FAQ

What is an assessment and why may my child need one?

An educational assessment will explore your child's thinking and problem solving skills
It will assess their strengths and challenges and help you and their teachers understand how they learn and why they are having difficulty
The information will help the school facilitate appropriate and targeted intervention
Your child may qualify for exam access arrangements such as extra time, a reader and/or a scribe

How do I know which assessment is the correct one for my child?

If your child has not been assessed before, then a comprehensive diagnostic assessment would be the most appropriate
If you have concerns about attention, behaviour or executive functioning, then the behavioural supplement should be considered
If your child has been assessed previously, and you simply need current documentation to support an application for accommodations in exams, then the exam access assessment may be sufficient
If you have no concerns about your child's academics, but do have concerns about behaviour and attention, it is possible that basic academic assessment with the behaviour supplement will suffice, although if your child has not been assessed before, I would recommend the comprehensive assessment
If your child is struggling to read and write, then the Dyslexia assessment may suffice
If your child is struggling with maths, then the dyscalculia assessment may suffice

Can I watch the assessment and be in the room with my child?

No. It is important that nothing distracts your child from the task at hand
It is also important that no bias or unfair support influence your child's efforts as this will affect the results
Timing and delivery is key to an assessment. If they are distracted at the wrong moment, this may affect the results

What can I do to prepare my child for an assessment?

There is no preparation for an assessment other than a good sleep the night before, and a healthy breakfast!
If your child requires it, you can provide a simple explanation that we want to help them be more successful in class and to understand how they learn best

What should they bring to the assessment?

What occurs during the assessment?

Time is spent at the beginning settling your child and establishing a rapport
The assessment consists of a series of short tasks which are rather like games, problems and puzzles
The tasks are designed to work out your child's performance without asking them to do too much
Breaks will be taken as necessary during the assessment

Where do the assessments take place?

My office is based in Karen, and usually the appointment will be scheduled in my office
I may be able to come to the school and assess your child in the school environment. If this is the case, the school will provide a private, quiet room for the assessment, where we will not be disturbed

Do you travel to do assessments?

I am sometimes able to travel for assessments although time may be a problem. If it is outside Nairobi, travel costs and accommodation is covered by the client
If you want your child assessed, the school may be able to schedule more children who would then share the cost of the travel and accommodation

Is an online assessment able to diagnose my child's learning difficulties?

Yes the assessment is equally able to diagnose if your child has a learning difficulty
While an assessment carried out in person is ideal, an online assessment is better than no assessment