We try and arrange all assessments within four weeks of referral. We carry out most assessments at our office in Harold’s Cross, but assessments can at times we arranged in an alternative location. All of Éirim’s assessments are carried out to the highest standards by experienced Psychologists. Where applicable, reports are written according to the guidelines of the Department of Education and Skills and other agencies (e.g. the National Council for Special Education, Disability Access Route to Education).
Talk to your child about where you are going, whom you will be seeing, and what they will be doing during the assessment. This can help alleviate anxiety for many children (but certainly not all children). For example, if your assessment will take place in our office, you can look at pictures on this website of who will be involved in your child’s assessment. Let them know that the people will be friendly, the setting will be comfortable, and that he or she can take breaks if they need to while they are here.
The words “testing” and “assessment” can often cause anxiety in children. For younger children, you may wish to emphasise the play aspect, focusing on the puzzles and games. For older children, it is often helpful to describe both games and school-type work, but there are no marks or grades given.
Make sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep before the assessment and eats a healthy breakfast in the morning.
If your child wears glasses or a hearing aid, please make sure to bring these on the day of the assessment. If possible, bring copies of recent school reports and any reports of previous assessments of any kind (e.g. psychological, psychiatric, speech and language, OT) if you haven’t already provided this background information. If your child has an IEP (Individual Education Plan), please bring a copy of this as well. Pack a small snack and a drink for refueling during rest breaks.
If you are ready to arrange an assessment, please give us a call at 01 499 2217 today. A member of our friendly team will be happy to discuss some of the additional background information that we need from you so we can arrange a suitable date for the assessment.
If you are a teacher or contacting us on behalf of a school, please phone or email to arrange an appointment.
