Psycho-educational assessment

Psycho-educational Assessment for
Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Enquiry

What is Specific Learning Disorder (SLD)?

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is a neurobiological disorder that includes dyslexia (difficulties in reading), dyscalculia (difficulties in mathematics) and dysgraphia (difficulties in writing expression). A person with SLD may be very intelligent and able to express their ideas well verbally but find it hard to read, spell, write or perform mathematics tasks. It can become very frustrating for an individual when they make no progress in learning at school despite being given plenty of opportunities at home and at school. Having an SLD doesn’t mean that an individual cannot learn, it means that they learn things differently. With the right support and intervention, individuals with SLD can continue to thrive in life. 

My child has ongoing difficulties in reading, writing or mathematics. Does he/she have Specific Learning Disorder (SLD)?

A psycho-educational assessment can be conducted by an experienced psychologist to find out about your child’s strengths and weaknesses in learning performance. This may help to ascertain whether your child has an SLD and how to better support your child. 

What does the assessment involve?

Our psycho-educational assessment generally takes place over a 4-5 week period and includes:

  • an initial structured interview (approximately 50 minutes) with you, the parent/caregiver to understand your concerns
  • two two-hour sessions with your child to complete cognitive and functional assessment (one session per week)
  • we may also contact the school teacher or school psychologist to gain further information on the functioning of your child in their school environment
  • analysis and interpretation of data and report compilation (allowing approximately 2 weeks following the last assessment session)
  • a dedicated feedback session (50 minutes) with you to go through our detailed report.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the parent initial interview is $190/ per 50 minutes. If we decide an assessment is appropriate for your child, the cost of the psycho-educational assessment is $1250, which includes the written report.

Due to the considerable time dedicated to the assessment and report writing process, full payment of the assessment fee ($1250) is required following the initial parent consultation/session, before we commence the assessment sessions with your child.

Can I get a rebate from Medicare?

Unfortunately psycho-educational assessment currently does not attract any Medicare rebates. Some private health insurers may cover part of the cost. Please check with your private health insurer.

What do I have to bring for the initial parent interview session?

This session is only for parent/s to attend. No children should attend this appointment (including siblings). This appointment is for you to discuss your concerns and for us to better understand your child’s developmental history. A pre-assessment questionnaire will be emailed to you prior to the intake assessment. Please bring the completed questionnaire, your child’s school reports, NAPLAN results or other assessment reports (Speech pathology reports, Occupational Therapy reports etc).

How long will I have to wait to get the results?

Please allow up to 2 weeks following the last assessment session for us to analyse the information collected, compile the report with detailed recommendations for your child’s intervention for a diagnosis or non-diagnosis.

What is involved in the feedback session?

Our extensive clinical experience and the research tell us it is very important to support you as parents/caregivers to understand your child’s diagnosis or non-diagnosis, as it can be a mixed emotional experience for parents. Being well-informed and supported at the time of diagnosis means you are more likely to adapt well and engage better with intervention services.

During the feedback session, we will talk you through our report including our recommendations for the next steps to take with your child.  We allow plenty of time for your questions to be answered.

If your child does not meet the diagnostic criteria for SLD due to lack of targeted intervention in the past, we may suggest several areas of intervention to target for the next 6 to 9 months and then conduct a review assessment. We may do a short review session or a school psychologist may help with this.

We understand this may be a daunting and challenging time for your family and we would be happy to talk with you further about our approach to SLD diagnostic assessment. If you would like to speak to one of our psychologists or receptionists, please feel free to call us on (08) 9356 5663 or email info@blossomcarepsychology.com.au.