The psychology department at the CRC is made up of both clinical and educational psychologists.
Psychologists provide a service in seven main areas
There are also helpful links for further information.
A psychological assessment evaluates thinking, learning and behaviour.The assessment may include interviews, observation, testing and consultation with other professionals involved in your child’s care.Testing includes pencil and paper tasks, puzzles, drawing, and games.
The assessment may cover skill areas such as:
It may also include an examination of attention, behaviour, social skills, emotions and other factors which may be important to your child’s well-being.
Below are some of the most common questions people have about psychological assessments
A psychological assessment is helpful in identifying your child’s strengths and difficulties and may lead to recommendations for both academic and behavioural intervention. By detecting problems, an assessment can be used to assist in planning your child’s school programme, to identify needs for resources and special services in school, and to help you access resources in your community.
It is important to talk to children about what will happen before any procedure. Children feel less anxious when they know what to expect. Be sure your child knows that there will be no physical exam, so no needles or medicine. For younger children, you may wish to emphasize 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.
Most psychology assessments for young children are scheduled during the morning or early afternoon so that your child is at their best. If you receive an appointment that is scheduled at a time when you feel your child will seriously under-perform please contact the psychology department to discuss this.
If your child has recently been sick, undergone surgery or is experiencing significant difficulties in sleeping, it is important to contact the psychology department as soon as possible before the scheduled appointment to discuss how this might affect his or her performance.
If your child wears glasses or a hearing aid, please make sure to bring these to the assessment. For children who are non-verbal or use a wheelchair, please bring any technological aides that would make them feel more comfortable and enable them to fulfill their potential during the assessment.
If possible, bring copies of recent report cards and any reports of previous assessments of any kind (e.g. psychological, psychiatric, speech and language, OT). If your child has an IEP (Individual Education Plan), please bring a copy of this as well.
Parents usually remain with pre-school children during the assessment. They perform an important role in reassuring and helping the child to settle in to the assessment situation, giving praise when the child is engaging well with the assessment and motivating the child to continue if he or she begins to disengage. Parents know better than anyone how to motivate their own child to do their best!
For older children it is sometimes recommended that the parents do not remain in the room. This is because sometimes having your parents observe your performance can result in feelings of self-consciousness which could make the child feel uncomfortable and impede performance. It is often useful if the parent remains contactable and not too far away during the assessment.
Again, if you have strong feelings as to whether your presence will aid or impede your child’s performance, the psychologist will be interested to hear your views on this.
Yes, some assessments may emphasize memory and learning, others may focus on language or academic development, and still others may highlight behaviour and emotional development. The type of assessment your child will receive will be directly related to the referral letter that the psychologist has received. This referral letter will contain the reason that your child has been referred to the psychology department. If you are unclear about this when you receive your appointment it is a good idea to ask the psychologist for the reasoning behind the assessment. He or she will be happy to discuss this with you and to listen to your views on this.
It is common for parents to have some concerns prior to a psychological assessment. These may include a concern that the results of the assessment will be circulated without your permission or that you will not receive sufficient feedback on the assessment. It is a good idea to discuss these concerns with the psychologist. The psychologist will be able to answer your questions and hopefully reassure you about the assessment process. For example, it is the CRC policy that parental permission is obtained prior to any report being circulated outside of the clinic. Within the psychology department there is a policy that if the child being assessed attends mainstream school, the report is provided to parents and not forwarded to the school. While we do recommend that the psychology report is shared with the school principal and school teacher, this is ultimately at the parent’s discretion.
The psychologist will meet with you for feedback to discuss your child’s results. Sometimes feedback is offered on the same day as the assessment. Sometimes it takes place at a later date. In most cases with younger children the feedback sessions involve parents only, but if your child is older, you may wish to include your child. On some occasions, feedback can also be given over the phone.
A written report will be completed, outlining the results of the assessment and the recommendations for intervention. You will receive a copy of this report. A copy is also placed on your child’s medical chart and a copy is sent to the referrer. With your written permission, copies of the report can be sent to professionals involved with your child such as other therapists, or your child’s school.
We will remain available to you and your child for consultation should you have any concerns in the future.
Psychologists are trained to provide a variety of therapeutic interventions directly to children and adolescents.
Therapy might focus on such themes as
A psychologist may also work alongside a child psychiatrist to address a range of difficulties including social and communication difficulties, inattention, overactivity, or impulsivity.
Psychologists work closely with parents around managing their child’s behaviour at home, in school, or during therapy sessions.
Other issues parents might look for support with include:
Psychologists may work with the siblings of a child with a physical disability. They can help that child to understand more about their brother or sister’s disability and how it impacts of their family’s life. They can provide parents with advice and guidance around supporting the brothers and sisters of their child with a disability.
The psychology department is available for adults who are linked in to CRC services. Therapy may be provided to help the adult to cope with a range of issues such as relationship issues, sexuality, accessing community services, social inclusion, job satisfaction, feelings of depression or anxiety or personal development. Young adults sometimes require a psycho-educational assessment in order to facilitate transition to a new employment context, training or day centre.
Psychologists are involved in facilitating or co-facilitating group work for clients of the CRC. Examples of group work that the psychology department has or intends to co-facilitate include drama and social skills for teenagers with physical disability, independent living skills, and preparation for school leavers group.
Psychologists link in with therapy providers within and outside the CRC around social, behavioural and emotional issues in its service users. They also liaise with the CRC school and other schools around the support of children with a disability within a mainstream educational context.
Individual psychologists are attached to Specialist Clinics within the CRC for psychological consultation such as the Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Clinic, Team Assessment Clinic and Muscular Dystrophy clinic.
Psychologists work with parents in helping them to come to terms with their child’s disability. They also provide support around the impact that the diagnosis of disability has on the family as a whole. They can signpost possible difficulties and transition points as well as highlight strengths and resources that the family can tap into in order to facilitate coping and adjustment.
The psychology department is hoping to embark on a new research programme on the psychological well-being of children with disability and the impact of disability on family functioning in partnership with the Psychology Department of University College Dublin.
The department produces booklets from time to time which aim to help parents and clients gain a clearer understanding in particular areas. Examples include ‘Building Good Behaviour’; ‘Managing Behaviour at Bedtime’ and ‘Build Confidence and Beat Anxiety’. These were written specifically for the parents of children with physical disability and are available from the psychology department.
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