The purpose of Psychological Assessments

The Psychologist's Role in Assessing Children

Current approaches

So many teachers and parents have spoken out about children who struggle to make and keep friends. These young people are usually not invited to sleep-overs and birthday parties like most of their friends. Yet, there are no concerns when it comes to doing school work for these children! Some parents and Early Childhood teachers are concerned because young children cannot accept 'no' for an answer. They burst out in anger and throw uncontrollable 'wobblies' on the floor. Other children can talk and play better than their friends, but they struggle in learning how to read and write the basics. Moreover, with the drive for ‘inclusion’ in general classrooms, we find young people in regular education who present with severe diagnosed difficulties such as Autism etc. These are all typical situations where psychological support and assessment can be a huge source of knowledge and comfort. 

Psychological assessments are often the foundation for making sound, objective decisions about what’s best for people. These include extensive assessment services relating to cognition and intellect, ADHD, academic functioning, learning difficulties, autism spectrum screening, personality and behavior assessments etc. to develop plans tailored to the needs and capabilities of each individual. Working in schools, it remains true that there are few others with training, experience and expertise in assessments comparable to that of psychologists. Please refer to FAQ on this website to see what assessment procedures entitle.

Traditionally, psychologists working in schools contributed to learning and behaviour support, as well as supporting young people to gain access to special educational support services. But, as the current educational context is evolving, the purposes and applications of assessment data has adjusted accordingly.  Current assessment practices in schools clearly link psychological assessments to intervention support in order to provide positive outcomes for young people - not to slap a lable on them. Thus, there is an emphasis on information that will be assisting professionals and parents/caregivers to collaboratively design, implement and evaluate interventions stemming from an assessment by a psychologist. This is a much broader, more outcome based approach to the use of traditional psychological assessments.  

So, the information gained from a cognitive assessment has to lead directly to intervention strategies, rather than just to 'diagnose' the young person. In this light, psychologists working in schools have moved from relying solely upon standardised assessments, but also to include more natural and dynamic forms of assessment that impact directly on the teaching and learning environment, process and behaviour management. In this light, Psychologists working in schools are also using curriculum-based assessment methods that use direct observation and recording of the young person's academic and social performance in the classroom to inform individual education and behaviour plans. They assist teachers and parents in planning instruction for young people and to monitor their progress in the classroom.

In summary, psychologists working in schools can play a unique role because of their assessment expertise. Methods linking assessment to interventions are demonstrated by psychologists as they work with teachers and parents to enhance the classroom performance of young people. Further, some schools and Early Childhood Centres currently ask for more intervention at systems-level, and skilled psychologists working in schools are engaged in these activities as well. Assessment is an important task in our schools, and psychologists can increase the well-being of young people at school by contributing their expertise in this domain at many levels.