What actually happens in a child development assessment?

For many parents, the word "assessment" conjures something clinical and intimidating: a child at a desk, being tested, with a verdict at the end. From your child's side of the table, it usually looks like playing games with a friendly adult.

This is the process, step by step, so you know what you're saying yes to before anything is booked.

Step 1: We talk to you first

Every assessment starts with the people who know the child best. Before we meet your child, we sit down with you, in person or by phone, to hear the full story: what you've noticed, when it started, what school has said, what a hard day looks like and what a good one looks like.

This conversation tells us which areas to look at, which standardised tools fit your child's age and situation, and whether a full assessment is the right next step at all. Sometimes it isn't, and we'll say so.

Step 2: We gather the full picture

A child is more than one hour in one room, so we don't rely on a single observation. Depending on the situation, we may ask for:

• Questionnaires filled in by you, and often by your child's teacher. How a child is at school and at home can differ a lot, and that difference tells us something.
• Any previous reports: paediatrician letters, school reports, earlier assessments. Nothing gets repeated unnecessarily.

Step 3: Your child comes in, and mostly plays

The sessions with your child are built around their comfort. For younger children, almost everything happens through play and games at a small table or on the floor. Older children and teens do more talking and pen-and-paper style activities, pitched at their level.

Some of these activities are standardised assessment tools, designed so we can compare your child's skills against what's typical for their age. Your child doesn't experience them as tests. There's no pass or fail, and we keep the whole thing low-stakes: breaks when needed, snacks allowed, sessions split across days if that's kinder to your child.

Step 4: We make sense of it

After the sessions, we score the standardised measures, weigh them against what you and the school have told us, and look at the whole child, strengths as much as struggles. The scores feed into that picture. They don't decide it on their own.

Step 5: You get answers you can actually use

The assessment ends with two things. First, a feedback session: a proper sit-down where we walk you through what we found in plain language, and you can ask anything. Second, a written report that explains the findings, any diagnosis if one applies, and specific, practical recommendations for home, for school, and for any therapy or support worth pursuing. Parents tell us the recommendations are the part that matters most.

The report is written to be used. You can hand it to a school or another professional and have your child immediately better understood.

How long does all this take?

It varies with the questions being asked. A focused learning assessment is smaller than a broad developmental one. As a rule of thumb, expect a few appointments over a few weeks. We'll map out the exact shape and full cost for you upfront, before anything is booked.