At kindergarten and school, assessments can include working out what extra support your child needs to achieve and how they can get the most from their education.
A psychologist can assess your child’s intellectual development. Talk to your child’s school or doctor about this.
Assessing your child’s learning
All children learn at different rates.
Your child’s teacher can assess your child’s learning needs and identify reasonable adjustments that may be needed to support your child’s participation.
Psychologists can assess your child’s intellectual development and identify their strengths and challenges. They can do a full assessment that includes observations of your child and interviews with you and the school staff. This is so that things like family history and your child’s development are taken into account.
There will be some formal tests that look at your child’s learning and problem-solving skills. This is so that your child’s abilities can be understood and any strengths and challenges identified.
There will also be an assessment of how your child manages everyday activities expected of a child of their age.
These skills are normally assessed by asking you, your child’s teacher or someone else who knows your child well, to fill out a questionnaire or take part in an interview.
This includes:
- personal care skills – for example, getting dressed, going to the bathroom and eating
- communication and social skills – for example, having conversations and using a phone
- staying safe
- asking for help
- using money.
The results of assessments, observations and information from people who know your child well, can be used to help the school with personalised learning and support planning for your child. This may include making reasonable adjustments or an individual education plans.
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