Psycho-educational Assessments

A psycho-educational assessment is done by a specialised psychologist (educational or school psychologist specifically trained to administer the tests involved) when a child is experiencing difficulties at school, mostly related to academic performance. By "difficulties" here we commonly understand poor results or behavioural issues which seem to be in the way of good performance. Hence the tester will be looking for learning problems, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder or low self-esteem, using a battery of tests which evaluate the child according to chronological age.

The purpose of a psycho-educational assessment is to identify a child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, their academic achievement level, identify possible learning problems and make recommendations for academic support and accommodations which will assist the child to blossom in school at their own pace. If a learning difficulty is identified, the psycho-educational assessment is the basis for an educational plan which the school will use to support and follow-up the student. At a later age, a psycho-educational assessment will be used to identify Access Arrangements which apply to the student’s needs. This is used in school and for official examinations up until the age of 25 in many countries and educational systems. Ultimately, its purpose is to provide guidance for support in order to avoid future complications such as depression, school refusal, quitting school, which are often far harder to resolve that the original problem.

A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment requires 6-10 hours of one-to-one time for testing to be completed. Appointments vary between one and two hours depending on age and condition. It will include a parent interview, individualized testing, behavioural evaluation and questionnaires. The tests will examine cognitive functioning, visual and auditory processing skills and academic performance. Most such assessments will require input from the child’s school, where a teacher familiar with the child is asked to complete a behavioural questionnaire. It is the psychologist’s responsibility to decide which instruments/tests should be used. S/he is responsible for the protection of the child’s data, for test administration, scoring, interpretation, report writing and signing as well as providing feedback to parents, child and school. Finally, a psychologist should be familiar with and preferably fluent in the language/s used by the child at home and school. A psycho-educational assessment is considered to be valid for two to three years. A re-evaluation or partial evaluation may be needed beyond this time. 

The main language of our psycho-educational assessments is English, but trainers and testers are also fluent in French, Italian and Greek.