Cognitive assessments at Bingley Counselling Centre
A cognitive assessment helps us to understand how someone learns and thinks.
Our cognitive assessments are for children and young people aged 6 to 17 years old.
Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC)
This form of assessment is used to measure a person’s cognitive capabilities—how they think, learn, remember, and solve problems. These assessments provide insight into how the brain is functioning in different areas of cognition and are commonly used in educational, clinical, and developmental contexts.
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A cognitive assessment can be invaluable for parents/carers, schools, other professionals and local authorities in gaining a deeper understanding of your young person’s thinking processes and their perception of the world.
This assessment provides insights into various aspects of your young person’s cognitive abilities, including their capacity to process verbal and visual information, approach problem-solving, the speed at which they process information, and their short-term memory retention. By using this information, your child's learning journey can be supported in a tailored way.
Why have a Cognitive Assessment?
An assessment is about understanding how someone learns and thinks, so appropriate support, instruction, or intervention can be provided.
It can be very powerful as a complimentary part of an Autism or ADHD assessment because it can highlight peaks and troughs in intellectual capability.
We also know that neurodivergent children are more likely to have ‘uneven cognitive profiles’, learning difficulties, and/or learning disability, compared to neurotypical children and young people. A cognitive assessment can be useful to help identify the unique learning profiles of all individuals, leading to tailored and more effective support.
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The type of cognitive assessment used is called the The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC-5). It is seen as a gold standard of cognitive assessment and is an accepted form of assessment by local authorities, for example within education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments.
Although this assessment does not provide a diagnosis of learning disability/intellectual disability, it is one of the components required for such a diagnosis, if this is indicated.
What happens in a Cognitive Assessment
Initial discussions will be held with parents/carers and the young person’s school to discuss the their needs and presentations.
An assessment session will then be undertaken in person. This consists of a series of brief puzzles, questions and tasks using paper and pencil as well as a specialised set of tools. The process typically takes up to two hours.
A period of time is then spent analysing the scores. The scores are compared to age-based norms and are interpreted in context — identifying patterns and ruling out alternative explanations. These outcomes are then compiled into a report which includes results and recommendations.
A feedback session is held with the client/family to review, explain and discuss the outcomes and the report.
The benefits of a cognition assessment.
Support Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP)
Assist school SENCOs in providing efficient individual support.
Globally recognized and used by psychologists
Easy payments available.
No waiting lists means quick support for your child.
Comprehensive written report produced for schools and other professionals.
The whole process can be completed within 8 to 12 weeks.
Fees
£700 for private individuals
£1000 for local authorities and residential care services.
