Our assessments are not suitable to support a legal case and we do not provide expert witness services. We can recommend contacting an Expert Witness psychologist via the British Psychological Society https://portal.bps.org.uk/Psychologist-Search/Directory-of-Chartered-Psychologists

We are not registered with any insurance companies as these types of assessment are not usually covered. However, we can provide copies of reports, invoices and receipts after the assessment if needed to help with insurance claims.

I would advise against using the word “test”. I usually explain that I am a bit like a teacher, or for older children I explain that I am an educational psychologist and interested in their learning. I say that I work with a lot of children or young people of their age. I say that I will be doing lots of short games and puzzles with them to find out what kind of a learner they are, and what they are good at and like doing best, as well as any things that they don’t like doing. I say that it is not like a test or a school lesson and that most people enjoy it.

For various reasons a child or young person may not be reaching their full potential or struggling to keep up with their peers at school. If this is the case an Educational Psychology assessment is very useful in identifying areas of strength and needs to support a child's development and learning.

An Educational Psychology assessment involves a series of different activities to help identify a child or young person's strengths and areas of need. It combines a cognitive assessment to look at thinking and reasoning skills and an attainment based assessment to explore literacy and numeracy skills. We ask parents and the school to complete a questionnaire prior to the assessment. We also like to see any relevant reports carried out by professionals eg. speech and language, occupational therapy, psychiatrist, paediatrician and psychotherapist reports.

An Educational Psychology assessment generally takes around 2 - 2.5 hours, however this depends on the age of the child and the speed they work at. Parents will receive a feedback meeting via video link either that day or the following day with the educational psychologist. The exact timing will be confirmed at the time of booking an assessment.

We have found that most children are aware that they are struggling at some level with learning at school. We suggest that parents say something along the lines of 'you know how you find maths, writing, spelling etc difficult, well we are going to see someone who will do some maths, spelling and writing with you and they will be able to tell us how you like to learn and how we can help you with that at school'. We always recommend telling your child that the assessment is not a test or an exam - there are no wrong or right answers!

Assessments are valid for 18 months to 2 years and should not be carried out before this time has elapsed for validity reasons. Not all children who have been assessed once will need to be assessed again. The educational psychologist will be able to advise you on whether your child will need to be reassessed.

Yes, you will receive a comprehensive report two weeks from the date of the assessment. The report will include dialogue and commentary about the tests that were carried out, any referrals to other professionals and a diagnosis of dyslexia if the child meets the criteria. There will be a list of recommendations for intervention at home and at school. We recommend that parents share the report with the school and then arrange a meeting with them to discuss next steps forward in how to best support your child.

Specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) is an umbrella term used to cover a variety of difficulties which can range in their severity. Dyslexia is the most commonly known difficulty. It affects both written and spoken language. It occurs due to difficulty with information processing particularly sounds in spoken words, visual and auditory perceptual skills as well as working memory. The main specific learning difficulties include: Dyslexia - difficulty with reading and spelling Dysgraphia - writing difficulties Dyspraxia or Developmental Coordination Delay (DCD) - fine and gross motor planning difficulties Dyscalculia - extreme difficulty with understanding numbers Learning difficulties typically affect an individual's motor skills, information processing and memory.

Yes - our reports are accepted by the NHS and follow the NICE guidelines. The cost of an autism assessment for children aged 4 years upwards is £2,200 (no VAT).

Yes - the cost of a private ADHD assessment for children is £1,250 (no VAT) and includes a QB Check test.

A dyslexia assessment focuses specifically on reading, spelling and literacy skills, while a full educational psychology assessment evaluates cognitive ability, learning processes and broader educational needs. Our assessments combine both dyselxia and educational psychology.

Yes. Schools may arrange assessments through local authority services, but waiting lists can be long. Many parents choose private assessments to access support more quickly.