Psychological Assessments for Children, Adolescents & Adults

Understanding Strengths, Challenges, and Support Needs

Everyone learns and processes information in their own unique way. For some people, difficulties with attention, memory, language or problem-solving can make school, work, or daily life more stressful than it needs to be. A cognitive or learning assessment can help identify how a person thinks, learns, and interacts with the world - offering clarity, confidence, and a pathway to the right support.

Assessments are used for children, teenagers, and adults. Young people may be referred due to challenges with reading, writing, maths, focus, behaviour, or keeping up with peers. Adults may seek assessment to better understand long-standing learning differences, changes in cognitive functioning, workplace difficulties, or potential neurodivergence such as ADHD or intellectual disability.

These assessments are not about labelling - they are about understanding. When strengths and needs are clearly identified, school staff, caregivers, workplaces, and health providers can offer support that truly fits the person.

Lakeside Rooms provides a range of assessments including cognitive, academic, attention and executive functioning, adaptive behaviour, and autism and developmental.

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Assessments available at Lakeside Rooms:

Assists with gaining a profile of thinking abilities such as memory, reasoning, and processing speed in children and adults. Also including workplace concerns or changes in thinking over time
Helps identify literacy or numeracy difficulties and supporting school accommodations. A learning assessment evaluates a student's learning abilities, strengths, and challenges. It typically involves reviewing the student's academic history, conducting interviews, and administering standardised tests to assess areas like reading, writing, maths, memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
The assessment helps identify learning difficulties, such as dyslexia or ADHD, and informs strategies or support plans to enhance the student's educational experience and performance.
Enables the exploration of ADHD-related strengths and challenges
Helps with understanding social communication, behaviour, and developmental history.
A developmental assessment evaluates a child's physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. It involves gathering information about the child's milestones, behaviours, and any concerns from parents, teachers, or caregivers, as well as conducting observations and tests.
This assessment helps identify developmental delays, disabilities, or other concerns, and provides recommendations for support, interventions, or further evaluation to ensure the child’s well-being and growth are supported effectively.
Evaluates daily living skills for functional support decisions

Other Assessment Types Available at Lakeside Rooms:

Clinical Diagnostic Assessment

A clinical diagnostic is a process used to evaluate a person's mental health by discussing their issues, history, and symptoms, using questionnaires, tests, and observations. Information can be gathered through input from others, such as family or healthcare providers.
Based on this information, the psychologist makes a diagnosis and recommends a treatment plan to address the person's mental health needs.
Assessment of Giftedness

Assessing giftedness involves a detailed evaluation to find individuals with outstanding abilities or potential. It includes testing intelligence and creativity, as well as checking academic achievements through standard tests and school performance.
Teachers and parents provide feedback on the child’s behaviour and emotional development. Interviews, work samples, and observation can help give a fuller picture. The child’s development and medical history are also reviewed to consider other factors.
Combining information from different sources helps create a complete profile to guide learning plans and support.

FAQS

Parents, school counselors or guidance officers, general practitioners (GPs), paediatricians and child psychiatrists commonly refer young clients to child psychologists for a cognitive or learning assessment if the child is experiencing learning problems at school. These assessments can ascertain whether they have any learning problems that may be causative or contributing to a clinical presentation and to aid in accurate clinical formulation and treatment planning.
The costs of the assessment depend on the time taken to complete the full assessment, report and feedback session and the hourly rate of the psychologist you are consulting. The standard number of hours with the initial interview, testing, report and feedback is approximately 10-12 hours, however in complex cases when more assessments are needed and the introductory session with your child and a school visit are necessary, then it may take up to 14 hours of the psychologists time that you will be charged for.
The costs vary, but usually fall between:
- $2,000-$2,500 for Cognitive & Learning Assessments; and
- $2,500-$3,000 for Diagnostic Assessments (ADHD, ASD, Personality)
Cognitive and learning assessments are not able to be claimed on Medicare or Private Health funds.
The initial interviews and feedback sessions may attract a Medicare rebate with a valid Mental Health Care Plan or with private health funds.

What does the assessment involve?

STEP 1: Interview

Your psychologist will conduct an initial one-hour interview where you will provide a background history for you or your child.
If the assessment is for your child, it’s helpful if you can bring along copies of your child’s school reports and any other reports you may have pertaining to your child’s difficulties from other professionals. This interview is usually held in our rooms but can be held at school if special arrangements are made.
After a discussion with you in this initial appointment, the psychologist can advise and plan the best assessment process based on your, or your child’s needs.
STEP 2: Introductory Appointment

If the assessment is for your child it’s sometimes important to have an introductory one-hour appointment with them before starting the formal testing, particularly if they experience anxiety. This will increase the likelihood
of your child becoming more comfortable, and allow for valuable clinical observation.
STEP 3: Testing

A standard cognitive and learning assessment usually involves three to five hours of testing on standardised cognitive and learning assessment tools such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scales and the Wechsler Individual Achievement tests.
Sometimes it may be necessary to complete other
specific tests like behavioural questionnaires or specific memory testing which may require more
assessment time.
STEP 4: Report

All assessment results are compiled in a detailed psychological report with a summary of relevant background information, history, clinical observations, and test results prepared and analysed by the psychologist.
If the report is prepared for your child it will also include recommendations for parents, GPs, and teachers in relation to academic, social, behavioural and emotional functioning.
This analysis and preparation of the report usually requires three to four hours of the psychologist’s time, depending on how many tests are administered. The report is charged at the psychologist’s hourly rate.
STEP 5: Feedback

A one-hour feedback session is then arranged to discuss the results, clinical implications, and recommendations. At this appointment, you will be provided with a copy of the report.
STEP 6: School Meeting

If the assessment was prepared for your child, an optional attendance at a meeting of your child’s school may be arranged to discuss the results with educational personnel if this is something you require. This may take approximately one hour, depending on the psychologist’s travel time.