All ages of assessment (6 through 14) are conducted with at least one parent present.  They include a follow-up conversation, a brief written report, and recommendations.  During kindergarten or grade-school assessments, the purpose is to get an overview of the child developmentally.  Is s/he on track in aspects of physical development that relate to movement and education?  Is the child developmentally ready for the proposed grade placement?

Early Movement: Is the child able to move one part of the body, without involuntarily moving other parts?

Balance: How easily can the child sit and stand still (with eyes open and closed)?

Proprioception: How easily does the child know where his/her body is in space and how his/her body is moving, without using the eyes to check?

Gross and fine motor fluency: Is movement easy and controlled, or does the child tend towards erratic movement and clumsiness? Does the child move ergonomically, have good core strength, and the ability to complete tasks without undue fatigue?  For example: writing, playing an instrument, sports, or artwork.

Dominance: Which is the child’s preferred hand, foot, eye and ear?

Eye Movement: Do the two eyes move:

• Smoothly together to follow an object right and left?
• Quickly and accurately to jump near to far?

Auditory Processing: Relates to dyslexic tendencies such as:

• Can the child easily distinguish between sounds (b and d)?
• Can the child hear the different sounds in a word (the c and l in clap)?
• Can the child quickly translate sounds to letters (for spelling)?
• Can the child quickly process and make sense of speech, or does s/he get confused when too much information comes too quickly?
• Rapid naming: recognizing a symbol, naming it, and articulating that name.

Memory and Sequencing: How effective is:

• Working memory (short term)
• Auditory memory (abstract words)
• Visual (photographic memory)
• Picturing (ability to form and remember inner pictures)
• Can s/he process and then remember a sequence of instructions?

Math basics:

• Counting (forward and backward)
• Number sense (knowing what 4, 5 and 6 items look like without having to count every time)
• Grade-appropriate arithmetic

Sensitivity: Is the child stressed or unable to work efficiently because of over or under sensitivity to the environment?  This often shows up as reactivity and is commonly diagnosed as attention difficulties.

Well-being: Is the child able to work and play confidently and calmly? Can the child recover easily from minor setbacks without undue anxiety or over-reaction?