A learning assessment is a comprehensive evaluation completed by a psychologist to understand how your child learns. It typically examines cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, memory, processing skills, and sometimes behaviour or emotional factors to identify strengths, challenges, and learning needs.

A cognitive assessment (sometimes called an IQ assessment) measures your child’s thinking and processing abilities — such as reasoning, problem-solving, working memory, and processing speed. It helps identify strengths, developmental patterns, giftedness, or areas where skills may be lagging.

A learning assessment includes a cognitive assessment plus standardised testing of academic skills such as reading, spelling, writing, and mathematics. It provides a complete picture of how your child learns and whether difficulties are related to a specific learning disorder (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia), attention difficulties, or other processing challenges.

Learning Assessments usually include an intake session with parents, one or two testing sessions with your child, questionnaires completed by parents and teacher, and a follow-up feedback session. Testing may include cognitive tests (IQ), academic tests (reading, writing, mathematics), memory, attention, and processing tasks.

Parents often seek an assessment if they notice ongoing difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, maths, attention, organisation, following instructions, or schoolwork. Teachers may also raise concerns or suggest an assessment when a child isn’t progressing as expected or is struggling compared to peers.

Most assessments take between 2–4 hours of direct testing, often spread over one or two sessions depending on your child’s age and how they feel on the day. The full process—including appointments with parents and child, the testing, collating the information and results, interpretation, report writing, and feedback—typically takes 2-34weeks.

Normally, we will ask you to attend an appointment to discuss your child's needs, collect some developmental history, and chat about your concerns. Depending on the age of your child, they may attend this appointment and have the opportunity to talk about their experiences at school and learning. Alternatively, they can attend an appointment to discuss this in further detail.

An Assessment appointment is scheduled. We advise that you allow up to 2.5 hours for this appointment.

You and your child may be given a questionnaire to complete in addition to your child's teacher. These questionnaires help gather information that we use to understand how your child may be impacted in their home and school setting.

When we receive all the information and compile the results, the report can be completed. This can take some time so we advise you to allow 2-4 weeks for the Feedback session.

At the time of booking for a Learning Assessment, we will schedule all the required appointments so you and your child can plan for these appointments.

Generally, we will book:

* Initial Appointment (with or without your child) - 50 mins

* Assessment Session - up to 2.5 hrs

* Feedback Session - 50 mins

Sessions are designed to be child-friendly and engaging. We take breaks as needed and work at your child’s pace. Many children enjoy the one-to-one activities and feel comfortable throughout the process.

If your child meets the criteria for a specific learning disorder (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia) or ADHD, this will be documented in the report. However, the main purpose is to understand how your child learns and what supports they need.

No studying or preparation is required. Simply make sure your child is well-rested, fed, and brings glasses or hearing aids if they have them. Let them know they’ll be doing a variety of activities so we can understand how their brain works best.

At the completion of the assessment session, we may be able to provide you with some preliminary feedback on your child's performance. However, we will discuss their learning needs, diagnosis (if relevant), and any recommendations when we meet with you and answer any questions you and your child have. We will also provide you with a comprehensive written report outlining the results, diagnoses (if relevant), your child’s learning strengths, and clear recommendations for home and school.

Assessment results can guide Individual Learning Plans, classroom accommodations, targeted interventions, and support from teachers or learning specialists. Schools often use our reports to tailor support to your child’s needs.

A learning assessment can be extremely valuable for older students who are preparing for senior schooling or VCE. It can clarify whether difficulties with reading, writing, memory, organisation, or exam performance are related to a specific learning disorder, ADHD, or processing challenges.

The results can support applications for VCE Special Exam Arrangements (such as extra time, rest breaks, a reader or scribe, or use of a computer) when appropriate. The assessment also provides personalised strategies to help students study more effectively, manage workload, and feel more confident and supported during their senior years.

Absolutely. The report is yours to share with teachers, tutors, paediatricians, or anyone involved in your child’s care. We can also offer school consultation on request.

No, you do not need a referral to access a learning assessment. Families can book directly with our clinic at any time. If your child is already seeing a paediatrician, speech pathologist, or other professional, we’re happy to collaborate with them, but a referral is not required to begin the assessment process.

There are currently long wait times to see paediatricians, and many families choose to complete the learning or cognitive assessment while they are waiting. This means you can bring a full report with you to your child’s appointment, which helps maximise that time and gives the paediatrician important information upfront.

Paediatricians often request cognitive or learning assessments as part of their diagnostic process, so completing the assessment beforehand can help speed up decision-making and ensure your child receives support sooner.

A GP-initiated Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) can provide Medicare rebates for standard psychological sessions (e.g., therapy), but does not cover full formal assessments (such as cognitive or academic testing).

Medicare does offer some limited rebates for people under the age of 25 under the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Eligible Disabilities Scheme. A referral letter from a paediatrician or psychiatrist is required which specifically requests an assessment of a complex neurodevelopmental disorder under the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Eligible Disabilities Scheme. Medicare rebates can be provided for up to 8 assessment sessions. For more information, click here

NDIS does not ususally pay for an assessment as part of the initial NDIS application.

NDIS funding can sometimes be used for learning or cognitive assessments, depending on your child’s plan and goals — but it is not automatically covered. We strongly recommend that you seek advice from your child's Plan Manager.

If your child's NDIS plan will be funding all or part of the assessment, we will require written authority from your child's Plan Manager.

Yes. Learning assessments can be extremely valuable for adults who have found reading, writing, spelling, maths, organisation, or concentration difficult, or who suspect they may have an undiagnosed learning disorder or ADHD.

Adults often seek assessment to understand long-standing challenges, support study at TAFE or university, access workplace accommodations, or gain clarity about their learning strengths. An assessment can also help guide personalised strategies to improve organisation, time-management, memory, and study or work performance.