Cognitive Assessment 

Also known as an IQ test, a cognitive assessment provides information about a child’s thinking and problem-solving ability, comparing their performance with a large sample of other (Australian) children their own age. It assesses different areas – verbal, nonverbal (visual) problem solving, spatial reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

A cognitive assessment can help parents, teachers, and the child themselves understand their areas of strength and weakness. The results may help to explain why your child is experiencing particular challenges, and, most importantly, can inform appropriate strategies and accommodations for supporting learning and functioning at school. Cognitive assessments can also be part of a larger assessment to help identify Giftedness, Specific Learning Disorders (e.g., Dyslexia) and Intellectual Developmental Disorder (previously Intellectual Disability).

A cognitive assessment involves administration of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale – 4th Edition (WPPSI-IV) or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – 5th Edition (WISC-V), depending on the child’s age.

You may consider a cognitive assessment if your child has:

• Difficulties learning at the same pace as their peers and ‘keeping up’ in class

• Delays in one or more areas of their development

• Difficulties attending and listening in class

• Difficulties following instructions and / or routines

• Difficulties retaining information / remembering things

• Slow pace of completing class work or homework compared with their peers

• Uneven performance (i.e. does well in some areas, struggles in others).

Or

• Your child’s development appears to be advanced in one or more areas

• Your child finds schoolwork ‘too easy’ and is performing above grade expectation in one or more areas of the curriculum.