Children and adolescents may struggle at school for a variety of reasons. Understanding a child’s or adolescent’s cognitive or intellectual ability and the areas in which their academic performance may not represent their true ability can provide insight into areas of difficulty that can then be addressed through a range of interventions tailored to the young person’s needs. Northern Beaches Psychology & Assessment uses the latest assessment technology in administering the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, all of which are normed against an Australian and New Zealand sample, and which are considered state of the art.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be challenging conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed or over-diagnosed. Accurate assessment of these conditions is essential if intervention strategies are to be designed that are tailored to the needs of children or adolescents and their caregivers. Northern Beaches Psychology & Assessment use a functional behavioural model to identify the types of behaviours on display and their likely causes, and the impacts of the behaviours on the child’s or adolescent’s functioning. This is supplemented by formal diagnostic instruments, such as the Conners-3 test for ADHD and commonly co-morbid disorders or others as appropriate.

Assessment of cognitive/intellectual ability can help identify an individual’s cognitive strengths and any weaknesses that might exist. The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (ages 2½ to 7 years 7 months), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (6 years to 16 years 11 months) and the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (ages 16 years to 90 years old) are the gold standard tests for cognitive ability. These tests are commonly used to assess the children’s and adolescent’s aptitude of for entry into gifted and talented programs, and to identify any cognitive weaknesses that may impede learning or achievement, or which may have been acquired due to trauma or injury among participants of any age.

Developmental delays may affect individuals’ personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. These disorders emerge in the developmental period, but early identification and interventions to support affected people can significantly improve outcomes. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurocognitive condition which can affect a child’s or adolescent’s capacity for social engagement and development in a variety of domains. In addition to a range of instruments and functional behavioural assessment approaches to identification of developmental disorders, Northern Beaches Psychology & Assessment uses the Autism Spectrum Assessment Rating Scales to screen for the presence of ASD related symptoms.