Child Academic Assessments

If your child has been given a referral for an Academic Assessment, this might be the appropriate assessment for you. Alternatively, this is the assessment to choose where you’ve noticed and are concerned by any of the following behaviours:

• Memory Issues
• Slow at Activities
• Needing Further Instructions
• Reading and Comprehension Difficulties
• Poor Grades

Please note: These behaviours are only indicators that this assessment may be helpful. These behaviours are normal and can be observed to different extents in children of all ages.

Academic Assessments aim to identify a child’s achievement across a range of subject areas and assess academic skills. This assessment provides information about skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing, comprehension, and mathematics. 

Currently, we provide academic assessments for children aged 4 and over. We are able to see NDIS and insurance clients. 

1. Assessment Agreement/Pre-Service Questionnaire

Parents/caregivers are required to complete a pre-service questionnaire before the assessment can commence. This collects background information. 

2. Initial Consultation 

The initial consultation is a fact-finding, information gathering session where you will meet the clinician for the first time. It is to ensure you are receiving the most suitable assessment for your child and to discuss background information and your current concerns. Please note, children below the age of 12 do not need to attend the initial consultation

3. Questionnaires

We ask for parents/caregivers, teachers/childcare providers and the child (age dependent) to complete a range of questionnaires prior to the testing sessions. These are completed online and take approximately 20 minutes each to complete. 

4. School Report / Medical or Psychological Reports

We request you to provide school reports and other documents from health professionals who have worked with your child prior to the first testing session.

5. Psychometric Testing Sessions

Typically, an academic assessment requires 1 testing session, which can be completed online through Telehealth. You may be sent physical response booklets in the mail for Telehealth sessions. 

6. Report

After the testing sessions are complete, your clinician will prepare a comprehensive assessment report. The report would include a diagnosis if diagnostic criteria are met and, a summary of the results and recommendations for next steps. 

7. Feedback Session

Your clinician will meet with you to discuss all results and recommendations. You will be provided with an electronic copy of the full assessment report following this session. Please advise if you require a hard copy. 

We use a combination of online questionnaires, clinical interviews and psychometric testing sessions in our ADHD assessments.

Julia Links, Psychologist

• Assessments across the lifespan:
• Cognitive (IQ) Assessments and Intellectual Disability
• Educational and Learning Assessments including Specific Learning Disorders (Dyslexia, Dyscaliculia & Dysgraphia)
• Attention difficulties including ADHD
• Adaptive behaviour and Functional Abilities
• Behavioural Disorders including Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder
• School Readiness
• High Potential and Giftedness

Trudy Ross, Psychologist

Assessments across the lifespan:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD
• Cognitive Assessments
• Educational/Achievement Assessments including Learning Difficulties
• Adaptive Behaviour
• Functional Skills
• School Readiness
• Giftedness and Early Entry Programs
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Behavioural Assessment including Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Our academic assessments can be completed online via Telehealth. 

We do not process private health funds claims here at Northside Psychology. However, if you have private health, you can check with your fund if they cover psychological assessments.