Understanding an Assessment
The most important aspect of any assessment is helping the child and the family discover learning strengths and challenges. This enables individuals to know how they learn best and to self-advocate.
However, it is not always easy to provide or understand this information.
An assessment will usually look at cognitive functioning, cognitive processing, executive functioning, academic ability, and social and emotional needs.
Information is gained through cognitive testing, achievement testing, observations, rating scales, interviews with parents, teachers, and students as well as reviewing school records or assessments completed by speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, pediatricians, etc.
Cognitive Function
When I discuss Cognitive Functioning I use a model developed In WISC V – Assessment and Interpretation.
This describes the two main areas of Cognitive Functioning as THE LIBRARIAN and THE DETECTIVE.
Verbal Comprehension or Crystalized intelligence is a fancy name for the brain’s librarian. It is all about language and words.
Fluid Reasoning is the brain’s detective. It is a little like common sense. We use new information and visual details to generate a new understanding. It is linked to decision-making in daily life and social skills.
Cognitive Proficiency
These are like the two bosses of the brain but even with strong bosses, there can be challenges if the clerical staff is having difficulty. This is when I talk about Cognitive Proficiency. It is a measure of the efficiency with which a person can process types of cognitive information.
Visual-spatial ability is the brain’s architect and involves the brain’s ability to process and evaluate visual details and visual-spatial relationships. Visual-spatial abilities, as well as other visual processing abilities, are involved in reading and spelling (e.g. processing the symbols that create written language), higher-level math (geometry), understanding maps, and following directions
Processing speed is the brain’s filing clerk. Processing speed is a measure of an individual’s ability to process routine visual tasks efficiently.
An individual with slower processing can feel like a top-of-the-line computer linked to a less efficient printer.
“Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up” by Ellen Braaten and Brian Willoughby is a great resource for individuals with these challenges.
