Assessment Services

We have a range of psychometric and diagnostic assessment tools at our clinic which allows us to assess cognitive capabilities (IQ testing) as well as learning capabilities.   

Cognitive and academic achievement assessments available include:

• Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - 4th Edition (WPPSI-IV)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - 5th Edition (WISC-V)
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - 3rd  Edition (WIAT-III)
• Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - 3rd Edition (WRMT-III)

Through the assessment process, we are able to identify your child’s strengths and areas of weakness, potential for learning and their preferred learning style. Assessment also provides a measure of how your child is performing in a range of skill areas and how this compares with their peers.

At Your Mind Matters Psychology Services, we have a team of health professionals dedicated to understanding, identifying, and treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, also known as Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome).

Working with a multidisciplinary team will ensure you child is thoroughly assessed and able to access the best possible intervention. Typically, the team will consist of a Paediatrician, a psychologist, and either a Speech Pathologist or Occupational Therapist. Following assessment, the team will decide if your child meets diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Diagnosis is usually made from the age of about 18 months onwards.

Assessing Autism Spectrum Disorder involves 1-2 consultations depending on the age of your child and whether or not they have participated in any previous assessment. Assessment involves discussing your child’s history, learning about their strengths and weaknesses, and observing and interacting with them. Assessment tools utilised by the ASD Psychology team at Your Mind Matters Psychology Services can include the following:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2^nd Edition (ADOS-2)
• Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R)
• Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale – 3rd Edition (Vineland-3)
• Measure of cognitive assessment (WISC or WPPSI)
• Social Responsiveness Scale – 2^nd Edition (SRS2)
• Gilliam Autism Rating Scale - 3rd Edition (GARS-3)

Additional information regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder assessment and diagnosis can be found on the AMAZE website.

What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children (but can also affect adolescents and adults!) Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought).

An estimated 5% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD and is more common among boys than girls. It is often first identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with schoolwork.

Gathering information

If you suspect your child has ADHD, as opposed to just being “really active”, it can be extremely helpful to speak with your child’s teacher. They will be able to provide you with information regarding their academic strengths and weaknesses, their ability to concentrate, their behaviour in class, and their activity levels. If the teacher also suspects possible ADHD, we can help.

What we do…

At Your Mind Matters Psychology Services, we have a range of assessment tools designed to help identify the presence of ADHD.

Our ADHD assessment typically involves the following:

• A history and intake session whereby we gather information regarding your child’s history and health to help us make an informed decision
• A cognitive assessment (WPPSI or WISC)
• Completion of the Brown Executive Function/Attention Scales  (Brown EF/A Scales) – completed by parents and a teacher
• Completion of the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC-3) – completed by parents and a teacher

You can also elect to add academic achievement testing (WIAT) or literacy testing (WRMT) as part of your assessment.

We’ve had a number of parents and local schools approach us regarding school readiness. Often parents are conflicted for a number of reasons. Perhaps their child is quite bright, but too young to start, or maybe  they suspect that their child is not yet socially or emotionally mature enough. Other times, childcare educators recommend that a child starts school early, but parents want to be sure their child will cope with the demands of primary school. 

Our School Readiness Assessment explores the child’s cognitive skills as well as their social and emotional functioning, and adaptive behaviour.

So what’s involved?

• A consultation with a Child Psychologist to explore the child’s current social and emotional development, coping skills, and learning capabilities.
• A Wechsler cognitive assessment (WPPSI-IV), so we know how the child’s mind works best.
• The Vineland-3 Adaptive Behaviour Scales completed by a Childcare Educator—they know best how the child copes in a school environment.
• A comprehensive, easy to read report with recommendations.