Children's Cognitive Assessment (WISC)

Every child learns differently, and sometimes it helps to understand exactly how: where their strengths lie, where they find things harder, and whether a pattern of difficulty with reading, memory, attention or problem-solving has an underlying explanation. A cognitive assessment gives a structured, objective picture of a child’s thinking skills, rather than relying on impressions from school or home alone.

We use the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), the most widely used and researched measure of children’s cognitive ability, administered in a short-form version chosen with time constraints and a child’s concentration and fatigue in mind. It looks at verbal reasoning, visual-spatial skills, working memory and processing speed, producing a profile rather than a single score.

A cognitive assessment on its own does not diagnose a condition. It is often requested alongside an ADHD or autism assessment, where understanding a child’s cognitive profile helps make sense of their difficulties, or on its own where parents or a school want clarity on a child’s learning strengths and needs. If you are unsure whether this is the right assessment for your child, get in touch and we will talk it through with you.