Early Learning Assessments:
(Age 1-5)
There are many factors that may impede your child’s ability to reach their full potential. The importance of early identification, and subsequent early intervention, cannot be understated. An Early Learning Assessment offered through Nexus Psychology can help parents gain an understanding of what the world looks like through the eyes of their child. The results of this assessment can help determine your child’s eligibility for early education programs or special educational placements. The assessment can also help you understand your child’s level of cognitive development, how your child processes information best, and will provide recommendations and strategies to help you work with your child.
All assessments are tailored to the unique needs each child, but may include an investigation of some or all of the following:
Intellectual Functioning:
An assessment of your child’s intellectual functioning, or developmental level is measured using an IQ test or another Developmental tool. The results offer important information as to how your child is best able to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. Psychologists can use this information to offer practical suggestions to help you and your child’s teacher/ early educator adjust your child’s learning environment.
Early Learning Concepts:
Your child’s early learning concepts will be assessed to determine their early literacy, early numeracy, and general school-readiness skills. It will also help to determine your child’s eligibility for early educational programs/ special educational placements. The resulting recommendations can help to inform the goals in your child’s learning plan.
Focus and Concentration:
A child’s ability to sit for extended periods of time, listen, and follow instructions have strong implications for their ability to learn. Measures of a child’s ability to sustain attention, shift attention, and filter out distractions, as compared to the typical child at the same level of development, will help parents understand if their child is having difficulty in these areas and the types of environmental modifications or alternative treatments that may help.
Restlessness and Impulsivity:
A child’s ability to remain seated without fidgeting and inhibit impulsive behaviours is important for learning and social success. Information gathered through clinical observation, and parent/ teacher report are carefully compared to the typical child at the same level of development.
Emotional Functioning:
Assesses children’s anxiety (performance, separation, coping), mood fluctuations, and self-esteem through interviews, observations, and standardized measures.
Behavioural Functioning:
Assesses children’s behaviour through parent/ teacher interviews, as well as clinical and naturalistic observation. The goal of such assessments are to determine the triggers for a child’s behaviour and the environmental factors that may be inadvertently reinforcing these behaviours.
Social Functioning:
Assesses children’s ability to make friends, keep friends, understand social cues, and understand other’s perspectives. This is achieved through interviews, naturalistic observation, and standardized measures.