Cognitive and Educational Assessments

What is a Cognitive and Educational Assessment?

A cognitive and educational assessment is a comprehensive individual assessment that involves gathering information from parents/ caregivers, and teachers on academic performance and collaborating this information with an individual's performance on a standardised I.Q. assessment and an assessment of academic achievement. The goal of a cognitive and educational assessment is to obtain an accurate profile of the individual's intellectual functioning, thinking and reasoning skills, and academic strengths and weaknesses to assist in developing learning strategies and recommendations.

A cognitive and educational assessment is comprised of at least two types of testing; cognitive and educational testing. Cognitive testing assesses abilities such as:

	Verbal Comprehension - verbal reasoning and conceptualisation, thinking with words and expressing thoughts in words
	Perceptual Reasoning - visual perceptual reasoning and skills in solving nonverbal problems
	Working Memory - short-term auditory memory, attention, and concentration
	Processing Speed - visual short-term memory and speed of mental and motor processing

Educational tests measure academic skills such as:

	Reading - comprehension and decoding
	Written expression
	Spelling
	Mathematics - operations and reasoning
	Listening comprehension
	Oral expressive skills
	Academic fluency - speed of reading, writing and calculating

How can a Cognitive and Educational assessment be useful?

A cognitive and educational assessment will help to clarify an individual's educational needs by evaluating their learning aptitudes, academic skills and other factors that may influence their academic success. A cognitive and educational assessment is also able to:

	Determine an individual’s intellectual functioning
	Detect learning difficulties
	Establish giftedness
	Provide relevant information for children entering school for the first time; such as eligibility funding under the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD)

Which tests are used?

A number of standardised tests are used, including those appropriate for funding applications such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (WPPSI and WISC-IV) and and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT). Further assessments are also conducted as required, such as the Dyslexia Screener, Giftedness Rating Scale, and the Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence- Fourth Edition (TONI-4).

At the conclusion of the cognitive and educational assessment, a written report detailing the results and recommendations is provided during a feedback session with a qualified psychologist.