Assessments
Therapists carry out assessments to get to know children. To provide the best support possible, they need to know what children can do, how they do things and what is hard for them to do. Parents and other people caring for the child also find this information valuable.
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Why assess?
Assessment is carried out for many reasons. It can help to work out:
- the things a child may need or want to do in their lives
- the cause of a child’s disability or what kind of disability they have
- what and how things are changing
- what equipment to use and the best way for a child to use it
- how a child is going in their development compared to other children of their age
- the answer to a specific question about the child
- the answer to a particular research question
- what skills a child has, and consequently, the skills with which a child needs help. This information enables planning of goals.
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Things to keep in mind about assessments
- Therapists understand that children’s abilities can vary from day to day. Sometimes a child's performance in assessments may not exactly match what they can do in daily life. However assessments are essential and provide valuable information. Therapists will take into account the parents' and carers' knowledge of a child gained over time and in different situations.
- Some assessments can be done very quickly, while others may take several sessions.
- Assessments are about getting to know the child better and gathering information, not about ‘passing’ or ‘failing’ a child or their family.
- As well as doing specific assessments, therapists will often check how children are going with tasks and activities every time they see them. This helps to discover what parts of the child’s program are working and if they need to be changed to work better.
- Repeat assessments occur over time for a child as they change, grow, do different things in their life, and as the things that are important for them change.
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How can parents and carers be involved in assessments?
Families and therapists can discuss:
- where, how and when the assessment will be done
- what kinds of things it may find out
- what parts of the assessment they can do themselves
- what additional information may help the therapist gain a balanced view of their child's abilities
- what the assessment has revealed and what it may mean for their child.
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How do therapists assess a child?
Methods of assessment may include:
- videoing things that are hard to describe in words, such as how a child moves or how they play. This can be a great way of keeping track of change in the child’s abilities
- using a team approach - carrying out and discussing the results of the assessment with other therapists
- using standardised (formal) assessments - assessments that have been performed on a large number of children with the scores being grouped together (group norms) to provide an overall picture of the range of scores a person can achieve. A child’s assessment scores can then be compared to the grouped norms to work out how a child compares to others of the same age. Sometimes, to be useful and meaningful, assessments may need to be repeated under exactly the same conditions (words, testing materials and methods).
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Assessment reports
- Parents are encouraged to talk to their therapist about how they would like to receive the information obtained from the assessment. It may be possible to share the information at the time, or it may suit better to meet with the therapist or team, at a later time. Alternatively, a phone call may be quicker and easier.
- Therapists don’t always write a formal assessment report – sometimes they are just written up in the child’s notes or in a review or planning meeting report.
- If a report is written, parents are offered an opportunity to read and discuss it before it is sent to anyone else.
- Sometimes families believe that an assessment report is incorrect in what it says their child can do, or why he/she does things - in some cases, what the family reports can be added along with what the therapist observes.
- The family chooses who should receive the report.
- Families always get a copy of the report when it has been completed.
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How long does an assessment take?
This varies a lot! Some assessments can be done quickly and easily, while others may take several sessions. The therapist may need to do more than one assessment to obtain all the information required. The initial assessment for children starting with Novita may require up to three months from the start of the process through to the completed report.
Disclaimer Detail: The above information on is of a general nature only and does not constitute advice. Novita Children's Services makes no representations, express or implied, as to the accuracy, usefulness, suitability or application of the information to a child's particular circumstances. Use of the information above is at your sole risk, and you should seek professional advice before acting or relying on the information. Novita Children's Services accepts no liability for any damages or loss that may arise from the use of, or any omission from, the information provided. In using this site, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of Use for the site.