My child is scheduled to have an assessment for special needs. What should I expect to happen during the assessment?
Dear Parent,
Assessments for special needs can encompass a lot of areas based on the child’s need. Children may be expected to interact with the assessor to develop a good rapport. It will assess the child’s communication, cognition, and motor development. His or her ability to sit and focus can be a prerequisite for some assessments.
Use the tips below to help you on the day:
- Ensure you have scheduled the assessment on a day where your child is not preoccupied with other commitments, i.e. school exams, doctors’ appointments, or family visits.
- Assessments can be long and strenuous but the best way to prepare your child for this is to make sure that they are well-rested and have eaten well. Carrying some extra food, water and a favourite toy always helps.
- As a parent, you might be worried about your child’s performance, nevertheless, it will be beneficial for you to stay calm. Your worry might trigger unwanted performance anxiety in your child.
- As clinicians, we try our best to build rapport and give appropriate feedback to the parents after the assessment. Irrespective of the outcomes, we recommend you to reward your child after the completion of the assessment (i.e. verbal praise/favourite toy/outing) as this will boost your child’s self-esteem.
Sincerely,
Farhiya Abdi, Speech and Language Therapist
Prerna Paul, Clinical Psychologist
Mind Institute Special Needs Center
