The purpose of a psychological assessment is to establish and understand what problems a child is experiencing and how these can be alleviated. Because a child's problems exist within the context of his/her home and school, it is important that families and teachers are involved in the assessment at some level.
 
Mosman Parent & Child offers full psychological and educational assessment facilities for children and adolescents, ranging from pre-schoolers to Year 12.
                                     
These include:

• Intellectual/Cognitive Assessments
• Educational Assessments
• Emotional Assessments

The assessment of childhood problems is a complex process.

In order for the psychologist to get a complete and clear picture of your child’s difficulties, the assessment will usually involve an initial family or parental consultation. As a parent you may be asked a lot of questions about your child and how he/she grew up. It is important for the psychologist to get a good understanding of your child and his/her difficulties.

The psychologist may utilise different tests depending on what your child’s difficulty is. At the end of all the testing, the psychologist will need time to score and interpret the results before talking to parents. This is usually done at an arranged ‘feedback’ session. Feedback consists of explaining what has taken place in the assessment process, what conclusions the psychologist has reached and why she has reached them.

If requested, a report is written, detailing the feedback given. This provides parents with a comprehensive account of any findings and recommendations. Together with the psychologist, families can decide on the most appropriate management plan for their child focusing on both strengths & weaknesses.

While the focus is often on assessing children’s problems, psychological assessment can also be used to assist children in achieving their potential. Testing can tell us about a child’s overall ability; clarify at what level a child’s skills are developing; and how we can help him/her to achieve their potential. Testing for giftedness is just one example of this.