At Laburnum Psychology, we offer a range of assessments, for children, adolescents, and adults. We conduct assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Cognitive & Educational Assessments including for learning difficulties.
Our assessments include the following:
In our work with children, it is often useful to conduct a formal assessment to determine the nature of any specific learning or developmental difficulties. Formal assessments result in a report, tailored to your child’s specific challenges, and outlining helpful strategies. This can be very useful to inform and guide the pathways toward assisting your child. In many cases, these assessment reports can also provide a critical basis to apply for broader assistance or funding, within school settings, or in some cases via the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Click on the links below for a more detailed description of ADHD, ASD and Learning Difficulties. These descriptions are written in relation to children, but please note that we can also conduct assessments for adults.
Children with ADHD can experience difficulties maintaining attention, or managing impulsive urges or hyperactive behaviour. Some children will experience difficulties across all areas, while others will only experience difficulties in one. These traits are outlined in more detail below.
A child with ADHD will often struggle to maintain attention and focus. This can be evident in a classroom setting, but it will also most likely occur in other settings as well, such as during extra curricular activities or in day to day home life. Some children with ADHD will appear to daydream, or to stare out the window. They may find it difficult to follow instructions or complete simple tasks without getting side tracked.
Some children with ADHD will be inclined to show impulsive traits. They will often act before they think, and be impulsive in the way they express feelings, finding it difficult to contain themselves. Some children will show patterns of repeatedly interrupting you or their teacher, or they may find it difficult to wait their turn. They may also interrupt or take over in games or other activities.
Children with hyperactive traits will most likely find it very difficult to remain still. They are inclined to fidget and squirm, and find it extremely difficult to sit still. They may seem like they are constantly ‘on the go’ and full of energy, never stopping until they are asleep. Children with these patterns find it very difficult to engage in quiet and still activities. They may also be inclined to talk excessively.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of arranging an assessment for your child or adolescent, please feel welcome to call us on (03) 9877 9179, or send an enquiry via our enquiry button.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that can result in persistent challenges with social communication and interaction, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. ASD can vary greatly in nature and severity. The information below gives a brief overview of some of the characteristics that are commonly associated with autism.
Children with ASD will usually demonstrate difficulties communicating with others. This can vary greatly in severity. Some children with ASD will be extremely limited or are unable to talk at all, and may have very limited language. Some children will demonstrate a tendency to mimic words or phrases, and may often respond to you by repeating what you have said. Others will posses strong language skills, but may show a tendency to avoid communication, or limit it to their areas of interest. Some children with ASD can find non-verbal communication difficult. For example, they may not use or respond to facial expressions or eye contact in the way that you are used to.
Children with ASD often experience difficulties developing and maintaining friendships. Some children may show a pattern of playing alone or not interacting with other children at pre-school or school. If they are engaging with other children, it may appear that they are not in the same flow of social interaction, or perhaps not picking up some of the social cues that are occurring around them.
Some children with ASD show a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviours. These behaviours can vary, for example, repetitive speech, repetitive movements such as rocking, or highly repetitive play. It is important to note that many people with mild ASD may not show these patterns.
Many children will exhibit mild ASD symptoms, and may be very high functioning in certain areas. Despite their great strengths, it may still be challenging to manage communication and social interactions. For these children, psychology can be of great assistance. It can help to develop strategies to manage and compensate for challenges. It is also greatly important that children come to know themselves and accept themselves, recognize their strengths, and embrace the characteristics that may not be typical in the broader community.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of arranging an assessment for your child or adolescent, please feel welcome to call us on (03) 9877 9179, or send an enquiry via our enquiry button.
There are many different types of learning difficulties and learning disorders. These can vary greatly in nature and severity. Some of the learning difficulties include Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), and Visual Processing Disorder. Disorders such as these, and others, can be difficult to clearly identify without a detailed formal assessment by an appropriately trained professional. Children can experience difficulties in reading, writing and mathematics for a range of reasons, and it will not always point toward a learning disorder. However, if you feel concerned regarding your child’s learning, or if your child’s teacher raises concerns, it can be highly worthwhile to seek an assessment to see whether a learning difficulty may be present.
We are of the belief that it can greatly assist a child when difficulties are identified early. It is important to remember that people all learn in different ways and styles. When we can understand a person’s learning style, we can set up strategies that will make life easier and maximize their chances of working to their strengths.
Children with reading difficulties may struggle to recognise or decode words when reading. They may stumble on and confuse words they know. They may also find it difficult to take on board the information they are reading (comprehension). Children with these difficulties can often come to dread and dislike reading, which can in turn feed back into the problem.
Children with writing difficulties may experience difficulty completing writing tasks at school. They may be slow, and they may get jumbled in their writing, finding it very difficult to put their thoughts onto paper. Their writing may be extremely messy and may contain many mistakes in spelling, grammar and punctuation. They will most likely struggle to complete writing tasks in a timely manner, and will often end up producing minimal written output.
You might notice that your child has lots of creative ideas and can describe these to you in great detail, but that they struggle to express this in writing or get it onto the page.
Children who experience difficulties with maths will often struggle to comprehend simple numerical and mathematical concepts. They may struggle with tasks such as counting, or other age appropriate mathematical concepts such as times tables, addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. With these children, you may find that it is very difficult to explain simple mathematical concepts in a manner that they can comprehend or retain.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of arranging an assessment for your child or adolescent, please feel welcome to call us on (03) 9877 9179, or send an enquiry via our enquiry button.
Call us on 03 9877 9179 or complete the enquiry form below. One of our staff will personally be in touch with you.
