Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Assessments
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Engage Therapy provides comprehensive assessments for children and young people where there are questions regarding ADHD, autism or cognitive development.

Our assessments combine standardised measures with detailed clinical interviews, direct work with the young person, information from school and, where appropriate, school observation. We place particular emphasis on qualitative information and clinical judgement, so that conclusions are based on the young person’s overall profile rather than test scores alone.

We work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and specialist neurodevelopmental networks, helping to ensure that our practice reflects current research and best practice.

### Clinical Lead

Assessments are overseen by Dr Priya Vigneswaran, Clinical Psychologist, who has over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people and families and extensive experience in neurodevelopmental assessment.

### Our Reports

We place considerable importance on producing detailed, individualised reports that help families, schools and other professionals understand the young person’s profile and how best to support them.

> A number of professionals have described Engage Therapy’s diagnostic reports as amongst the most detailed and insightful they have read.

ADHD Assessment
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Our ADHD assessments explore attention, concentration, impulsivity, activity levels, organisation and executive functioning across home, school and everyday life.

Assessment usually includes:

– a detailed developmental and clinical history;

– information and standardised questionnaires from parents and school;

– direct clinical assessment with the young person;

– objective attention testing where appropriate;

– school observation for primary-aged children;

– an individual clinical meeting for secondary-aged young people.

School observation provides valuable information about how younger children manage attention, instructions and independent work within their everyday learning environment. For older young people, a dedicated individual meeting allows greater opportunity to explore their own experience and for direct clinical observation.

Findings are considered together before diagnostic conclusions and individualised recommendations are made.

### Clinical Lead

Assessments are overseen by Dr Priya Vigneswaran, Clinical Psychologist, who has over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people and families. She has extensive experience in neurodevelopmental assessment and in understanding the overlap between ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning and emotional difficulties.

Autism Assessment
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We provide comprehensive multidisciplinary autism assessments for children and young people.

Assessment draws together developmental history, information from school, standardised assessment measures, direct assessment of social communication and detailed clinical observation.

Particular attention is given to the quality of social interaction and communication, flexibility, sensory experiences, emotional understanding and how the young person presents across different settings. This is especially important where difficulties are subtle, masked or overlap with ADHD, anxiety or other developmental factors.

Primary-aged children may be observed at school where clinically appropriate. Older children and adolescents have a dedicated individual meeting, allowing their own experiences to be explored in greater depth.

Autism assessments involve appropriately qualified multidisciplinary professionals. Findings from each part of the assessment are considered together before diagnostic conclusions and recommendations are reached.

### Clinical Lead

Assessments are overseen by Dr Priya Vigneswaran, Clinical Psychologist, who has over 20 years’ experience working with children, young people and families and extensive experience in neurodevelopmental assessment.

She works closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and specialist neurodevelopmental networks, helping to ensure that assessments reflect current research, guidance and best practice.

Cognitive Assessment
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Cognitive assessment can help to understand a young person’s learning profile, including areas such as verbal reasoning, visual-spatial skills, problem solving, working memory and processing speed.

The purpose is not simply to obtain an IQ score, but to understand the pattern of strengths and difficulties and how these may affect learning and everyday functioning.

Alongside standardised scores, we consider how the young person approaches tasks, manages challenge, sustains attention and uses problem-solving strategies.

Cognitive assessment may be completed independently or as part of a wider ADHD or autism assessment.

### Clinical Lead

Cognitive assessments are undertaken by Dr Priya Vigneswaran, Clinical Psychologist, who has over 20 years’ experience working with children and young people.

Her clinical background allows cognitive findings to be considered alongside the young person’s developmental, educational, emotional and neurodevelopmental profile rather than interpreted in isolation.

Our Approach
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Our assessments are characterised by:

– detailed clinical and developmental assessment;

– qualitative as well as quantitative information;

– direct observation and clinical judgement;

– school observation where appropriate;

– dedicated individual assessment with older young people;

– multidisciplinary working;

– individualised recommendations for home and school.