In the first session, the parent(s) or primary caregiver(s) get a chance to explain the situation and presenting issues, without the child present.
Where needed, standard questionnaires and a clinical interview will be conducted to assess and screen for psychological disorders.
In this session, we'll decide together whether we need an assessment or can start with therapy straight away.
An Extensive Experiences and Perceptions Assessment is a form of Psychological Assessment in which we map the perception of the child (thoughts, feelings, experiences, memories, ...).
This is done on the basis of a number of subtests, including free play, structured play, House-Tree-Person (HTP) drawings, free drawings, the lifeline exercise, the four affects exercise and a projective narrative technique (CAT).
The results of this assessment are used to form a treatment plan.
The assessments in the first two sessions are used to determine which types of therapy and how many sessions are needed.
Often we will start with 4 sessions.
Therapy for children and adolescents is often individual, but can also include family and/or parent sessions. This depends on the presenting issues and goals.
After our first 4 sessions of therapy (6 in total with the assessments), we discuss the results and further goals in a parent session.
If you have been sent by the school, or GP for a specific assessment, or if you've recognized certain traits and want more information on assessments for ASD, ADHD, and other: please see below for information per assessment.
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability. People with ASD often have problems with social interaction, and restricted behaviours or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. Click here for detailed symptoms of ASD.
To assess for ASD, we need four sessions:
With an ASD diagnosis, you can apply for NDIS funding. See ndis.gov.au
for more info.
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, impulsive behaviours, or be overly active.
To assess for ADHD, we need four sessions:
For anxiety and depression, we only need
sessions of assessment. Then, we can discuss the results and start therapy.
To assess for ADHD, we need four sessions:
Please note an assessment never guarantees any diagnosis.
Many people display symptoms of certain diagnoses, without qualifying for a diagnosis. E.g. some people show ASD traits but don't have ASD. These assessments can help distinguish between several diagnoses as well as possible causes of certain symptoms. For instance, someone who can't concentrate could have ADHD, or could be suffering from PTSD, chronic stress, or something completely different. Each reason will require a different treatment. Which is why assessments are an important starting point.
The Experiences and Perceptions Assessment is a form of psychological assessment where the experiences of the child (thoughts, feelings, experiences, memories, etc.) are mapped out. This is done through a number of subtests, including free play, structured play, House-Tree-Person (HTP) drawings, free drawings, the Four Affects exercise, and a projective narrative technique (CAT).
Subtests:
House Tree Person
The House-Tree-Person test (HTP) is a projective personality test where the child is asked to draw a picture of a house, a tree, and people. Based on these drawings, insight is gained into the child's self-perception and attitudes. The goal of this test is to map out personality traits based on the drawings and answers to accompanying questions.
CAT test
The Child Apperception Test (CAT) is a projective test used in psychology to assess whether certain cognitive functions such as fantasy and empathy have developed adequately in children. The child is shown a vague image depicting animals. The images are arranged in such a way that they can be interpreted in different ways. The goal of the test is to map out the child's world of experience and to see what themes the child brings up.
The Four Affects
The Four Affects test maps out the associations around the affects of fear, anger, sadness, and happiness. For each affect, the child is asked to draw what they are most afraid/angry/sad/happy about. Based on the drawings and answers to accompanying questions, insight is gained into how the child handles affects.
The Life Line
In the life line, 5 positive and 5 negative memories of the child are mapped out and represented on the life line. This is an important tool to find out which events the child remembers and what influence they have on the child's development.
Structured Play
In this subtest, the child is encouraged to create stories with dolls or props representing familiar people. This helps us gain insight in how the child perceives the people around them and relates to them.
Result discussion
The data collected from these tests is brought together to form an integrated picture. First, we discuss the relational aspect. Here, we explain whether there is an increase in contact with the researcher and what the material tells us about the relational development and possibilities of the child. In the second part, the experience content, we discuss which themes seem to be central to the child. Finally, we discuss the ego functioning. This tells us something about how the child deals with the themes they bring up. We examine how the child handles emotional and relational events and tensions, and what their own capabilities are in dealing with them.
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