Needs-based assessment

In my NHS work, I am part of teams that assess and diagnose neurodevelopmental differences, as well as supporting the emotional wellbeing of young people. I have witnessed how diagnosis can be useful for young people and families, providing an explanation and understanding of what they excel in and what they find more difficult. However, I have also witnessed how diagnosis is not always helpful for young people and their families. Some young people meet some, but not all aspects of diagnostic criteria. Some present with various challenges that do not neatly fit into diagnostic criteria. Others meet diagnostic criteria but struggle with the impact of diagnosis and do not find it helpful. To me, the heart of diagnosis is an identification of strength and need. What does a young person need to thrive, both in terms of environmental adaptations and skill development? What skills do they already have that could be utilised more consciously? How do they learn, and what might help them to continue to develop the skills they need? I offer needs-based assessment that explores these areas and supports young people, their families, and schools to understand and implement these ideas.

A needs-based assessment involves:

· School observation

· Discussion with teachers and any other professionals

· Developmental history interview with parents

· 1:1 session with a child/young person

· Formal assessment using WISC-V and/or NEPSY-II

· Feedback session and report, including recommendations.

Stand-alone assessments

Stand-alone assessments can be helpful to explore reasons why children and young people are not achieving academically and/or explore other aspects of development, such as executive functioning skills. I offer the following assessments:

· Cognitive assessment using WISC-V - this assesses a young person’s core thinking and learning skills. Greater understanding of your child’s cognitive profile can help teachers to better tailor support and work to suit your child’s learning needs.

· Neurodevelopmental assessment using NEPSY-II - this assesses overall development and can provide useful information about attention, planning and organisation, learning and memory, social perception, visuomotor skills, language, and sensorimotor skills.

· Executive functioning assessment using DKEFS - this assesses executive functioning skills, which includes skills such as planning, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, regulation, and organisation. These skills sit above our general cognitive abilities and are important in supporting general cognitive abilities to complete academic tasks.

· Functional assessment using ABAS - this assesses a young person’s daily living skills, or ability to complete the everyday tasks needed to function, such as self-care, communication and self-direction or independence.