Cognitive assessments or intelligence tests are used to determine a child’s learning capability by identifying their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. When interpreted in combination with comprehensive background information, parent and teacher’s interviews, the results of cognitive tests can provide a profile which can assist with the development of individualized intervention and learning plans for children.
Cognitive assessments with children require the administration of standardized psychometric tools by experienced and accredited psychologists. These tools can assess various areas of cognitive capacity, for example:
- Verbal Comprehension: the ability to use a range of vocabulary to understand and express general knowledge and explain concepts
- Visual Spatial: the ability to evaluate visual details and understand visual spatial relationships
- Fluid Reasoning: the ability to use conceptual information from visual details and apply that knowledge
- Working Memory: the ability to learn, manipulate and retain information to complete new tasks
- Processing Speed: the ability to quickly process and make judgements about visual information
Cognitive assessments with children help assist in the examination of:
- Intellectual Giftedness: a cognitive assessment will help to assess whether a child can access gifted and talented programs or special classes e.g. admission to selective schools, acceleration or opportunity classes, GERRIC (UNSW) or guide teachers in the provision of extension activities in the classroom setting.
- Diagnosing learning difficulties or disabilities in children: a cognitive assessment in conjunction with an educational assessment can assist in identifying the presence of a learning difficulty or disorder in children and to help teachers make appropriate accommodations for students in the classroom. This information can be used to manage and minimize negative experiences at school such as poor academic results, school avoidance and low self-esteem.
- Intellectual difficulty or disability: an assessment will assist in identifying children with an intellectual disability, which is characterized by an IQ test score at least 2 standard deviations below the mean (this often equates to an IQ score of 70). Following an assessment, children and parents will have a better understanding around how an intellectual disability impacts the child’s ability to learn. It will also help to provide information to develop effective plans or accommodations in the classroom that are tailored to meet a child’s specific needs. Results can also assist in making applications to access government or school disability funding, special needs teachers or special provisions (e.g. scribe) in formal school examinations.
Assessment Tools
There are various cognitive assessment tools that are used for various purposes and age groups. We commonly use the following cognitive assessment tools:
- Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V, Australian Standard) for children aged 6 to 16 years.
- Stanford-Binet – Fifth Edition (Early SB5) for children aged 2 to 7 years.
- Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV, Australian Standard) for children aged 2 years and 6 months to 7 years and 7 months.
Link: https://childpsychologist.com.au/service/assessments/cognitive-assessments-iq-testing/
how can i get my daughters mental level checked and her speech level too. can you share some facility if you are providing with charges.
she is 2.10 but speaks like 6-7 year old. she can learn hard vocabulary in English and learns all the things which we tell her.