Psychological Assessments

Pace Ahead Psychology provides comprehensive psychological assessments for children and adolescents.

Children don't always fit neatly into one diagnostic category. Difficulties with learning, attention, behaviour, emotions and development can overlap, and similar concerns can have very different underlying explanations.

For this reason, assessments at Pace Ahead Psychology take a broad approach. Assessment begins by developing an understanding of the child's overall functioning and the concerns that have led to referral. From there, the assessment is tailored and, where appropriate, becomes more focused as particular areas requiring further investigation are identified.

Cognitive Assessments

Cognitive assessment explores how a child thinks, reasons, processes information and approaches different types of tasks. It can identify a child's individual pattern of cognitive strengths and challenges and provide valuable information about how they learn.

Cognitive assessment may form part of an investigation into learning difficulties, developmental concerns, intellectual functioning or a child's broader psychological and developmental profile.

Educational Assessments

Educational assessment examines a child's academic skills across areas such as reading, written expression and mathematics.

Results are considered alongside the child's cognitive profile, developmental history and other relevant information to understand their academic strengths and difficulties and, where appropriate, determine whether they meet criteria for a specific learning disorder.

Developmental & Diagnostic Assessments

When there are broader concerns about a child's attention, behaviour, social communication, emotional functioning, learning or development, a comprehensive assessment can help clarify what may be contributing to those difficulties.

Rather than beginning with the assumption of a particular diagnosis, assessment considers the child's functioning more broadly before exploring areas of concern in greater depth.

Depending on the individual child and referral question, this may involve assessment of cognitive abilities, attention and executive functioning, academic skills, social communication, behaviour, emotional functioning, adaptive functioning and development.

Information is gathered from multiple sources and considered together to develop an understanding of the child's overall profile. Where appropriate, this process may lead to diagnostic clarification of developmental, learning or psychological conditions.

What does an assessment involve?

Every assessment is individually planned according to the child and the questions their family is seeking to answer.

Assessment may include clinical and developmental interviews, standardised testing, questionnaires, direct observation and information from parents, teachers and other professionals.

Following assessment, families receive a comprehensive psychological report that brings the findings together in clear, practical language. Reports include recommendations tailored to the child's individual strengths, difficulties and support needs.

A feedback appointment is also provided to discuss the findings, answer questions and consider appropriate next steps.