Cognition & Learning Assessments

Verbatim education was created after dramatic cuts to local funding, to support children who were not achieving to their full potential or demonstrating learning difficulties or barriers to their learning e.g. concentration difficulties.

We recognise that the journey can be quite long and frustrating for parents and schools who might have concerns about their children, and identifying their barriers to learning and offer a private service to help speed up this process, provide evidence towards EHCP application, and advice on effective ways to support children in their learning.

We have a team of professionals with extensive experience in education and special educational needs.

  • Verbatim can offer your child the unique opportunity of having an assessment where both you and they feel most comfortable either within the home setting, school or at Verbatim.

  • The assessment begins with an informal chat where we use a simple scale to discover how the child feels about their learning, what they enjoy or find difficult and what they think might be able to make their learning improve. A range of assessments are then used to uncover the child’s learning profile revealing how they best learn and areas they may need support with and why. Areas assessed include:

    ● Understanding of language

    ● Non-verbal reasoning skills

    ● General intelligence strengths and weaknesses

    ● Working memory – both auditory and visual

    ● Phonic recognition and skills

    ● Reading accuracy, comprehension, fluency,

    ● Spelling and written skills

    ● Diagnostic testing for dyslexia and visual stress

    ● Assessment for numeracy and dyscalculia can also be requested.

    Whilst the data from these assessments is valuable, we are also interested in observing how the child manages tasks in terms of concentration, attention to task and self-esteem.

    All these areas are factored in when creating a full picture of a child’s particular learning style.

  • Equipment and healthy snacks are provided by us. All that is needed is a quiet space with a table for the short writing tasks. However, we are incredibly adaptable and have been known to undertake parts of the assessment on a climbing frame, within a playhouse and in a couple of feet of snow! Our aim is to make the experience as fun as possible and we go to great efforts to meet the needs of the individual.

    The assessment length can vary though a general guide would be two to three hours for a Key Stage 1 child and three to four hours with a Key stage 2 or 3. Breaks are built into the session at regular intervals to suit the needs of the child.

  • In some cases, where children might be presenting difficulties with concentration, attention or perceived negative behaviours; observation within the school setting is beneficial. This can only be undertaken with the educational settings full support and cooperation through written agreement.

    Whenever possible an observation is best undertaken when the child has not yet met us. Parents and Carers are not required to attend. One of us simply joins the class for a morning, or at a time when the school is reporting concerns and monitor the child. This might include, recording the following aspects:

    ● Attention

    ● Concentration

    ● Peer relations

    ● Staff relations

    ● Learning style

    ● Attachment style

    ● Fine and Gross motor skills

    ● General presentation

    Whenever possible, we will also meet with the key members of staff for your child to obtain their perspective and concerns. Information will then be feedback to parents and carers separately. At a later time, I then encourage a joint meeting with parents and school to plan a way forward.

  • Before every observation, we will meet with parents and carers without the child to discuss concerns and obtain a developmental background.

    Parents & Carers are welcome to stay with their child during the assessment but often after an initial chat students are happy for them to leave.

    Parent’s and family’s points of view are really valuable and play an integral part of the report. Learning, medical, developmental and family history are discussed and reflected on in the written report through prior agreement with parents and carers.

    All findings are discussed with the parents/carers on the day. It is incredibly valuable, when possible, to also discuss this with the child’s class teacher so recommendations can be made when necessary.

  • All findings will then be provided within a formal report and will include:

    ● Daily classroom and individual strategies to support your child

    ● Specific and general advice on how to support learning at home

    ● Written in a clear and readable form for both parents and other professionals

    ● Presented in a dyslexic and visual stress friendly layout and format

    ● Sent within 14 working days to your home address and child’s school.

  • We first contacted Verbatim over 3 years ago to request a Dyslexia assessment for our then 7 year old daughter. From the minute we stepped through the door the whole family were all made to feel very welcome and our daughter was immediately put at ease by Ellen. The beautiful surroundings and relaxed atmosphere made the whole experience extremely positive and our daughter, who would normally shy away from new people and situations, did not want to leave!

    Parent, Assessments

  • Ellen made the assessment activities fun and engaging and in the short time we were there she was able to boost our daughters confidence and self esteem, she really helped her to understand why she finds reading and writing so difficult and that this doesn't mean she isn't intelligent. The report we received following the assessment was extremely thorough, it made it very clear where our daughter's difficulties lay and gave us a much deeper understanding of her unusual dyslexic profile. The report enabled our daughter's school to put appropriate support strategies in place to enable her to make progress. Several years later our daughter actually asked to go back and see Ellen again because she felt she needed an updated assessment, this speaks volumes!

    Parent, Assessment