Getting an educational assessment for your child

Learning difficulties are common in Australian classrooms, affecting how children take in information and express what they’ve learned. For about 10% of children, these challenges are significant enough to warrant a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), which includes difficulties in reading, writing, or mathematics. Understanding these challenges through an assessment is an important step toward getting the right support in place.

Types of learning disorders

Learning difficulties are split into three areas: reading, writing, and mathematics.

• Reading: Struggling with decoding words, reading fluently, or understanding what’s been read (also referred to as dyslexia).
• Writing: Difficulty with spelling, grammar, handwriting, or organising thoughts on paper (also referred to as dysgraphia).
• Math: Trouble understanding numbers, performing calculations, or solving math problems (also referred to as dyscalculia).

What are the signs that my child might need an educational assessment?

Below are some signs that you or your child’s teacher may notice:

• Your child is struggling to master skills like reading fluently, spelling accurately, or solving maths problems.  
• They avoid schoolwork or become very frustrated when doing it.
• They show a big gap between their effort and outcomes (e.g. working really hard but still falling behind).
• They have difficulty with specific core skills such as breaking words into different sounds, recognising words that rhyme, or putting sounds together to make a word
• They rely on strategies such as guessing words based on their first letter or looking for clues on the page.  Some children “memorise” how to read individual words but struggle to read out aloud at a natural pace.  
• They struggle with alphabet knowledge, spelling, expressing their thoughts through writing, or using correct grammar and punctuation.  
• They have difficulty with learning to count, understanding that numbers are bigger or smaller than each other, remembering maths facts, or understanding operations such as subtraction or multiplication.

How is a learning disorder identified?

There are a few requirements for a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder:

• Your child must have persistent difficulty in one or more academic areas. This difficulty must be present despite receiving adequate teaching AND at least six months of additional intervention or support.  There is no specific definition of what this intervention should be but may include private tutoring or participating in a small group intervention at school such as MiniLit or MacqLit.  
• Your child’s academic skills must be significantly below what is expected for their age.
• These difficulties must be impacting their academic performance or daily activities.
• These difficulties are not due to other causes (such as vision or medical issues).

When should I get an assessment?

• As our understanding of reading, writing, and mathematics has advanced, so has the advice about when to assess learning difficulties. Previously, the recommendation was to “wait and see,” with diagnoses made only after the gap between your child’s abilities and expected milestones became significant. This approach, known as “wait to fail,” often meant children missed out on early and crucial interventions.
• Now, the focus has shifted to a “Response to Intervention” approach based on children being screened regularly and early.  All children should receive a Tier 1 intervention, which is evidence-based instruction at a class level.  Those children who are struggling should receive A Tier 2 intervention as soon as possible – ideally, in Year 1. This consists of small group teaching using a high-quality program such as MiniLit or MacqLit.   Children who do not improve following this intervention should then receive a Tier 3 intervention which is more intensive and usually requires one-to-one teaching.  
• A formal diagnosis requires that interventions have been in place for at least six months to evaluate their effectiveness.
• The best available evidence tells us that the earlier an intervention takes place, the easier it is to close the gap between a child who is struggling to learn and their peers.  This gap grows over time without intervention and then becomes harder and harder to close.

Who can provide an educational assessment?

In Australia, psychologists are appropriately trained and qualified to assess and diagnose a specific learning disorder.  An assessment needs to consider other possible explanations and may need to include a speech pathologist (to assess your child’s language skills) or an occupational therapist (to assess your child’s motor skills).   

• All psychologists are trained to offer assessments, but standard psychology training does not include a thorough understanding of the science of reading, writing, and math. Psychologists with a special interest in this area will have pursued additional training and supervision.  
• They may be members of professional groups such as Speld NSW, the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation, or Learning Difficulites Australia Inc.
• SPELD NSW keeps a list of approved health professionals and tutors who have been screened to ensure they are appropriately qualified.  

What’s Involved in an Educational Assessment?

A good assessment should include:

1. 1. Parent/Caregiver Interviews: To gather developmental history, understand concerns, and review how your child manages at home and school.
   2. Cognitive Assessments: to identify strengths and areas of difficulty in memory, processing, and problem-solving.  Tools like the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) are commonly used.
   3. Academic Testing: to identify performance across reading, writing, and maths tasks.   Tools like the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III) or Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement are commonly used.

• Additional Tests: Standard tests such as the WIAT-III have gaps and don’t comprehensively assess important skills such as phonological processing, orthographic knowledge, or number sense. A good assessment will include other tests to measure these skills.
• Observations: The psychologist will watch how your child approaches tasks or responds to challenges and ask their perspective.
• Input from Others: Teachers may complete questionnaires or provide examples of your child’s work.

Where can I get an assessment?

• Public/Free Services: Some hospitals and community health services run assessment clinics for children.
• Low-Cost Services: Some universities with postgraduate training programs for psychologists run University Clinics that provide low-cost assessments.  
• Paid Services: Private psychologists who have specific training in educational assessments.  
• School: Many schools have school psychologists who can provide assessments. However, in public schools, these psychologists may not be able to make a formal diagnosis.  

How much will it cost?  Are there options to help with the cost?

• Paid services can vary in cost but are typically around $1,500 – $3,000 with a psychologist.  Payment plans may be available. These prices are usually based on the time that goes into each assessment.  
• Unfortunately, Medicare does not provide any rebates for educational assessments.

What questions should I ask when looking for an assessment?

To make sure you get a high-quality assessment there are some questions you can ask.  The person offering to assess your child should always welcome  questions like these and be happy to answer them:

• What tools do you use to carry out the assessment?  (Remember: the WISC and the WIAT don’t tell us everything, and additional tests should be used).
• Do you assess specific skills such as phonological processing, orthographic knowledge, rapid naming, and number sense? 
• How do you gather information from schools or teachers?
• Will the report include specific strategies to support my child at school and home?
• Do you assess consider other possible explanations such as ADHD, anxiety, or speech/language difficulties?
• If my child doesn’t have a learning disorder, will the assessment still provide an explanation for why they are struggling?

Before booking an assessment

• Speak to your child’s teacher about your concerns and ask their perspective.
• Ask what data the school has collected as part of their ongoing assessments.  Are your child’s academic skills at an age-appropriate level?  
• Ask what interventions or learning support options are available at your child’s school.
• Consider a GP review to get hearing and eyesight checked out along with a general health screen (including sleep).  
• Gather any relevant reports (past assessments, NAPLAN, school reports)

What to look out for.

• Be cautious of professionals offering cheaper or shorter assessments that do not result in a formal diagnosis. Often, these assessments require you to take the report to another professional for confirmation. If you are paying for an educational assessment, you should receive a definitive answer.
• Research clearly shows that dyslexia is not a visual disorder but is related to language processing.  
• Terms like “visual dyslexia” are misleading, and vision-based treatments have not been proven effective. While these treatments are not harmful, they can lead to unnecessary financial costs for families and delay access to evidence-based supports that truly address the child’s needs.

Supporting a child with a learning difficulty is a long, complex, and emotional journey.  Parents often find themselves becoming advocates, tutors, cheerleaders, and experts in the science of reading or maths.  Understanding your child’s learning needs through a thorough assessment is a vital first step in starting this journey in the right direction.