Services

Educational and Cognitive Assessments

A full cognitive and academic assessment provides a detailed understanding of how a learner is thinking, learning, and managing the demands of school. It brings together background information, behavioural observations, and standardised assessment results to identify a learner’s strengths, areas of difficulty, and the factors that may be affecting progress.

The purpose of the assessment is not simply to produce an IQ score. It is to build a clearer picture of a learner’s pattern of strengths and needs so that effective support can be planned.

The WJ-IV assessment battery is used as part of a comprehensive evaluation to assess cognitive, academic, and oral language skills. This information can help identify whether specific learning difficulties — such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia — may be contributing to challenges at school.

The assessment may include:

• academic testing in reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics

• cognitive testing of reasoning, memory, attention, and processing

• oral language assessment, including listening and expressive language skills

The written report includes a detailed summary of findings, recommendations for support, and where appropriate, information relevant to specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. For secondary students, documentation to support applications for Special Assessment Conditions may also be included where relevant.

Standard Assessment Process Includes:

• Initial consultation (15–30 minutes)

• One-to-one assessment session (approximately 3–4 hours)

• Scoring, analysis, and report writing (approximately 4–6 hours)

• Feedback session (1 hour) to discuss results and recommendations

• A detailed written report with tailored strategies and interventions

• Special Assessment Conditions documentation for NZQA applications, where relevant