Cognitive Assessment
Cognitive assessments, or IQ tests, are specialised measures of intellectual ability. They measure a broad range of skills, including verbal comprehension and reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. They are completed without the need for reading or writing.
They can be helpful to:
- Identify intellectual disabilities (in combination with an adaptive functioning assessment)
- Identify learning disabilities (in combination with an educational assessment)
- Determine individual strengths and weaknesses
- Assess for giftedness
The assessments that are available include:
- Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), for children aged 2 and a half to 7 years. The WPPSI is child-friendly and developmentally appropriate and involves things like blocks, puzzles, picture books, and zoo animal memory cards.
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), for children aged 6 to 16 years. The WISC is now entirely on the iPad, and most kids find it pretty fun!
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), for adolescents and adults aged 16 to 90 years. The WAIS is also conducted mostly on the iPad.
A cognitive assessment usually includes:
- Parent interview to gather the necessary background information about your child and their development. Some additional questionnaires might be emailed for you to complete outside of the session.
- Optional – discussion with your child’s school teacher
- The assessment (1-2 sessions)
- Parent feedback session, including a detailed assessment report with tailored recommendations for your child