A psychological assessment of a child or young person may be suggested by a parent, school or pre-school for various reasons, such as:
- If there are concerns about a pupil’s progress despite additional support.
- If an independent assessment of the pupil’s ability, strengths and difficulties is required, for example prior to school transfer or for special exam arrangements such as additional time or a scribe.
- If a child is having social, emotional or mental health issues at school.
The Assessment Process
Due to a high level of demand, I have a waiting list for individual assessments and very limited capacity for new referrals between now and the end of the academic year. New inquiries should please contact me by email, not telephone, providing a brief summary of the situation along with the pupil’s name, age and school.
The exact nature of each assessment will vary depending on the child or young person’s needs. However, the assessment process usually includes the following steps:
- The concerned adult makes contact with me by email with a brief summary of the situation including the pupil’s age and school.
- If it is decided that an individual assessment would be appropriate, a parental consent & pre-assessment questionnaire is sent to parents. This must be completed and returned in order for the pupil to be placed on my waiting list.
- Once parental consent has been received, a school pre-assessment questionnaire will be sent to the school, with parental agreement.
- Most assessments take place at my clinic near Dursley, but in some cases I will travel to the pupil’s school. Assessments are usually about three hours long, but the pace and nature of each session varies depending on the child’s needs. Pupils who find it hard to attend for long periods are given as many breaks as necessary. Children typically enjoy the adult attention and the novel assessment activities.
- A joint problem-solving meeting is held via Zoom to discuss the session and to plan how the child can best be supported. These meetings are a valuable part of the process, particularly when both school staff and parents are able to attend.
- Following the assessment a full report is written, providing a summary of all the assessment scores, recommendations and conclusions.
I undertake individual assessments with children and young people from 3-16 years old. Assessments start at £560 for a standard assessment.
Excellent, professional and thorough assessments. Plum provides very comprehensive feedback with useful strategies to implement at home and school. Head of Learning Support of an Independent Pre-preparatory School.