Overview
A psychological assessment helps us understand a person's thinking abilities, way of learning, emotions, behavior, and developmental needs. It can be carried out when a family has questions about school readiness, learning ability, difficulty keeping up with lessons, or the direction of education and the development of interests.
Everyone arrives with a different question. So an assessment at Temenos begins by understanding each individual's needs, circumstances, and goals before deciding which form of assessment fits.
Three Assessment Types
School Readiness Assessment
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More than reading, writing, and counting. A child may already read, recognize numbers, or do simple sums. That matters, but it does not describe their whole readiness. At school, a child also needs to follow instructions given to the whole class, interact with friends, wait their turn, look after belongings, ask for help, and handle situations that do not always go their way.
What we look at: thinking and learning; attention and work habits; visual perception and motor skills; emotions and self-regulation; communication and learning with others; everyday independence; and the kinds of activities and help that support the child's engagement.
Who it is for: children aged around 5 to 7 preparing to enter elementary school, including when parents are considering enrollment before the child turns six. Two children of the same age can show different readiness.
How the results are used: to help the family decide which support comes first, such as shorter step-by-step instructions, practice in self-care, or support with frustration. Recommendations can also inform when to start elementary school. Admission still follows the school's own rules.
IQ Assessment
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Understanding the meaning behind the number. "What's the IQ?" is often the first question. But the score is not the only information worth understanding. Two children with the same score can have different strengths and support needs. The discussion of results looks at what comes more easily, what is still hard, and how those abilities are used in daily life.
What can be understood: language comprehension; reasoning and problem solving; memory and information processing; processing speed. The breakdown differs with the test used.
Who it is for: age 5 through adulthood, including children with special needs, taking into account their abilities and the way they respond.
When to consider it: to recognize learning strengths and needs, understand difficulty keeping up with lessons, examine a gap between apparent ability and learning results, or plan more suitable support and challenges. If the main concern is reading, writing, or arithmetic, those skills need a specific assessment, because an IQ test does not directly measure school subjects.
Aptitude and Interest Assessment
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Knowing yourself before choosing a direction. "What field suits my child?" Some children already have a wish but do not yet know what they would study; others are drawn to many things or do not yet know what they like. The assessment helps connect interest, ability, experience, and readiness for the process ahead.
Aptitude and interest do not always go together. Aptitude is potential ability that can be developed; interest is the attraction that makes a person want to get more involved. An interest questionnaire describes what appeals now, not skill level or any guarantee of success.
What we look at: thinking and learning; fields of interest and exploration; learning style and approach to tasks; executive functioning; personality and social-emotional state. The child's own view is an important part of understanding the results.
Who it is for: teens, from around age 11. From around 14 to 15, exploration can be directed more toward educational choices and a picture of the world of work. A child does not need a career goal first.
From results to exploration: the results are an initial map, not a decision that fixes the whole future. Choices are still discussed with the child and can be explored through short classes, projects, visits to schools or campuses, and conversations with people in the field.
Understanding the Whole Person
One test result cannot explain a whole person. The psychologist combines test results with interview, observation, and supporting information: the current situation, developmental and health history, family and educational background, strengths and interests, the family's hopes, and school reports or previous assessments where available. If the test results differ from everyday experience, that difference is examined before recommendations are made.
Assessment for Children with Special Needs
The form of assessment is chosen with attention to how the child understands instructions, communicates, sustains attention, engages with the examiner, their physical and sensory needs, and how they respond to new situations. A child does not have to speak at length or sit still through a whole session. Responses can be given in words, by pointing, through movement, or by choosing an answer. Adjustments can include time to get to know the examiner, arrangement of the environment, breaks, or splitting the session, while still following the test's requirements.
If a score cannot be obtained, the psychologist will explain what has been learned, its limits, and the options for next steps. Difficulty with a particular form of test does not in itself indicate low intelligence. The child's needs can still be understood through interview, observation, developmental assessment, and adaptive skills.
The Assessment Process at Temenos
- Intake form. Parents or adult clients fill in initial information on identity, developmental history, education, and the needs behind the assessment.
- Initial interview. The psychologist discusses daily life, strengths, difficulties, learning experiences, previous interventions, and hopes for the assessment.
- Testing and observation. School Readiness and IQ assessments take around 3 to 4 hours; the Aptitude and Interest assessment around 5 to 7 hours. Sessions can be split if needed.
- Scoring and report. The report is prepared around 2 to 3 weeks after the full assessment is complete.
- Results counseling. Results are discussed with parents or the adult client, onsite or online. Children and teens are involved according to age and needs.
Before the assessment, families can bring school reports, previous assessment results, or therapy notes where available. After the assessment, recommendations can be applied step by step, and for children and teens the results can inform discussion with the school.
The Child Is Still the Same Child
The results describe the condition and abilities measured at the time. Development, new experiences, and the response to support become material for later evaluation. After the results arrive, the child is still the same child, with their curiosity, the things they love, their effort, and abilities that are still growing. The same is true of the teens and adults who come to understand themselves.
Not sure which assessment fits? Talk to us so the goal and form of assessment can be considered based on age, circumstances, and the questions you want answered.
References
- American Psychological Association. (2022). Guidelines for assessment and intervention with persons with disabilities. Read the guidelines.
- Blair, C. (2002). School readiness: Integrating cognition and emotion in a neurobiological conceptualization of children's functioning at school entry. American Psychologist, 57(2), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.2.111.
- Institute of Medicine. (2015). Psychological testing in the service of disability determination. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/21704.