Child cognitive assessment

What is a cognitive assessment?

A cognitive assessment, sometimes referred to as an IQ test, explores how your child's brain processes information, reasons, and solves problems. It produces a detailed profile of cognitive strengths and areas of difficulty, which can be used to understand how your child learns, support educational planning, or identify giftedness or a Learning Disability.

How does the process work?

Cognitive assessments are typically done in a single session which takes 60-90 minutes. Your child will be asked to complete a series of tasks testing their memory, spatial reasoning, and language skills. Sometimes we may split the testing across two sessions.

If we are conducting a learning disability assessment, we will ask you (and your child's school, where appropriate) to complete a questionnaire about your child's everyday skills, such as communication, self-care, and social functioning. This gives us a fuller picture than cognitive testing alone, and is essential for identifying a Learning Disability where this is in question.

We will also take a developmental history, asking about your child's early development, education, and any concerns you have noticed.

Once all the information has been gathered, we will write up a full report. We will invite you to a follow-up meeting which will give you a chance to reflect on the results and ask any questions.

What are the potential outcomes?

You will receive a written report describing your child's cognitive profile, including how their performance compares to other children of the same age. The report will identify relative strengths and areas of difficulty, and offer recommendations for school, home, or further support.

If your child is aged 5 or over and meets the criteria for a Learning Disability, they will receive this as a diagnosis. For children under 5, significant developmental concerns will be diagnosed as Global Developmental Delay.

Eligibility

Your child must be between 3 and 18 years old.

Your child does not need to be speaking. For non-speaking children or those with significant speech and language differences, we use a Nonverbal Index: a standardised cognitive score (similar to IQ) that assesses ability without requiring spoken responses.

Location

Testing takes place in-person in Leeds. Follow-up meetings can be in person or online.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my private health insurance?

If your private health insurance allows you to select any Registered Psychologist then yes. You will need to arrange payment with your health insurance provider.

What test do you use?

We use the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II NU). We use it because it is designed to reduce cultural and language loading, and therefore is a fairer test for children with varied backgrounds or neurotypes.

For the learning disability assessment we also use a standardised measure of adaptive functioning, typically the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS-3).

My child is anxious: will that impact the result?

Anxiety can affect how a child performs on the day. We avoid using the word "test", take breaks when needed, and the KABC-II places less emphasis on processing speed than some alternatives. If we think anxiety has affected the results, we will note this on the report.

Will this be accepted for an EHCP?

EHCP decisions are made by your local authority, and they vary in what evidence they accept and whether they require their own assessment. If an EHCP is your main reason for booking, it's worth asking your local authority or your child's SENCO what they'll accept first.

What's the difference between a Learning Disability and a specific learning difficulty?

A Learning Disability impacts our everyday skills across the board and this is what a cognitive assessment can identify. A specific learning difficulty — dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia — affects one specific area of our ability. A cognitive assessment may suggest a specific learning difficulty is worth exploring further, but it cannot diagnose one.

What's the difference between a cognitive assessment and a learning disability assessment?

A cognitive assessment includes the IQ test, an analysis of your child's cognitive ability and a written report. A learning disability assessment includes a cognitive assessment but also includes an analysis of your child's day-to-day skills so that we can assess for a Learning Disability. A cognitive assessment alone cannot diagnose a Learning Disability.