Assessments

Many children experience difficulty in the classroom – whether with literacy, numeracy, concentration or decelerated development. I conduct both cognitive (such as IQ), functional (such as literacy and numeracy) and emotional assessments for school-going children of all ages.

“Learning difficulties”, “learning disabilities”, “special needs” and “barriers to learning” …. these learning differences apply to a broad group of learners who are struggling to learn and / or are failing at school. The concept of specific learning difficulties (SLD) is an umbrella term to describe difficulties that relate to the processes of learning and literacy. SLD includes dyslexia (reading difficulty), dyspraxia (motor difficulty), dysgraphia (writing difficulties) and dyscalculia (mathematical difficulty).

Should your child be experiencing any of these barriers to learning, I can assist in the process of applying for special concessions in order to create a favourable environment for your child to cater for their individual needs. Different types of special concessions include:

• Large print for learners with visual impairment;
• Amanuenses for learners who have difficulty with expressing themselves;
• Planning aid for learners who have difficulties with paying attention or for those learners who may present with anxiety and disorganisation during assessment;
• Additional time for learners who read and / or write slowly or have problems with poor vision and health issues;
• Use of assistive devices such as computers and Braille;
• Interpreters for deaf learners;
• Rephrasing for deaf learners;
• Separate venues for the implementation of amanuenses where a scribe reads and writes for the learner.

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.” (International Dyslexia Association)

Did you the following about Dyslexia:

• affects 20 % of children;
• affects boys and girls equally
• is the leading cause of reading failure and school dropouts
• is the most common shared characteristic of juvenile offenders
• is not outgrown unless helped
• there is a connection between Dyslexia and ADHD (1 in 4 people with ADHD, have Dyslexia and between 15 % – 40 % of people with Dyslexia, have ADHD).
• early intervention for students with Dyslexia should begin at Nursery school.
• if you perform well in school, you can still have Dylexia … 40 % of physicists at NASA are dyslexic!
• misdiagnosis can lead to frustration and emotional distress.

Not all individuals who have oral difficulties, reading difficulties, writing difficulties or maths difficulties are dyslexic. Formal testing is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia and the Stark-Griffin Dyslexia Diagnosis test is the only test available with South African norms.

The greatest asset of any organisation is its people, the right people in the right positions. Therefore, the task of selecting and developing the best people for your organisation is of prime importance in order for the organisation to function optimally. Psychometric testing is one of the methods used to ensure that your people are the right fit, with the right skills, experience and potential for growth.