School Readiness ASSESSMENTS
Open letter to all the mums and dads
"Chances are, you are looking at this website because you are wondering if you are about to make one of the most important decisions about your child’s educational future – sending your child to Kindergarten. This decision can be an agonising one as we are often given conflicting and inaccurate information."
If the truth be told, you are right to be concerned.
Research shows that children who enter school but who should otherwise have stayed back another year have been shown to:
- Do less well in school
- Develop a dislike for learning
- Experience difficulties interacting with their peers
- More likely to worry more and feel less comfortable in their environment
- More likely to suffer from low esteem
Children that are held back but would have benefitted from starting Kindergarten are:
- More likely to be bored and demotivated
- Can at times act immature as a result of playing with less mature children
Do not send a child to school thinking that they can repeat if they have to. We want the first year of school to be exciting, successful and not just one where the child attempts to ‘cope’ and then has to do it all again. Repeating a child at a later stage has been found to have negative outcomes for the child in terms of their confidence and social skills.
This makes the decision to begin school a very important one to get right.
Who should have a school readiness assessment?
- Worried your child isn’t developmentally &/or cognitively keeping up with their peers?
- Worried your child may not be emotionally ready for school?
- Does your child have language delays?
- Does your child have fine motor skill problems?
- Does your child have difficulties concentrating and paying attention?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions a school readiness assessment may be appropriate for your child.
Assessment Process
Step 1
Assessment is booked. The Assessment can take place in the comfort of your own home or at our office in Rouse Hill. It can be conducted in one sitting, and your child is given breaks when needed.
Step 2
It can be conducted in one sitting, and your child is given breaks when needed. The assessment itself takes approximately 2.5 hours.
Step 3
An initial parent interview (50 min) to gather some history about your child and their development.
Step 4
The administration of standardised tests.
Step 5
Report writing – the behavioural observations of your child during testing will be recorded, along with the results of the testing and recommendations. This can take approximately 2 weeks.
Step 6
A feedback session (and provision of a report) to help explain findings and provide recommendations and opportunities to clarify information.
What is the next step?
2.5 hour consultation is all it takes to help you make the right decision. Not only will you know if your child is school ready, but we will be able to give you the confidence on how you can support your child’s learning, drawing on the things that they are good at, so the experience becomes positive for your child.
Ease your mind and make a call for a FREE phone consultation.
Common
Questions
Do I need a referral for my child to be assessed?
Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover the cost of any type of assessment. However, if you have private health insurance which covers psychological services, you may be eligible for a rebate.
What does a typical assessment process involve?
Typically, an assessment involves a clinical interview with the parent, assessment with the child, review of relevant reports, interpretation and report writing and a parent feedback session. Following the session we are happy to liaise with relevant future professionals. The overall assessment has three main components: the parent interview, the testing session and the report as a form of feedback.
What type of assessment does my child need?
Please follow the link to learn more sydneypsychassessments.com.au/assessments/
What happens during an assessment?
- Our office will be in contact with you to discuss the assessment and start the process with ‘information gathering’. This may include emailing you forms to fill out before the assessment.
- The next step is a clinical interview with you and/or your child. Depending on circumstances, this may be completed before or on the day of the assessment.
- On the day of the assessment, you and your child will meet with your clinician to complete the assessments (tests).
- Then, your clinician will interpret the tests, look at all the information gathered and summarise this into a comprehensive report with recommendations. Please note this step does not happen on the day of assessment.
How long is your waitlist?
As we are predominantly an assessment practice, our wait times are significantly shorter than other providers. Currently, we aim to see you within 4 weeks.
Please call us to book a suitable day and time.
How long will it take to receive my report?
Once all information is received and test results are submitted, we require 2.5 weeks to complete your report.
When and where are the assessments conducted?
Assessments are usually conducted during the week in school hours, both during school terms and school holidays.
Typically, assessments are conducted at our office in Rouse Hill, although we do travel to schools, preschools and clients’ homes throughout Sydney for some assessments as well.
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 of age, 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.
How much does an assessment cost?
We pride ourselves in offering affordable and competitive prices. All assessments are designed to meet the individual needs of clients. Assessments can range from approximately 1-5 hours and up to 5hrs. All assessments come with a report with recommendations and feedback.
Please call us on 0425 269 658 to discuss appointment times and pricing.