What is a cognitive assessment?
A cognitive assessment is a formal way to measure a person’s ability to think, learn and use cognitive skills such as memory. They measure a person’s ability to think and reason as well as indicate how that person is performing on these skills in comparison to people of a similar age. A cognitive assessment is conducted by a trained professional and substantial training and experience is required to be able to administer and analyse these assessments. Cognitive assessments have been called IQ (intelligence quotient) tests in the past because the main focus was on measuring the concept of intelligence. The cognitive assessments that are available now assess a wider range of abilities and so we have tended to move away from the term IQ test to calling them cognitive assessments. Read on in you’re considering a cognitive assessment in Dubai.
When should I consider a cognitive assessment for my child?
There are many instances where a cognitive assessment can be considered for a child. Generally speaking, if you or someone else is worried about the development of your child, it might be a good idea to consider a cognitive assessment. Some examples of when we may recommend that you consider a cognitive assessment for your child include:
- If a parent or carer is concerned that a child is not developing in the same way as their age peers
- If school or nursery have highlighted concerns around a child’s development
- If your child is not doing as well at school academically as you would expect them to
- If your child appears to have trouble with memory, learning or concentration
- If you have noticed that your child has been delayed in their language acquisition and use
- Sometimes families or schools may request a baseline of a child’s current ability to better understand their strengths and difficulties
- A cognitive assessment can support a diagnosis of a learning disability for a child
- A cognitive assessment can offer recommendations for school when implementing strategies for supporting a child who may have academic difficulties
- If you or your child’s school believe that your child may be gifted or have exceptional thinking and learning skills.
What does a cognitive assessment involve?
Usually before a formal cognitive assessment is conducted, a psychologist will speak to you about the reasons that you or someone else may have for requesting the assessment. Depending on these reasons, we can then tailor an assessment package to meet your child’s needs. Typically, a cognitive assessment will begin with an interview with parents/carers. Following this the formal cognitive assessment is conducted directly with your child in the clinic. The assessment is conducted by your psychologist and involves some puzzles, sets of questions, and memory tasks. Cognitive assessments are tailored to the child’s age and language level, so for example a very young child would not have to answer questions in the same way that an older one might. At this stage, if further information is required, your psychologist may conduct an in-depth questionnaire with you which asks about the child’s current functioning in daily life skills. Once all of the information is gathered, your psychologist will write a comprehensive report including diagnosis and recommendations. This will be shared with you in a feedback session and can also be shared with your child’s school if requested.
How might having a cognitive assessment help my child?
Having a cognitive assessment may help you and your child’s school understand your child better. The report will outline specific strengths and difficulties and areas where a child may require extra support. The report will detail recommendations where appropriate, for supporting your child both at home and at school. A cognitive assessment may also help to explain certain behaviours that you have observed in your child e.g. hitting for no reason. Following a cognitive assessment, the diagnostic report may indicate further areas for assessment that a child may benefit from like a speech and language assessment.
What ages can you offer cognitive assessments for?
We can assess development in babies as young as 1 month all the way up through childhood and adolescence. We offer Autism assessments for children adolescents and adults.
How can I find out more?
You can email us (hello@vivamus.me), call us on 04 4403844 or WhatsApp us on 058 506 4243 and ask to meet with one of our psychologists for an initial session to discuss your concerns and why you are considering a cognitive assessment. Your psychologist will then understand your situation better and make recommendations for what assessment (if any) may be best suited to your needs. If your psychologist does not think that a cognitive assessment would be helpful, she can explain why and will discuss other areas for exploration with you. You can read more about Cognitive assessments in Dubai here.
Dr. Dina Bedair, Clinical Psychologist, Vivamus