Practice
Understanding assessment, what it can answer, and what to expect during the process.
Tina Laird specialises in assessment. Assessment is sometimes called “psychological assessment”, “cognitive assessment”, “educational Assessment” or “neuropsychology assessment”.
Why Get an Assessment?
Psychology assessment helps people answer questions about themselves or their child. Sometimes your school, general practitioner, psychiatrist, psychologist, paediatrician, neurologist, geriatrician or pain specialist will send you for assessment. These professionals are often wanting a specific question answered to best help you.
What questions does assessment answer?
- Am I, or my child, typical?
- Is there a difference or difficulty?
- How can the psychologist see there is a difference or difficulty?
- What are my, or my child’s, strengths and weaknesses?
- How can I best help myself or my child?
- What do I do next?
- What support do I, or my child, need to succeed in school, work, and life?
- Are there individuals (e.g., clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, paediatrician or allied health professionals) that can help?
- Are there systems (e.g., schools, social services or NDIS) that can help?
What Questions Does Assessment Answer?
Neuropsychologists specialise in assessing people’s thinking and brain functioning. Clinical Psychologists assess and treat mental health difficulties. Tina is both a Neuropsychologist and Clinical Psychologist. She has endorsements with APRAH for both Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology. She is a fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists of the Australian Psychology Society.
Tina understands the interplay between the environment or context, mental health (Clinical Psychology) and brain function (Neuropsychology). She has a background in treating mental health conditions, including trauma and neurodiversity, and a special interest in children. She has experience, judgement, warmth and kindness.
Nervous About Assessment?
Undertaking assessment can feel daunting. Tina feels that assessment is like taking a photo of a person. A photo captures a moment, but it does not define or change the person. Similarly, assessment captures thinking, learning and coping at a point in time. It does not represent the whole story or change you are (or who your child is). When assessment findings are viewed with intelligence and compassion, they can reveal important patterns, bring clarity to what has been difficult to explain and guide meaningful next steps.
What Happens During Assessment?
Tina’s assessment process is structured, thorough and person centred.
1. Interview
The process begins with an in-depth interview with you or your child. For adults, Tina will spend an hour with you to understand your story. If the assessment is for your child, Tina will speak to the parent/s initially so that you can share the concerns that you have for your child. Your child will then be invited to join the interview so that Tina can seek their understanding of themselves. For older children, parents may wish them to be present throughout the interview. Tina will ask what question you want answered (e.g., Do I have ADHD? or Does my child have ADHD?). This session explores developmental milestones, medical history, educational experiences, behavioural patterns, and current concerns. In this hour-long interview, Tina aims to understand current struggles in the context of past experiences and who you are as a person, or who your child is. This interview is an opportunity to clarify the purpose of the assessment and ensure it is the right step. Assessment should only be undertaken where there is a clear benefit to the person. At the end of the interview Tina will make a plan to answer your question. What assessment you, or your child needs, will be discussed with you. Before Assessment • Have your, or your child’s, vision and hearing tested. • Bring relevant information (e.g., previous assessment, specialist reports, school reports, or NAPLAN).
2. Assessment
You or your child attends one or more sessions for formal testing. Tina creates a calm and supportive environment, so that you (or your child) can feel comfortable. Tina will give you, or your child, questions and tasks. These may be on an iPad, computer or using pen and paper or objects. The tasks depend on what question you want answered, and more than one test may be used. You, or your child, may be interviewed and asked to do questionnaires. With consent, others (e.g., teachers, partners or relatives) may be asked to do questionnaires. Understanding how you, or your child, function across settings is essential for accurate interpretation. Tina usually does assessments in the morning for no more than two hours, to ensure Tina sees your, or your child’s, best performance. Assessment is paced to reduce fatigue and anxiety and breaks may be given. Assessment may take two to five hours, depending on the complexity of your question. This means that if your question is complex there will be two to three assessment appointments of two hours each. To make sure the assessment is accurate, it is important that you: • Bring your, or your child’s, glasses and/or hearing aids to the assessment. • DO NOT have, or allow your child to have, caffeine (i.e., tea, coffee or energy drinks) before attention assessment. • DO NOT stop your usual medications unless Tina advises you to do so.
3. Report Writing
Following assessment, Tina examines the test results and starts to write a detailed written report. This means that reports are not written at the end of assessment, but during the assessment process. Sometimes when you, or your child’s, results are examined Tina will see that there are further questions that need to be answered for your results to make sense. If this occurs, Tina will discuss this with you. The report outlining findings, diagnostic impressions (if appropriate), and practical recommendations. In plain language the report answers the question you had, tells your, or your child’s story, and will recommend practical steps that you, or others, can take to help you or your child. Writing the report involves considering and combining the information Tina has from interviews, tests and questionnaires. This takes many hours and the report will be ready three weeks after the last assessment appointment.
4. Feedback
Tina takes an hour to explains the written report in plain language and answer any questions you have. Tina knows assessment is a process, and it can take some time to digest findings and recommendations and think of further questions. So don’t worry if you think of questions later as most questions can be handled via a phone call (for no additional cost).
Considering an Assessment for Your Child?
Tina welcomes your enquiry and can help clarify whether assessment is the right next step for your child.