Assessments

What Assessments Can we Do For You?

Psychological Assessment is a process of testing and assessing an individual using a combination of techniques as assessment measures. This process allows for the development of treatment plan or suitable intervention based on the individual’s unique functioning, as determined by the assessment process. Assessments are conducted for a number of reasons; difficulty at school, uncertainty about the future or emotional or behavioural problems to name a few.

Assessments can assist the psychologist to understand the underlying reasons behind these difficulties and provide understanding to parents, teachers and children about their current functioning and the best way forward thereafter. Psychological assessment comprises of a number of a components in order to provide a holistic picture of the individual. It is important that the assessment process is guided to assist in future development rather than focussing on problems and difficulties.

“What we see changes what we know, what we know changes what we see”

- Jean Piaget

Psycho-Educational Assessment

A Psycho-Educational Assessment serves to assess a child or adolescent’s psychological and academic skills. These assessment help to establish barriers to learning that may be present and affecting a child or adolescent’s overall functioning in the school environment.

Including scholastic, cognitive or emotional difficulties. Specialized tests and tasks assess; Intelligence, Language Skills, Memory, Learning, Attention/Concentration, Planning/Executive Functioning, Reading/Spelling/Writing, Mathematics, Academic Fluency, Comprehension, Oral Expressive Skills, Visual Motor Skills and Emotional Functioning. This assessment process aims to determine holistic functioning in terms of strengths and weaknesses in order to make the most appropriate recommendations in order to support further development in the most positive and constructive manner.

Career and Subject Choice Assessments

Towards the end of grade 9 year, learners are expected to choose subjects which they would like to continue with for the remainder of their school career. Often their decision needs to be made in order to support their future career interest and tertiary studies. This can be a very anxiety provoking as many young people at this juncture in life are not certain about their future. Then again, at the end of grade 11 learners are again required to make decisions which directly affect their future. This assessment process allows for self exploration through investigation of aptitude, interests, values, and personality to provide a holistic understanding of the self and the best suited options for the future in terms of subjects and tertiary or other studies and career options.

Emotional and Behavioural Assessments

At times parents may notice that their child is experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. These difficulties may or may not affect their academic performance. These types of difficulties are often difficult for parents to understand, explain or ‘fix’. This assessment process aims to investigate the child or adolescent’s emotional state through both direct and projective measures in order to better understand their thoughts, feelings, needs and wants. Thereafter the most appropriate intervention and support can be provided to both the child or adolescent as well as, the parents and other stakeholders.

Interactional Evaluation

This assessment procedure aims to evaluate parent/ child relationships. In addition to paper and pencil tests, the technique of Theraplay is used as a structured technique for observing and assessment overall quality and nature of the relationships between caregivers and their children. In addition to allowing a close look at problem areas in the relationship, this process provides a unique opportunity for observing strengths of both adult, child and of their overall relationships. It is a valuable tool in planning for treatment and in determining how to help families strengthen their relationships. Multiple sources of information are taken into account in addition to the formal evaluation process.