Child Assessment & Testing - General Information

Child Assessment & Testing - Testing Process

Psychological testing is different from other forms of assessments, such as medical tests. It is non invasive, it can be carried out in a playful manner and a good interviewer will adjust to a child's temperament to obtain the most representative results. There are a few key principles that parents should be aware of in order to make the assessment an easy process.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY OF THE ASSESSMENT?

The overall assessment has three main components: the parent interview, the testing session and the report as a form of feedback.

The Parent Interview
The parent interview is the first part of the overall assessment process. Children can be present, particularly older children, but depending on the referral question we may prefer if the child plays in the adjacent play room while we are talking about him/her (note: the play room is separated by a glass partitioning wall and we are able to monitor the child).

The purpose of the parent interview is to collect as much information about a child's history and social/family context as possible. Often relevant information relating to a child's functioning emerge during the interview session and parents can find it surprising how little details can be important. The interview usually takes up 40 to 50 minutes. Parents can also download the standard "Parent Interview Form" from our resources page here .

The Testing Session
Following the interview we administer the selected psychological tests and if necessary and part of the referral question, we interview the child. With very young children we may require the parent(s) to be present, but we ask parents to be respectful of the testing process and do not try to provide cues to the child or assist him/her. The time involved depends on the selected tests and the child's individual approach. For an estimation of overall testing times, please see our fees page here.

The Report
All test data first must be scored and interpreted. This is a delicate process as we try to incorporate the information learned during the parent interview with the test scores and behavioural observations. The report is prepared separately. In every case the report provides detailed descriptions of the relevant background information, the assessment tools used, behavioural observations and specific recommendations based on the referral question. The report is written in an easily read descriptive style to be presented to parents, other health professionals and teachers.

WHAT TO TELL YOUR CHILD?

Parents are often concerned about what to tell their children before the assessment. As with most aspects of the assessment, it depends on the purpose of the assessment and the age of the child. With older children over 7 or 8 years, there is no need for "white lies" and parents should have an upfront discussion about why they would like their child to be assessed. With younger children, particularly around 3 - 4 years old, parents may want to tell them that they will be doing some puzzles with a "puzzle teacher". Try not to put too much emphasis on the testing process, the more relaxed the children on the day of the assessment, the more representative their results.

Child Assessment & Testing - Test Descriptions and Development

At CPAC, where possible, we use child psychometric instruments with Australian norms. To better understand how tests differ based on their normative groups and why Australian norms are important to interpret scores, please read the following brief description on test development and score interpretation.

TEST NORMS

At the core of their development, psychological tests are standardised by using groups of people as norms, against which individual performances are later compared to. The composition of groups varies, based on the purpose of the test. For example, the standardisation process of tests measuring children's intellectual ability (IQ) involves administering the tests to large groups of children in different age groups. Six year olds, 7 year olds, 8 year olds and so on. Determining an individual child's performance is based on comparing his or her scores to the average performance of children who comprised the original standardisation sample. The closer the characteristics and environmental context of children in the standardisation sample to an individual child's characteristics and environmental context, the more realistically the scores will represent his or her abilities.

TEST SCORES

IQ and achievement scores are calculated by comparing an individual child's performance to the average performance of the standardisation samples. Scores derived through this method are best treated as estimates of functioning at the time of test taking. Apart from the child's true abilities, test scores are influenced by a number of other factors, such as fatigue, interest, test anxiety and characteristics of the examiner. Reporting of test scores include the careful analysis and inclusion of these factors.

For example, when conditions are optimal and a meaningful interpretation of an intelligence test is possible, the report will contain two distinct interpretative categories, an IQ range and a percentile rank. Both categories are represented in ranges, rather than in concrete scores. While concrete scores are calculated, placing the child's performance within a range is more accurate and representative of his or her abilities. Wechsler classifications are as follows:

SELECTED TESTS OF INTELLECTUAL, ACADEMIC AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING

At CPAC we use the latest scales, and when possible we use tests that were normalised on samples of Australian children. This approach ensures that your childs performance is compared to the most current and representative population of children.

Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence - Australian Standardisation (WPPSI-IV Australian)

The Wechsler Preschool Primary Scale of Intelligence - Australian Standardisation (WPPSI-IV Australian) is an individually administered instrument for measuring the general intellectual functioning of children aged 2 years 6 months through 7 years 3 months. The WPPSI-IV Australian includes composite scores that reflect intellectual functioning in specified cognitive domains. The verbal subtests measure the child's ability to process verbal material and to use language. The nonverbal subtests assess nonverbal reasoning, visual-spatial perception, and the ability to process visual stimuli.

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale for Early Childhood - Fifth Edition (SB5)

The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale for Early Childhood - Fifth Edition (SB5) is an individually administered instrument for measuring the general intellectual functioning of children aged 2 years to 7 years 3 months. The SB5 includes 10 subtests that yield IQ scores on five distinct indexes of Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing and Working Memory. Due to the high ceiling to identify superior intellectual abilities, the SB5 is particularly useful in identifying giftedness.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition - Australian Standardisation (WISC-V Australian)

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition - Australian Standardisation (WISC-V Australian) is the latest revision of Wechsler's intelligence tests for children and adolescents. The WISC-V Australian is an individually administered intelligence test designed for children a
aged 6 years 0 months to 16 years 11 months.

The WISC-V Australian is based on a theoretical foundation that places more emphasis on fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

Traditional Verbal and Performance IQs are not calculated, however, the test still yields a Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and five Index scores: Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Visual Spatial Index (VSI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI), and Processing Speed Index (PSI).

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition - Australian (WIAT-III)

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Third Edition - Australian (WIAT-III) is a comprehensive individual achievement test that measures educational skills. The test provides composite scores in four domains of educational achievement: reading, mathematics, written language, and oral language.

Beck Combined Youth Inventories of Social and Emotional Impairment for Ages 7-17 (BYI)

The Beck Combined Youth Inventories of Social and Emotional Impairment for Ages 7-17 (BYI) is an individually administered self report scale of emotional and behavioural functioning. The questionnaire is used as a diagnostic instrument in clinical settings and identifies severity levels for Childhood Depression, Childhood Anxiety, Anger, Disruptive Behaviour and Self Esteem.

Child Assessment - Fee Structure

As of 1st July 2024, the Australian Psychological Society's (APS) recommended fee for psychological assessment is $311 per 45-60 minutes.

Our fees are considerably lower than the APS recommendation and are based on a different structure. Fees based on hourly rates would be determined only at the completion of the assessment and report. Our fees are determined as per assessment and do not increase if additional time or more than one session is needed to evaluate a child's functioning. This includes unexpected difficulties during testing (e.g., fatigue) that may require additional sessions.

All fees include a clinical interview, administration of the selected psychological tests and a written report with specific recommendations. Our reports are individually prepared and very detailed, usually consisting of 5 to 7 typed pages and 3 to 5 pages of tables and graphs.

Based on the significant number of families and children we tested, we were able to comprise a list of assessment categories that most parents are interested in:

Assessment of Intellectual Ability

Time Involved: Approximately 2 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of the WISC-V Australian, or for preschool children the WPPSI-IV Australian, and a written report. The report provides information about the childs background, his or her test taking behaviour, and an interpretation of the results. A concrete IQ score is suggested and ranges of IQ and percentile ranks provided. The child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses are discussed and suggestions provided for future plans.

Assessment of Achievement Ability

Time Involved: Approximately 2 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of the WIAT-III Australian and a written report. The report provides information about the childs background, his or her test taking approach and an interpretation of the results. Concrete scores suggested for reading, mathematics and language abilities and ranges and percentile ranks provided for more accuracy. Age and grade relevant interpretation is provided to explain whether the childs scores reflect age and grade appropriate performances. Suggestions are made about areas of academic strengths and weaknesses and about future directions in educational advancement.

Assessment of both Intellectual and Achievement Abilities

Time Involved: Approximately 3 to 4 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) accompanying the child, administration of WISC-V Australian and the WIAT-IIII Australian and a written report. The report provides information about the childs background, his or her test taking approach and an interpretation of the results. Separate sections report performances on the WISC-V Australian and on the WIAT-IIII Australian. In addition, a comparative analysis is provided between the WISC-V Australian and the WIAT-IIII Australian results. The childs academic performance is evaluated in terms of his or her intellectual ability. The comparison includes an interpretation whether the child performed consistently with his or her intellectual abilities, or whether child under or over performed. In cases of over or under achievements, suggestions made about approaches to best utilise the childs academic potential.

Assessment of Developmental Level/School Readiness

Time Involved: Approximately 1 to 1.5 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment includes developmental scales to determine the child's motor skills, language skills, academic skills, self-help skills and social-emotional skills. This is often the "assessment of choice" when "in depth" knowledge is not required and the child is not experiencing notable difficulties.

Psychological Screening

Time Involved: Approximately 1hour

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment instruments include basic psychological screening and a parent questionnaire. This option is suitable for families who want to find out whether their child is experiencing any difficulty and whether there is a risk of a childhood disorder. Further assessment may be recommended.

Clinical/Diagnostic Assessment (Including the assessment of Autism)

Time Involved: Approximately 3 hours

Involves interview with parent(s) and/or other involved parties, test administration and a written report. Assessment instruments are selected on the basis of the referral question and may include tests of intellectual abilities, childhood and adolescent psychopathology, memory and attention, and social functioning. As a standard procedure, parents or caregivers are asked to complete an "in depth" questionnaire about behavioural observations. The report provides information about the child's emotional and behavioural functioning and suggestions are made about future treatment and directions. Diagnostic assessments are suitable for children experiencing severe behavioural difficulties at school or home, or suspected of ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).