexia is generally diagnosed by a psychologist. The psychologist will investigate learning strengths and difficulties by way of a full educational assessment. A speech pathologist may also look at the child’s specific skills around phonological awareness, and can often assist with ongoing strategies.

Before a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder in reading (or dyslexia) is able to be made, it is essential that the child or adult being assessed has received at least six months of intervention focused on improving their reading skills.

Before seeking an assessment or diagnosis of dyslexia it is also important to check eyesight and hearing.

How do you support a person with dyslexia?

Students with dyslexia can improve their reading and spelling skills. Such students benefit from explicit and structured instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics (systematic synthetic phonics) along with the other essentials skills for reading (oral language, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension).

Students with dyslexia will generally need lots of opportunities to practise reading and spelling skills and so can benefit from working with learning support teachers, systematic synthetic phonics intervention programs or working with experienced tutors or speech pathologists. Decodable readers are an essential tool for students with dyslexia while they are learning to read.

Students and adults with dyslexia can also benefit from adjustments made to their school or work environments. Such adjustments include:

  • the use of audio books and text to speech software;
  • limits to the amount of reading and writing required;
  • assistance with spelling, writing and editing for example, predictive spelling, scaffolded writing tasks, speech to text software.

More information can be found at https://www.speldnsw.org.au/

https://dyslexiaida.org/fact-sheets/

What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a difficulty with maths.
Children and adults with dyscalculia often have difficulties with understanding and manipulating numbers and learning mathematical facts.

Dyscalculia is a brain-based (neurological) disorder or disability. People with dyscalculia often have difficulties mastering number sense, facts and calculations.

How is dyscalculia identified?

Dyscalculia is generally diagnosed by a psychologist. The psychologist will investigate learning strengths and difficulties by way of a full educational assessment

Before a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder in mathematics (or dyscalculia) is able to be made, it is essential that the child or adult being assessed has received at least six months of intervention focused on improving mathematics skills.

Before seeking an assessment or diagnosis of dyscalculia it is also important to check eyesight and hearing.

How do you support a person with dyscalculia?

Students with dyscalculia can improve their mathematical skills. Students benefit from explicit and structured instruction in number sense, number facts and calculations.

Students with dyscalculia will generally need lots of opportunities to practise mathematical skills and so can benefit from working with learning support teachers, systematic mathematics intervention programs or working with experienced tutors.

Students and adults with dyscalculia can also benefit from adjustments made to their school or work environments. Such adjustments include:

  • use of memory aids for math facts;
  • use of manipulatives to learn concepts;
  • calculators.

More information can be found at https://www.speldnsw.org.au/

What is dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia is a difficulty with spelling and written expression.

Children and adults with dysgraphia often have difficulties with handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation and organisation of written tasks.

Dysgraphia is also known as a specific learning disorder in written expression. Dysgraphia is a brain-based (neurological) disorder or disability. People with dysgraphia often have to work much harder and longer to produce written work to the same standard as another individual. Their skills and ability to produce written work will typically vary from day to day according to a range of factors.

How is dysgraphia identified?

Dysgraphia is generally diagnosed by a psychologist. The psychologist will investigate learning strengths and difficulties by way of a full educational assessment. Handwriting and fine motor difficulties can also be identified by an occupational therapist.

Before a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder in spelling and written expression (or dysgraphia) is able to be made, it is essential that the child or adult being assessed has received at least six months of intervention focused on improving their spelling and written expression.

Before seeking an assessment or diagnosis of dysgraphia it is also important to check eyesight and hearing.

How do you support a person with dysgraphia?

Students with dysgraphia can improve their writing, handwriting and spelling skills. Occupational therapy may assist with hand writing and fine motor skills. Students benefit from explicit and structured instruction in spelling, grammar and written expression.

Students with dysgraphia will often need more opportunities to practise spelling and writing skills and so can benefit from working with learning support teachers, systematic synthetic phonics and morphology intervention programs or working with experienced tutors or occupational therapists.

Students and adults with dysgraphia can also benefit from adjustments made to their school or work environments. Such adjustments include:

  • the use of speech to text software;
  • limits to the amount of writing required;
  • assistance with spelling, writing and editing for example, predictive spelling, scaffolded writing tasks;
  • typing and scribes.

More information can be found at https://www.speldnsw.org.au/

Assessment Types

Appointment 1

A semi-structured, standardized interview will take place with the child or young person’s parent/s or carers. We ask that children do not attend this first session with their parents, as it is an opportunity for the parents or carers to speak candidly about all aspects of their developmental history, their strengths and the current concerns.

Appointment 2

Your psychologist will conduct an ADOS assessment with the child or young person. This standardised, play-based assessment allows the assessor to observe and score a large range of markers including communication, social interaction, play and restricted or repetitive behaviours as well as sensory interests. It is important that accompanying parents or carers try not to prompt or intervene with the child during the testing, but continue to interact normally when initiated by the child. Your psychologist will be keen to find out what your child is able or willing to do without your help!

Appointment 3

All of this information is put together with the supplementary information collected via teacher and carer surveys etc. in order to make a well-founded conclusion with useful recommendations. These findings and recommendations will be explained and discussed with you at this appointment, along with an opportunity for you to ask questions about the findings and “where to from here”. This is an important appointment for gaining knowledge and understanding about your child’s, so we recommend that all parents or carers come along if at all possible.

Generally administered over a total of 4-5 sessions, a full educational assessment at Wavelengths Allied Health will include an IQ (intelligence) test, a WIAT (individual achievement test in key learning areas), teacher and parents surveys, as well as a parent or carer interview to ascertain developmental, psychosocial history, strengths, weaknesses and current concerns.

Cognitive assessments or intelligence tests (IQ tests) are used to determine a child’s learning capability by identifying their cognitive strengths and weaknesses.

A WIAT will then ascertain a precise measure of where your child or young person is functioning in terms of their reading, numerical and spelling ability, when compared with their same-aged peers.

When interpreted in combination with comprehensive background information and parent and teacher interviews, the results of these 2 cognitive tests can not only diagnose cognitive impairments, and specific learning disorders, but can also assist with the development of individualised intervention and learning plans for children.

It will also provide information to develop effective plans or accommodations in the classroom that are tailored to meet a child’s specific needs. Results can also assist in making applications to access government or school disability funding, special needs teachers or special provisions (eg scribe) in formal school examinations. The above assessment processes also screen and provide diagnosis for ADHD types.

Again, the final appointment is an important opportunity for parents and carers to develop a better understanding of the child or young person’s unique profile of strengths and weaknesses, as well as to receive helpful information on how they can better assist, support and advocate for their child’s individual learning needs now and into the future. As such, it is ideal if both parents can attend this final session wherever possible.

Wavelengths Allied Health follow the recent Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines put out by the aadpa (Australia ADHD Professionals Association) which can be found here.

As set out in these Guidelines, our comprehensive ADHD assessment includes a full clinical and psychosocial assessment, including discussion about the person’s symptoms and strengths and how these present in the different domains and settings of the person’s everyday life, a full developmental, mental health and medical history, observer reports and assessment of the person’s symptoms and mental state (often by way of teacher survey’s and school reports).

Developmental Interview

At the initial appointment the clinician will gather comprehensive and detailed background information by interviewing the primary caregiver/s. Our clinicians prefer to conduct this interview (1 hour ) without the child or young person present, as this allows a candid approach to information sharing, and avoids causing humiliation or distress for the child.

Questionnaires and surveys will also be distributed to the carer/s and teachers at this appointment. They include Child Behaviour checklists and Teacher Report forms (0-5year 11 months) or a series of Conners CBRS Parent and Teacher surveys (6yrs + to Adult) and ABAS3 Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System Parent and Teacher surveys.

N.B. Please raise any concerns you may have about your child’s learning or academic progress at this appointment, as it may be necessary or worthwhile to conduct a cognitive assessment at the time of the second appointment, that can ascertain the individual’s working memory, processing speed and other levels of cognitive functioning.

Appointment 2 (child’s / young person’s appointment)

Clinical Observation Appointment

Let us meet and interview your child during this 1 hour appointment. Our clinicians prefer to conduct this interview alone with your child or youth, learning about their strengths and weaknesses from their perspective and observations.

N.B Depending on the outcome of this appointment, and whether a cognitive exam was required, an additional appointment may be required for the child or young person at this time.

Appointment 3 (Parent/s / Carer/s only)

Report and Diagnostic Appointment

At the final appointment (1 hour duration) feedback from the parent and teacher surveys, observation appointment will be provided to the parents / carer/s. Detailed advice including recommendations and additional supports are discussed and navigated at this time.

At this time, clinicians will inform people receiving a diagnosis of ADHD (and their families or carers as appropriate) about the following:

  • environmental modifications that can be made to help to the person function to meet their own realistic goals
  • educational and occupational issues and rights to reasonable adjustments at school, university and in the workplace
  • Options around receiving a referral to a paediatrician or psychiatrist to discuss medication options.
  • local and national support groups and voluntary organisations (also known as consumer groups)
  • up-to-date, reliable, and reputable websites
  • support for education and employment
  • eligibility for disability support
  • eligibility for government benefits and allowances, including Carer Allowance provisions

People who have had an assessment, but whose symptoms and impairment do not meet criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD, may benefit from similar information.

The Griffith Mental Development Scales are widely used by paediatricians and psychologists to measure the rate of development of infants and young children from birth to eight years. The GMDS assess a child’s strengths and weaknesses across all major developmental areas and can be used to determine if a child is in need of an early intervention program and if so, where the areas of focus are required.

This is a standardised assessment administered that can only be administered by highly trained psychologists or paediatricians, and is done by interacting directly with your child, utilising a number of test items designed to be appealing to young children. The Griffiths III is not a cognitive assessment or assessment of intelligence. The test items have not been developed to measure advanced development (greater than age-appropriate skills). The areas of development focused on are as follows;

  • Foundations of Learning – assesses critical aspects of learning during the early childhood years.
  • Language and Communication – measures overall language development, including expressive language, receptive language, and (to a lesser extent) use of language to communicate socially with others.
  • Eye and Hand Coordination – considers fine motor skills, manual dexterity and visual perception skills.
  • Personal–Social–Emotional – measures constructs relating to the child’s developing sense of self and growing independence, interactions with others, plus many aspects of emotional development.
  • Gross Motor – assesses postural control, balance and gross body coordination.

A summary report is prepared by your clinician, outlining your child’s profile of developmental strengths and weaknesses. This report can then be utilised for retesting as a comparison point in order to measure outcomes of interventions and progress made.

More info

Melissa Cox – Principal Psychologist, All Assessment types

Dr Ayesha Peckham – Consultant Psychologist, ASD Assessments

Michelle Kent – Senior Consultant Psychologist, ASD, Behavioural Assessments

Dr Marea Murray – Paediatrician, ADHD, Anxiety, Mood and Behavioural Disorders.

Jasmine Abbott – Psychologist, Educational & ADHD Assessments

  • ASD Assessment $2141.41
  • Full ADHD Assessment incl full comprehensive psychologival report $1244
  • ADHD screening incl summary report $725.00
  • Educational Assessments from $1638.00 – $2141.00
  • Developmental Assessment (Griffiths) $1853.00
  • Griffiths extension from ADOS $1086.89
  • Adaptive Behaviour Assessment $753.00
* Rebates or discounts may apply depending on individual circumstances. Please speak to our practice manager about your unique situation for a customised fee structure based on your needs.