Neurodevelopmental, Educational & Neurocognitive Assessments

At Sage, we provide comprehensive neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessments and cognitive testing for adults, adolescents, and children. These assessments may help to get a thorough understanding of psychological, social, or educational functioning, the challenges you or your child are facing, as well as your personal strengths, preferences and goals.  

Our experienced psychologists and psychiatrists will work with you to identify the best assessment approach for you or your child’s needs. With your goals and comfort in mind, we aim to provide a thorough understanding of the challenges you or your child are facing, make tailored recommendations to enhance well-being, and advocate for you or your child’s needs where appropriate.

Assessments include:

• Assessments for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Psychoeducational Assessments (e.g., Academic abilities, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia Testing) 
• Cognitive Assessment (IQ testing) 
• Memory Assessment. 
• Assessments of Executive Functioning.  
• Personality Assessment.  
• Forensic Assessment.

You might benefit from a psychological or cognitive assessment if: 

• You notice particular challenges in certain areas such as learning, memory and comprehension. 
• You have always struggled with social situations or communication with others and often feel that you ‘don’t get it’. 
• You notice significant difficulties in attention or maintaining focus.  
• You are noticing problems with your memory. 
• You are looking for structured input to help improve work performance, family life or social relations.

Your child might benefit from a psychological or cognitive assessment if: 

• Concerns have been raised by teachers or parents about development and/or behavior. 
• Concerns have been raised about their academic abilities at school in areas such as reading, writing or mathematics. 
• You or the school are noticing your child has above average abilities and skills in comparison to peers of the same age.  
• You are noticing they struggle to focus or concentrate, find it difficult to sit still, and often interrupt or act without thinking. 
• You are noticing they don’t respond to their name, tend to avoid eye contact or engage in repetitive movements.  
• You notice your child is not talking as much as other children or they are struggling to maintain friendships and social play. 

Overview of the assessments offered at Sage Clinics: 

Neurodevelopmental Assessments  

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. You can read more about this on our Autism Spectrum Disorder service page. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Assessment 

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. It is important to note that attention spans of children or adults with ADHD are interest (pleasure) driven instead of priority driven. You can read more about this on our Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) service page. 

Psychoeducational Assessments 

This type of assessment is used to identify a child or adolescents learning and behavioural strengths and weaknesses in educational sessions. For example, a school-related assessment may be used to identify a learning disability in the areas of reading, writing, or math, or if there are aspects the child/adolescent is particularly gifted at. 

Your child might benefit from a psychoeducational assessment if: 

• Concerns have been raised by teachers or parents about development and/or behavior.  
• Concerns have been raised about their academic abilities at school in areas such as reading, writing or mathematics.  
• You or the school are noticing your child has above average abilities and skills in comparison to peers of the same age.  

Neurocognitive Testing 

Intelligence Testing 

IQ testing can be useful to identify strengths and weaknesses and make adaptations whilst playing to your strengths.  

You might find it helpful to have a Cognitive Functioning assessment if: 

• You notice challenges in certain areas, such as learning, memory and comprehension. 
• You are noticing you struggle with specific tasks and are unsure why 
• You are looking for structured recommendations to help improve work performance. 
• You need to determine if certain conditions have had an impact on cognitive functioning.

Memory Assessment 

A formal memory assessment may be recommended for some adults after completing the cognitive functioning tests mentioned above, depending on identified areas of difficulty.   

Assessments of Executive Functioning  

Executive functioning involves the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, and multitask effectively. Specific tests for executive functioning may be recommended after completing cognitive functioning tests, depending on areas of difficulty that were highlighted during the assessment.  

Personality Assessment 

Personality assessments involve exploration of personality traits and styles in order to confirm or refine clinical diagnoses, inform interventions, or predict behaviors in different occupational, educational, clinical or forensic settings.  

What to Expect:

Typically, you will meet with a Psychologist or Psychiatrist for an initial screening assessment, where information will be gathered on what has brought you to see a professional. The clinician will explore your concerns and the impact of these concerns, alongside strengths and abilities. They will also need to screen for other possible contributing factors to the difficulties you are noticing such as mental health and factors related to upbringing and lifestyle.  

If the assessment is for a child or adolescent, the initial screening assessment will involve an in-depth developmental interview with parents, and we will likely liaise with their school for a further understanding of the concerns. From there, we will discuss the recommended pathway for assessment, if this is indicated.  

If testing is recommended, you will then schedule an appointment or series of appointments (depending on the assessments selected) in order to complete the tests.  The duration of these appointments will be dependent on the type of tests being administered.  

After testing has been completed, your clinician will score and interpret the results, before arranging a follow up session to feedback and make specific, tailored recommendations, including next steps. 

If you think you or your child could benefit from any of the above assessments, then get in touch with us at Sage to discuss the next steps.