An assessment of cognitive abilities (reasoning, logic, word understanding, problem solving) is undertaken when parents or teachers question:

•  Whether a child's ability is notably more advanced than their peers and want advice regarding specialist education planning ('Gifted' ability)
   If a child is having difficulties keeping up with the learning goals of the class and wonder if there is a delay in the child's intellectual abilities.
•  If a child has significant delays in intellectual functioning that might be indicative of intellectual disability and therefore require specialist classes or schools

Some medical and developmental conditions increase the risk of a child also having an Intellectual Disability.  For example, children with a physical syndrome (e.g. Cerebral Palsy), chromosomal  syndrome (e.g. Downs Syndrome) or developmental disorder (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder) with a co-occurring intellectual disability will require specialist support with regard to life skills and education and therefore an assessment of intellectual ability is a very important part of life planning.  

• If you are concerned about your child's ability to remember and follow instructions, learn new activities or undertake simple tasks independently
• If you are considering specialist education for your child, such as education placements in specialist schools  and specialist classes, an intellectual ability assessment may be required as part of this application
• If you suspect that your child has delays in their learning abilities, their ability to remember and follow instructions, learn new activities and/or undertake simple tasks independently, an assessment of Intellectual ability is required in order to set up supports in mainstream schools to facilitate your child's learning needs.
• Intellectual ability is associated with communication.  Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a communication disorder and a diagnosis of SLI requires  an assessment of Intellectual ability (aspects of the child's ability must lie in the Average range of Intellectual ability)
• Some parents request an assessment of their other children's ability if one child in the family has delays in their intellectual ability and independence skills.​​​

Intellectual ability refers to our skills involved in learning, thinking and understanding.  These skills include: remembering ; logic; understanding; recognising objects and shapes; identifying similarities between objects; planning; hand-eye co-ordination; visual perception and recalling memories.  Most children have good development in these skills and therefore learn well in the mainstream system of education.

An intellectual disability means that the child's ability to develop these skills is significantly delayed compared to similar age children  In addition, the child's ability to independently undertake simple skills of daily living is also  significantly impaired.   Significant delays are identified in the learning, thinking and understanding skills mentioned above and this impacts on the child's ability to learn, make friends and live independent lives.

Discover your child’s true potential and help them achieve it!

• Is your child bored in class … but easily able to complete the work?
  
• Do they enjoy taking on more challenging work than their classmates?
  
• Are they frustrated with the ‘slow’ pace of teaching at school?
  

Here are three reasons to consider a giftedness assessment:

• Reveal your child’s true intellectual and academic potential
  
• Get specific recommendations for home and school to help your child fulfill their potential-
  
• Make informed decisions about your child’s learning needs
  
• Review of your child’s cognitive, social, family and emotional history
  

This assessment will provide you with:

• Standardised cognitive (intelligence) test
  
• Detailed assessment report
  
• Tailored learning recommendations for school and home
  
• Comprehensive feedback session to answer all your questions
  
• You will discover whether or not your child's intellectual ability is significantly more advanced for their age and exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are.