The assessment begins with a detailed discussion about the reason for referral and what you are hoping to better understand.

For children and adolescents, this typically involves a parent or caregiver and explores developmental and educational history, learning, attention and concentration, strengths and difficulties, previous diagnoses and any supports or interventions received.

For adults, we explore relevant developmental, educational and occupational history, current functioning, previous diagnoses or assessments and the particular questions you are hoping the assessment will answer.

Where available and relevant, you may also be asked to provide school reports, previous psychological or allied health assessments, developmental or medical reports, NDIS documentation or other relevant information.

This background provides important context for interpreting the cognitive results and ensures the assessment remains focused on the reason you sought it in the first place.

Cognitive testing is completed one-to-one using a standardised Wechsler assessment appropriate to the person’s age, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V) for children and adolescents or the appropriate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) for adults.

These assessments examine several areas of cognitive functioning, which may include:

Verbal Reasoning
Understanding and reasoning with verbal information, explaining concepts and using acquired knowledge.

Visual & Fluid Reasoning
Working with visual information, identifying relationships and patterns, and solving unfamiliar problems.

Working Memory
Holding and working with information in mind — an ability that can be important for following instructions, mental calculation and managing multiple pieces of information at once.

Processing Speed
How efficiently an individual can process and respond to relatively simple visual information under time demands.

Together, these results provide a much richer picture than an overall IQ score alone. Looking at the pattern across cognitive abilities can help identify areas of strength, areas that require comparatively more effort, and meaningful differences within an individual's profile.

There are many reasons someone may benefit from a cognitive assessment, and the interpretation of the results is guided by the question that brought you to assessment.

Giftedness & High Cognitive Ability
For children, adolescents or adults who appear to demonstrate particularly strong cognitive abilities, assessment can provide an objective understanding of their cognitive profile and identify areas of significant strength. For young people, this information may also help inform discussions around educational extension and enrichment.

Possible Intellectual Disability
Where there are concerns about intellectual functioning, cognitive assessment provides important information about reasoning and cognitive abilities. Assessment for intellectual disability requires consideration of more than IQ alone and typically also involves assessment of adaptive functioning and developmental history.

NDIS & Support Needs
Cognitive assessment may contribute useful evidence where there are questions about intellectual functioning or support needs for NDIS or other service purposes. The assessment can provide objective information for the broader clinical picture; however, NDIS access and funding decisions are ultimately determined by the NDIA, and a cognitive assessment alone does not establish eligibility.

Understanding Your Cognitive Profile
Sometimes the reason is simply wanting a clearer answer to “How does my brain work?” An assessment can identify relative strengths and difficulties and provide a more nuanced understanding of how an individual approaches different cognitive demands.

Educational, Occupational & Clinical Questions
Cognitive assessment may also be recommended by a psychologist, paediatrician, psychiatrist, school, university or other professional where understanding intellectual and cognitive functioning could assist with assessment, support or planning.

Where appropriate, relevant information is reviewed alongside the cognitive testing.

Depending on the individual and referral question, this may include:

• School or university information
• Previous psychological assessments
• Speech pathology or occupational therapy reports
• Paediatric, psychiatric or other medical reports
• NDIS documentation
• Previous diagnoses or intervention history
• Information about everyday functioning

This allows the test results to be considered within the context of how the person actually functions in everyday life.

A score rarely tells the whole story. Understanding the person behind that score is what allows the assessment findings to become genuinely useful.

Once testing is complete, a substantial part of the assessment continues behind the scenes.

Results are carefully scored and interpreted, with attention given not only to overall intellectual functioning but also to the pattern of performance across different cognitive domains.

The findings are integrated with relevant developmental, educational, occupational and clinical information and considered in relation to the original referral question.

Where meaningful differences emerge between areas of cognitive functioning, these are carefully considered rather than relying solely on a single overall score.

This process of clinical interpretation and integration is what transforms standardised test results into an individualised understanding of cognitive functioning.

Following the assessment, you receive a detailed, personalised psychological report bringing together the findings from the entire assessment process.

The report includes relevant background information, cognitive assessment results, an explanation of the individual's cognitive profile, areas of strength and relative difficulty, clinical interpretation and consideration of the original referral question.

Importantly, the report is designed to explain what the findings mean, rather than simply presenting a table of scores.

Recommendations are tailored to the individual and the purpose of assessment. Depending on the referral question, these may include recommendations relating to school, university, employment, everyday functioning, further assessment, allied health support, psychological intervention or other appropriate services.

Where the report is intended to inform NDIS or other support processes, relevant findings and functional implications can be clearly documented where supported by the assessment.

The aim is for the report to remain useful beyond the day you receive your results — providing a clear record of the findings and information that can help guide future decisions and supports.

Once the report is complete, we meet for a dedicated feedback session to discuss the findings together.

The results are explained in clear, everyday language, including what the different areas of cognitive functioning measure, the pattern of strengths and difficulties identified, and what those findings may mean in everyday life.

We also return to the original reason for assessment — whether this relates to giftedness, possible intellectual disability, NDIS or support needs, or simply developing a better understanding of your or your child's cognitive profile.

You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, clarify anything within the report and discuss recommendations or appropriate next steps.

Cognitive Assessment Fee — $1,595

The fee covers the complete cognitive assessment process, not only the 60–90 minutes spent completing cognitive testing.

It includes:

• Clinical/parent interview and relevant background history
• Age-appropriate standardised cognitive assessment
• Standardised assessment materials
• Review of relevant collateral information and previous reports
• Scoring and interpretation of cognitive results
• Clinical integration of assessment findings
• Consideration of the individual referral question
• Preparation of a comprehensive, personalised psychological report
• Individualised recommendations
• 30-minute feedback session

A significant portion of a cognitive assessment takes place outside the face-to-face appointment. Psychologist time is dedicated to scoring and interpreting results, analysing the individual's cognitive profile, reviewing relevant information, integrating the findings and preparing a report that specifically addresses the reason the assessment was requested.

The value of a cognitive assessment isn't simply knowing an IQ score. It's understanding what sits behind that number — where you or your child’s strengths lie, where things may be more difficult, and what those findings mean in the context of everyday life.

Cognitive & IQ Assessment — $1,595