Standardised Assessment Tools
A comprehensive assessment is never based on a single observation or test. Instead, a range of specialised assessment tools may be used to support a better understanding of a child's development, communication, learning and behaviour. The selection of these tools is guided by each child's individual needs and presenting concerns.
Below are some of the assessment tools that may be used as part of a developmental and speech and language assessment.
Assessment of Overall Development
These tools support the assessment of multiple areas of development, including learning, communication, motor skills and social development.
Griffiths III Scales of Child Development
The Griffiths III is a standardised developmental assessment tool for children from birth to 6 years of age. It provides a comprehensive picture of a child's development by assessing a range of areas, including the foundations of learning, language and communication, visual-spatial reasoning, gross and fine motor skills, as well as personal, social and emotional development.
The assessment helps identify both a child's strengths and any areas of difficulty, supporting the development of individualised recommendations and strategies to promote their ongoing development and wellbeing.
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Fourth Edition (Bayley-4)
The Bayley-4 is an internationally recognised assessment tool for infants and toddlers aged 1 to 42 months. It is used to evaluate early development across key areas, including cognitive, language and motor skills, providing valuable information about a child's developmental progress during the first years of life.
The Bayley-4 is often used when there are concerns about a child's development or when a more detailed assessment of specific developmental areas is required. Its findings can support the early identification of developmental difficulties, while also highlighting a child's strengths and informing appropriate recommendations and intervention planning.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment
The assessment of autism-related characteristics is based on the combined use of specialised assessment tools and clinical evaluation by appropriately trained professionals.
Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R)
The ADI-R is a comprehensive, structured interview conducted with a child's parents or primary caregivers. It focuses on the child's developmental history and explores characteristics associated with autism, including social communication, social interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviours.
By systematically gathering information about a child's early development and everyday functioning, the ADI-R contributes to building a comprehensive clinical picture. It is used alongside other sources of information and forms an important part of a multidisciplinary autism assessment.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2)
The ADOS-2 is one of the most widely used and well-established assessment tools for evaluating characteristics associated with autism. It is a semi-structured assessment that involves a series of activities and interactions tailored to the individual's age and level of language development.
During the assessment, areas such as social communication, social interaction, use of language, play skills, imagination, and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviours and interests are explored.
The ADOS-2 includes a number of different modules, allowing the assessment to be adapted for children, adolescents and adults with varying levels of language and communication abilities. The results are never interpreted in isolation and are always considered alongside developmental history, clinical observation and other relevant sources of information as part of a comprehensive autism assessment.
Cognitive and Learning Assessment
These tools help develop a better understanding of a child's cognitive profile and the skills that support learning, school readiness and academic progress.
Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices
The Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices are widely used to assess non-verbal reasoning abilities and provide valuable information about a child's cognitive skills. As the assessment does not require spoken or written language responses, it is particularly useful for children with language difficulties or those from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The Raven's can contribute to a better understanding of a child's cognitive profile and are often used as part of a broader developmental or educational assessment.
Athena Test for the Assessment of Learning Difficulties
The Athena Test is a standardised Greek assessment tool used to evaluate a range of developmental and learning-related skills in school-aged children. It assesses areas such as attention, memory, language processing, visual-motor integration and other abilities that support learning and academic performance.
The assessment can help identify difficulties that may be affecting a child's learning and educational progress, while providing valuable information to guide educational planning and targeted support.