Cognitive Assessment
Cognitive assessment (or intelligence testing) is used to determine an individual’s general thinking and reasoning abilities. It measures intellectual abilities and can help identify strengths and weaknesses across different aspects of cognitive functioning, such as:
- verbal comprehension,
- visual-spatial skills,
- fluid reasoning ability,
- working memory
- Processing speed
It can provide insight into areas such as learning difficulties, intellectual disability, or giftedness.
This assessment process can help clarify learning concerns, investigate or eliminate cognitive difficulties, guide assessment for another diagnosis, or explore cognitive challenges to guide effective support strategies.
The assessment results will provide a profile of your strengths and weaknesses, helping you gain a deeper understanding of your individual abilities by identifying areas that may require further consideration and adjustment. The psychologist will then tailor treatment plans and support strategies that help you gain a greater understanding of your cognitive behaviours at school, work, family, and social life.
Psychologists who offer Cognitive Assessment:
At Helios Psychology, we offer cognitive assessments for individuals aged 3 and above (including adults).
We also offer the Leiter-3 test, a completely nonverbal test of cognitive abilities, which may suit some individuals better than traditional verbal assessments.
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Why get a cognitive assessment?
Some common reasons for referral are:
- A health practitioner or educator may request it,
- To identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses,
- Diagnostic clarification for a range of mental health (e.g., anxiety) or neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., ADHD)
- Identification of intellectual disability, giftedness, or learning difficulties.
- Test for memory and recall difficulties
Please Note
The cognitive assessment alone is not sufficient to diagnose SLD, giftedness, ADHD, ASD, or other behaviour presentations. You may be required to complete additional assessments.
During the Initial Assessment Intake Session, the psychologist will discuss with you whether a cognitive assessment is appropriate and which assessment tool would be most suitable for your/your child’s needs.
It is at the psychologist’s discretion during the Initial Intake Session to determine whether to proceed with the full assessment. This decision is based on the psychologist’s professional judgment regarding the client’s needs, the appropriateness of the requested assessment, and whether the psychologist’s expertise aligns with those needs. As a result, the fee for the initial consultation is billed separately from the cost of the complete assessment. This separation ensures clients are charged only for services provided and allows the psychologist to conduct a thorough Intake Session before requiring you to commit to a full assessment.
Cognitive Assessment Process: What to Expect
Our comprehensive in-person cognitive assessment includes:
1. Once you are booked in for an intake session, we will send you questionnaires and a list of required documents to complete prior to your first appointment. These documents will need to be submitted to us 48 hours prior to the session.
2. Your first appointment is a 1-hour intake session, during which the psychologist will gather more detailed information about your concerns to determine the exact assessment required.
For clients under 15, this is a parents/guardians’ only session. Please do not bring the child along.
For clients aged 15 to 17, clients are welcome to attend alone or with a support person or parent. It is recommended that the adolescent attend with at least one of their parent(s).
Clients 18 and older are welcome to attend alone or bring a support person.
3. The cognitive assessment session is approximately 2-3 hours and may be split into shorter sessions to ensure you remain comfortable and engaged. Your psychologist will discuss the structure with you during your intake session.
4. The feedback session is a 1-hour appointment where your psychologist will walk you through the cognitive assessment results in detail. If the required diagnostic criteria are met, a formal diagnosis will be made at this stage. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the findings and recommendations, including how to implement any accommodations with your education provider or workplace, and whether referrals to other professionals are appropriate. Your written report will also be provided at this session.
Please note that the above process is a general guide and the specifics may vary depending on your assessing psychologist.
Helios Cognitive Assessment Fees
The exact fee for a cognitive assessment depends on the individual and ranges between $1,765 and $1,920. The specific fee will depend on your assessing psychologist.
Deposit and Cancellation Policy
Approximately two weeks before your appointment, we will send a reminder email followed by text messages to confirm your appointment and pay your deposit. This is intended to give you ample opportunity to reschedule if needed.
A deposit of $240 is required two weeks before your intake session. This will be applied toward the total cost of the session and deducted from the balance due on the day.
We appreciate as much notice as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule. Please be aware of the following cancellation fees:
- Cancellations made less than 48 hours before the appointment will incur a fee 50% of the appointment cost.
- Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the appointment will incur a fee 100% of the appointment cost.
- Failure to attend without notice will also incur a fee 100% of the appointment cost.
Please contact us by phone or email to make any changes to your appointment.
Rebates
Medicare rebates are not available for cognitive assessment sessions. Private health insurers typically do not cover the cost of cognitive assessments either. We recommend checking directly with your insurer if you are unsure.
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