Psychometric Assessments
with Clinical & Educational Psychologist Dr Gill Walker
Dr Gill Walker has over 25 years experience with psychometric assessments, providing reports with evidence and recommendations to support you, through school, University and in the workplace.
Psychometric Testing
A psychometric test is designed to measure psychological attributes, such as a skill, behaviour or personality feature. Psychologists have to be trained, qualified and registered to use most psychological psychometric tests.
Skills Testing
We examine the profile of strengths and weaknesses as a result of brain damage, a psychological disorder, or developmental condition, and these include measuring:
- General ability, full scale Intelligence Quotient (IQ), cognition, abstract reasoning
- Academic achievement, literacy, numeracy
- Language skills
- Attention
- Learning and memory
- Visual perception
- Executive functioning, i.e. planning and judgement
- Motor function
- Adaptive behaviour, Social Skills and communication
- Affect Regulation
Behaviour Rating Scales
These psychometric tests have questions completed by a parent, guardian, carer or teacher who knows the person well. Such scales and checklists help clinicians obtain information from others about an individual's symptoms and functioning in various settings. Symptoms must be present in more than one setting (such as both at home and in school or work) to meet DSM-5 criteria. Behaviour rating scales can be completed online without an in-person appointment.
Personality
Psychometric tests are completed by the individual to identify personality traits, and can determine if you are a good fit to a team, type of organisation, or a way of working. Personality assessments can be completed online without an in-person appointment.
Diagnosis
Psychometric tests are used by psychologists in particularly combinations, to make diagnoses of a person and how they behave, think or feel. Different conditions call for different combinations of assessments.
Neurodevelopmental Condition Assessments
Psychometric assessments are used by psychologists to assess for the presence of Neurodevelopmental disorders, which are usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence and tend to have some kind of delayed development in a particular area of functioning. We offer these assessments for adults and children.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are characterised by developmental deficits or differences in brain processes that produce impairments of personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. The presence of these disorders in adults and children can be assessed:
Some of the conditions we assess for include:
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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)
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Communication Disorders
for instance Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder
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Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
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Intellectual Disability
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Motor Disorders
including Developmental Coordination Disorder (CDC or Dyspraxia)
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Specific Learning Disabilities
(SpLDs, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia)
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Learning Disorder in Reading
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Learning Disorder in Writing
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Learning Disorder in Maths
School readiness & giftedness assessments
Psychometric assessments are used to clarify if a child has the strengths and skills to be ready to start school.
The best predictor of school readiness is the Child's development of cognitive abilities and social skills. Sometimes a child may be gifted, with intellectual skills and academic knowledge ahead of their chronological age. This assessment using Wechsler ability and attainment batteries produces recommendations for home and school, to support developing their potential.
Our Psychometric Assessment Process
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Initial consultation with psychologist
1 hour
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Complete & submit rating scales
Parents, teacher or third party to complete
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Direct assessment appointment(s)
2-3 hour appointment(s), maximum 2 appointments
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Feedback session
1 hour
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Report delivered
Assessment scored & report delivered within 6 weeks
Psychometric Tools
This selection of psychometric tools available to Dr Walker is not a menu of assessments for clients to select from. There are many psychometric assessments and the choice of assessment depends on the wider context within which the psychometric is completed. The choice of assessment used by the psychologists is entirely at their discretion, and not generally a client choice.
Ability, Attainment and Memory
- WPPSI - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
- WISC - Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
- WAIS - Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
- WIAT - Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
- WMS - Wechsler Memory Scales
Executive Function
- D-KEFS - Delis- Kaplan Executive function system
- NEPSY - Assessment of Developmental Neuropsychology
Autism
- ADOS - Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
- ADI-R - Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised
Behaviour Rating Scales
- Connors 4 - ADHD assessment
- CAARS - Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales
- CBRS - Conners Comprehensive Behaviour Rating Scales
- BRIEF - Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function
- D-REF - Delis-Rating of Executive Function
Adaptive Behaviour
- VIneland - Adaptive Behaviour Scales
- ABAS - Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System
Personality
- MCMI - Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory
- MACI - Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory
- PAI - Personality Assessment Inventory
- 16PF - 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
- MMPI - Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory