When a child is struggling at school, the hardest part is often not knowing why. Is it focus? Is it reading? Is it that they’re not trying, or that something is genuinely making it harder for them than it is for other kids?
At Reading and Writing Solutions, every child starts with a comprehensive educational assessment before any program to determine their ability to learn. The assessment tells us how your child’s brain is currently processing auditory information, how their sensory system is functioning, and where their phonemic awareness skills sit. From that information, we match a program to your child’s specific profile.
For many families, this assessment may be the first time someone has properly listened, looked at the whole picture, and said: here is what is happening, and here is what we can do to help.
For children aged five and over, we conduct all three assessment types. For younger children, we focus on the sensory processing assessment, which is appropriate from an early age and most relevant for children in the preschool years.
Our assessments are conducted at our centre in Redcliffe and are designed to be as comfortable and low-pressure as possible.
This assessment looks at how well your child’s brain makes sense of what they hear.
Children with auditory processing difficulties may struggle to follow verbal instructions, find noisy environments overwhelming, or have trouble breaking words into sounds (which directly affects reading, writing and spelling).
This assessment looks at how your child’s brain and body work together to help them process all of the sensory information they receive from their environment.
Sensory processing difficulties can show up as clumsiness, or being hypersensitive to the sights, sounds and textures of the world around them. Often children with sensory issues have trouble with multi-step tasks, challenges with spatial awareness or avoidance of certain textures and environments.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words.
Phonemic awareness is one of the most important predictors of reading success (and like any skill it can be nurtured).
After the assessments are complete, we sit down with you to discuss the results and recommend the right program or combination of programs for your child.
These are two different things. Hearing tests measure how well the ears can physically detect sound waves. Auditory processing assessments measure how well the brain interprets, organises and analyses sounds. Many children who have “passed” a hearing test still have real difficulties processing verbal information in classroom settings, and this can be why they appear to switch off, incorrectly follow instructions, or struggle with reading and spelling.
An assessment is a valuable starting point if your child:
Fill in our enquiry form or call us directly. We’ll ask a few questions about your child and what you’ve been experiencing and answer any questions you have before booking.
We’ll schedule a time for your child to come into our Redcliffe centre to complete a 2-hour assessment with Ruth.
The assessment session is designed to be calm, engaging, and appropriate to your child’s age. Ruth conducts the session in a warm, supportive environment.
After the assessment, you will receive a written report outlining recommendations and interventions.
If a program is recommended and you’re ready to begin, we’ll schedule your child’s start date and confirm all the details. From there, sessions are in-person five days a week for the duration of the 20-week
At the end of the program, your child completes a re-assessment to measure how much progress has been made. There is a lot to celebrate, including gains that show up not just in academic performance but in confidence, social engagement, and daily life at home.
Tutoring assumes a child already has the tools to learn. We start by finding out why they’re struggling, and implement a program specifically built for them.
Our 20-week programs draw on research-based neuroscience principles to build life-long literacy.
Our founder, Ruth, went through this journey as a parent first. After success with her own children, she dedicated her career to helping other families. She knows all too well what it feels like to be in your shoes.
We work hard to make this centre feel free from the pressures and anxieties children may associate with the classroom. Kids can be kids here free from judgement, and parents are always welcome.
The right support starts with the right information. Book a comprehensive assessment and let’s find out exactly what your child needs.
Assessments take 2 hours
No referral is needed. You can contact us directly to book an assessment for your child. You’re welcome to share any existing reports from other professionals, such as a speech pathologist, OT, or pediatrician, and we’ll take those into account alongside our own assessment results.
We assess children from preschool age (typically from around age five) through to high school and adulthood. For children under five, we focus on sensory processing assessments. For children aged five and over, we conduct all three assessments: auditory processing, sensory processing, and phonemic awareness.
That’s entirely your decision. We can provide you with a summary of the assessment findings that you’re welcome to share with your child’s school or other professionals if you choose. We’ll discuss this with you after the assessment.
The assessment environment is designed to be relaxed and welcoming, and we’ll always follow your child’s lead. Please let us know in advance if there are things we should know to make the experience more comfortable.
We meet with you to discuss the results in plain language. You will also receive a written report. If we think your child would benefit from our programs, we’ll explain the recommendation and answer all your questions. There’s no obligation to proceed, but most families are ready to begin once they understand what the assessment has found.
Explore our articles on learning difficulties, what parents can do to support their children, and what to expect when you seek help for your child.
