Cognitive, IQ and Academic Assessments

At Foundation Psychology we provide assessment for children and adults who need IQ and cognitive assessments. These assessments can be useful in determining a potential learning difficulty, in the context of reading, language or attention difficulties as well as for children who may be gifted in one or more areas.

Among others, we conduct psychometric assessments such as:

  • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V)
  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV)
  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III)

If you’d like more information about cognitive assessments services including fees and availability, please contact us here.

Some parents wonder if their child is meeting their full potential when it comes to academic development. Parents often report difficulties with their child’s attention, concentration, expressive language skills, reading comprehension and working memory tasks. These difficulties can become apparent at any point in a young person’s education, and further inquiry to determine what may be influencing these difficulties is warranted.

Such assessments can be used in VCE to receive special consideration, such as extra time in exams for individuals with low processing speed. IQ measures can also form a key part in the decision making process on progression through school or appropriate educational pathways such as University, TAFE, vocational education or careers.

If you have concerns about your child’s progress in their studies, you may be interested in pursuing educational testing with a WISC-V and/or WIAT-III. The tests measure cognitive development and academic achievement and are available for children from 6 years onwards. Both assessments usually take 90-120 mins each to administer, depending on the person’s age and ability.

The tests can assist with the diagnosis of reading disorders, language disorders, ADHD, nonverbal difficulties, visual vs auditory memory deficits and visual perception issues. In addition to identifying any weaknesses, these tests can also help you understand your child’s current strengths. Every individual has a profile of strengths and weaknesses and gaining a better understanding of these can aid in giving them the best opportunity to succeed in accordance with their capacity.

With early assessment and intervention, you can implement various strategies that will support your child including organisation skills, classroom accommodations and emotional regulation skills. These strategies are designed to allow your child to demonstrate their true ability, which in turn improves their self-concept and relationships.

WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN (WISC-V)

The WISC-V assessment tests cognitive functioning of children aged 6 -16 years. The examinee will complete a series of tasks and activities and answer a range of questions.

The WISC-V test generates a full scale IQ (representing general intellectual ability) with specific insights into: verbal comprehension, visual spatial, fluid reasoning, working memory and processing speed. It is common for people to exhibit differences across various cognitive domains, and good to keep in mind that a child’s intellectual abilities may change over the course of their development.

WECHSLER ADULT INTELLIGENCE SCALE (WAIS-IV)

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-4) is the gold standard intelligence test (also known as an IQ assessment) designed to measure intelligence in adults and older adolescents (16+). Scores provided include:

  • Perceptual Reasoning
  • Processing Speed
  • Verbal Comprehension
  • Working Memory

WECHSLER INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST (WIAT-III)

The WIAT-III is used to assess the academic skills and problem-solving abilities of children and adults aged 4 – 50 years. The WIAT-III is used where cognitive difficulties have been identified to understand the impact of these difficulties across various areas of school-based learning. We know that IQ is strongly correlated with academic achievement and the WIAT helps explore exactly where a student has difficulties or needs assistance.

The WIAT assesses a student’s functioning on skills needed in common school subjects of reading, oral language, written language and mathematics. The assessment helps measure cognitive abilities relevant to specific learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Testing using the WIAT can help identify a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, assist in diagnosis of a specific learning disability, and give further clarity to determine their eligibility for educational assistance. Assessment is key to creating individual learning plans and implementing interventions to improve performance and confidence.

REPORTS AND FEEDBACK

After assessment, you will receive a report outlining the results from the testing along with recommendations to assist the individual moving forward. An optional feedback session can also be booked to go through the report, further explain results, answer any questions and help parents understand further interventions that they may engage their child in.