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Psychological testing is very different from other forms
of assessments. 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. Yet the
process of the assessment is determined by the
referral question and parental concerns. 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
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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 old, 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
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.
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