Frequently Asked Questions

What age range do you see?

I specialise in working with children approximately 5 – 16 years old.

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Where are you based?

I am based in Hastings, Hawke's Bay. I can travel as far south as Central Hawke's Bay, and as far north as Bayview, however, travel outside of the Hastings/Napier area will incur a travel fee.

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What potential benefits could my child receive as a result of the assessment?

The assessments are designed to give an understanding of how your child learns, thinks, and processes information. More specifically it gives a detailed profile of areas like problem-solving, memory, processing speed, and verbal abilities. This helps us to see where they excel and where they might need extra support. Depending on your child’s needs I may also look specifically at areas such as executive functioning, visual and verbal memory, adaptive functioning, and attention.

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Knowing your child’s strengths and sharing these with them can help them to feel more confident and capable. Likewise, it can be helpful to understand their areas of challenge so they can be supported without being left discouraged. I often find children over the age of about 8-9 years old often recognise how they may be different compared to their peers. This can have a huge impact on their self-esteem if they don’t understand these differences and how they may impact their learning.

 

If your child is struggling in school or feeling frustrated about their learning, this assessment can pinpoint whether this is likely due to specific learning difficulties, attention challenges, or if they just learn differently from how the material is being taught.

 

Some of these diagnoses enable access to financial support through NASC (Needs Assessment Service Coordination, part of Te Whatu Ora), and through the Ministry of Social Development (with the Child Disability Allowance). It is important to note that diagnoses aren't about putting labels on a child, more so to help create a shared understanding of a child's difficulties and appropriate support and interventions.

 

I also do my best to make the assessment process fun and many children find they leave the assessment feeling a sense of achievement - for many of the children I see this is a big deal!

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How might the results help us with our child's education?

Your child might be eligible for more support in the school setting, and the results of the assessment could be used to advocate for this. They may also be entitled to have special exam conditions and accommodations such as more time for exams or a reader/writer. If applicable this is hugely beneficial for their high school years.

 

Generally understanding your child’s thinking skills and how this translates into the education setting can be beneficial for schools to see what level of support they would benefit from, and what strategies will and won't work. 

 

There are huge expectations placed on teenagers and young adults throughout high school, and an understanding of the areas that your child finds challenging may also help teachers to reframe how they understand and support them.

 

The results from this assessment can be used to inform future decisions about the best learning strategies, and school placement. 

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How do I explain the assessment process to my child?

It's up to you how you explain the assessment process to your child. Some parents explain it as a way to find out how their child can get help at school, others like to say they are going to see someone to find out what they find hard, and what they find easy.

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Do I need a referral to see you?

No, you do not need a referral. Please just contact us to make a time to discuss your child’s needs.

 

I have questions about the confidentiality and privacy of the assessment process. What can you tell me about this?

During the initial interview with parents I run through the terms of service and informed consent. This covers all areas of confidentiality and privacy. Please let me know if you have any specific questions or concerns about this.

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What do we need to bring?

Please bring along a drink, snack, and if your child wears glasses or hearing aides, please ensure they have these also. If there is anything specific you may need that I might need to know about please let me know. If your child takes medication please ensure they take this as usual the day of the assessment/s.

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What will we do during the assessment?

The assessments are a mix of activities on an iPad or computer, pencil and paper, and also include some activities which requires the child to listen and talk. 

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​How long do the assessments usually take?

After our initial interview I will be able to give a good estimate of how long the full assessment will take. The pace of the assessment differs from person to person as we will have breaks as needed to ensure your child is comfortable and not getting too tired. Sometimes we may need to split the assessment over two days to ensure the child has enough energy to finish the full assessment.

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What happens after the assessment?

After the assessment I write up the results and report, and will then make a time to meet with you to feedback the assessment findings. This can take up to a month due to the time to complete the report writing, and collating all the assessment information. Once we have met and you have signed off the report I can then send the report to your child’s school and whoever else you feel would need to know the information included. You may also want to send a copy of the report to your child’s GP.

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What are your fees?

The total fee for the assessment will depend on the type of assessment needed. For more details please contact me. 

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What is the payment process for the assessment?

All fees can be paid via internet banking. Fees are expected to be paid in full within 30 days of the completion of the assessment.

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What is your cancellation policy?

Due to the high demand for our services, fees apply to late cancellations (including late notice re-scheduling of appointments). Where an appointment is missed, or a late cancellation/change is made with less than 24 hours notice (within working days), the full consultation fee will be automatically invoiced. Please note cancellation time frames exclude weekend days and public holidays.