Developmental, Learning & Behavioural assessments
You know your child is struggling. You just don't know why yet.
When learning, behaviour, attention, emotions, development or everyday life feel harder than they should, knowing where to start can be overwhelming.
Our comprehensive screening process helps build a clearer picture of your child's individual strengths, challenges and needs, including concerns around attention, autism, learning, cognitive processing, behaviour, emotional wellbeing and demand avoidance.
We bring together developmental history, family and teacher insights and appropriate screening tools to help identify what may need further exploration and what support can begin now.
Where further assessment is recommended, we can provide relevant information to your child's school, paediatrician or other treating professionals and continue working alongside your family.
What to Expect
Developmental, learning and behavioural assessments are available for people aged 7 years and over.
Every child is different, so the exact process will be tailored to the questions we're exploring.
Generally, it happens across three stages:
Stage 1 — History Taking & Information Gathering
We take time to understand your child's development, strengths, challenges and what you've been noticing.
This may include a detailed conversation with parents or carers, developmental and family history, previous reports or assessments, and information from your child's school or other professionals where appropriate.
Stage 2 — Assessment & Screening
Based on the information gathered in Stage 1, we'll select appropriate current, validated screening and assessment tools to explore the areas relevant to your child.
Depending on their individual needs, this may look at areas such as attention, behaviour, learning, social communication, emotional wellbeing, development and everyday functioning.
Stage 3 — Reporting & Recommendations
You'll receive a detailed written report bringing together your child's history, information gathered identified strengths and challenges, and our recommendations for what may come next.
We'll also help you identify practical strategies and supports that can begin now, including while you're waiting for further assessment or a formal diagnostic process.
Screening isn't about giving your child a label
It's about building a clearer picture of what they may need.
Throughout the process, we look at your child's strengths, challenges, development and symptoms, bringing together information from you, your child where appropriate, their school and recognised screening tools.
Depending on your child's individual needs, we may use current, validated questionnaires completed by you, your child, their teacher, and us including:
Conners Rating Scales,
Vanderbilt Assessment Scales,
Swanson, Nolan and Pelham (SNAP) Scale,
Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS),
Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT),
alongside other appropriate measures.
These tools don't provide a diagnosis on their own.
Instead, they help us gather structured information about different areas of your child's development, behaviour and everyday functioning and identify areas that may benefit from further exploration or support.
What happens after screening?
At the end of the screening and assessment process, you'll receive a detailed written report bringing together the information gathered, screening and assessment results, your child's identified strengths and challenges, and recommendations for next steps.
Your report can help you:
Talk with your paediatrician or other health professional.
This service has been developed in consultation with local paediatricians, and your report can provide structured information for them to consider when determining whether further assessment or formal diagnosis may be appropriate.
Help your child's school understand their needs.
Relevant information can be shared with teachers or school wellbeing teams to provide a clearer picture of your child's strengths, challenges and support needs.
Advocate for your child.
We can help parents and carers understand the findings and communicate what their child may need at school, at home and when working with other professionals.
Put support in place now.
A formal diagnostic process can take time. We can help families and schools implement practical strategies and supports based on your child's identified needs while further assessment is being considered or awaited.
Work out what comes next.
Recommendations may include further assessment, referral to another professional, therapeutic or educational support, strategies for home or school, or monitoring over time.
You will leave without a diagnosis. But you won't leave without a clearer picture of your child and what may help them move forward.
Is Developmental Screening Right for My Child?
Developmental screening may be helpful if you've found yourself wondering:
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Why does learning seem so much harder for my child than other children?
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Is this anxiety, attention, behaviour, development, or something else?
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Why are they coping at school but falling apart at home?
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Why do everyday tasks, transitions or demands seem so difficult?
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Could ADHD, autism, learning differences or another developmental difference be worth exploring?
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Your child is seven years or older.
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The school has raised concerns, but what do we do next?
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I know my child is struggling, but I don't know what kind of help they need.
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We're waiting to see a paediatrician. Is there anything we can do in the meantime?
Not every difficulty with attention, behaviour or regulation points to ADHD or autism.
Different challenges can look remarkably similar on the surface, which is why we start by understanding the whole child, not chasing a label.
Sometimes, identifying and supporting what’s underneath is enough to create meaningful change without further diagnostic assessment.
This process is for families who want to better understand their child's strengths, challenges, symptoms and support needs, and have clearer information to help decide what comes next.
The outcome might point towards further assessment.
It might help you have a more informed conversation with your paediatrician.
It might give your child's school a better understanding of their needs.
Or it might identify practical supports that can begin now.
Whatever comes next, the goal is the same:
To move from “Something isn't quite right, but I don't know what” to a clearer understanding of your child and how we can support them.
Developmental Screening at The Village Health is not a diagnostic service.
We don't use screening results to tell you that your child has ADHD, autism, a learning disorder or another developmental condition.
Instead, screening helps us identify and document strengths, challenges, symptoms and areas that may benefit from further exploration or support.
Where the results suggest that further assessment may be appropriate, your report can be provided to a paediatrician or other suitably qualified professional, who can consider the information alongside their own assessment and determine what happens next.