- to apply for exam access arrangements (at any stage of education, for professional exams, or for the ‘Life in the UK’ test);
- to access the Disabled Students’ Allowances (for UK students in Higher Education);
- to implement appropriate reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
A cognitive assessment can determine whether someone has a life-long specific learning difference, or a temporary barrier to learning. It is useful to find out as much as possible about how a person is working, and to build a picture of their cognitive profile – strengths as well as areas of challenge – so that teachers and colleagues know how best to support them.
“He came out full of confidence and said that he felt so much better knowing that it wasn’t just him being not as ‘clever’ as his peers. Your discussion helped him understand himself so much more clearly and for that we are grateful.”
– mother of an A-level student
Anne Margaret holds a valid Assessment Practising Certificate, issued by PATOSS.
ELT well assessments take place at the office in Morecambe, near Lancaster. Morecambe is a lovely seaside town, so it’s worth a visit!
The assessment process
- The person to be assessed completes a pre-assessment questionnaire (with the help of a parent or teacher if necessary).
Teachers / carers are also asked to contribute their insights. - A face-to-face meeting at which a range of assessment tasks is conducted, looking at aspects of cognitive function such as memory and information processing.
This is a chance for a discussion about the person’s experiences of learning as well as their daily routine and coping strategies, to help build a picture of how they think and work.
The meeting usually takes between 2 and 3 hours, including breaks whenever they are needed. - A report is prepared in line with the purpose of the assessment, and this is usually available 1 -2 weeks after the assessment (and very often sooner than this).
The report outlines, explains and justifies the conclusions, as well as making recommendations for additional support and reasonable adjustments that may be needed.
Giving feedback to the person being assessed, and explaining the implications of the findings, is an extremely important stage of assessment which is usually done by a familiar teacher or tutor. However, if required, ELT well can help with this, and also advise on assistive technology or other materials and resources that may be helpful. contact Anne Margaret to arrange an assessment