Cognitive, Dyslexia, and Dyscalculia Assessment Suitability Form

This form is the first step in enquiring about a standalone Cognitive Assessment or an S.L.D. (dyslexia and/or dyscalculia) Assessment for a child or young person. Referrals may be submitted from a child or young person’s 6th birthday up to, but not including, their 18th birthday. All assessments include in-person appointments in Sligo Town.

For Autism, A.D.H.D., or a Combined Assessment pathway, please use the separate Autism, A.D.H.D., and Combined Assessment Suitability Form instead.

This form should be completed only by a parent or legal guardian on behalf of the child or young person. It should not be completed by a teacher, G.P., or other professional.

Please note that for data-minimisation purposes, a mobile number and postal address are not requested at this stage.

Choosing the Right Assessment: Cognitive or S.L.D.?

Cognitive Assessment explores your child’s pattern of strengths and differences in verbal reasoning, visual spatial ability, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.

S.L.D. Assessment explores persistent difficulties with reading, spelling, or mathematics and considers dyslexia, dyscalculia, or both. It already includes a Cognitive Assessment, so a separate one is not needed beforehand.

If you are unsure which pathway fits, please describe what you would like to understand in the questions below. The Clinical Psychologist will review the information and contact you about suitability and the next steps.

The information below provides important context about the child or young person’s current school setting.

A legal guardian has authority to make significant decisions about a child’s welfare, including education, healthcare, and consent for psychological assessment. 

Guardianship is separate from custody, residence, and access. A person may remain a legal guardian even if the child does not live with them or they have no current access arrangements.

This question asks whether the required consent is likely to be obtainable. Answering it does not give formal consent to assessment. If the referral is suitable to proceed, a separate Consent Form will be provided before assessment arrangements are confirmed.

Consent must be freely given by everyone whose consent is required before a referral can proceed with this private practice.

Children under 16: The practice requires consent from all legal guardians. A referral will not be processed further if any legal guardian does not consent, consent is disputed or cannot be established, or agreement would need to be obtained through court proceedings or a court order.

Young people aged 16 or 17: A young person may provide their own consent for assessment. The practice does not attempt to convince a young person to participate.

Disputes and court involvement: The practice does not mediate between legal guardians, seek consent on another person’s behalf, or resolve disputes about guardianship or consent. It does not provide court-directed or court-related assessments.

The practice does not accept referrals where there are active family-law proceedings concerning the child or young person. This includes proceedings about guardianship, custody, residence, access, or consent.

The items below help identify factors that may affect the timing or accessibility of a private psychological assessment through this service. Select “None of these apply” only if you have selected no other options.

Selecting one or more of these items does not necessarily mean that an assessment cannot proceed with All Kinds of Minds Assessments. However, other needs may need to be prioritised first.

All Kinds of Minds Assessments is a private assessment service. It does not provide emergency, urgent, crisis, or mental-health services. Additionally, this form and practice emails are not monitored for risk.

If any of the concerns listed below currently apply, assessment through this practice is not appropriate at this time. The child or young person’s mental health, safety, and immediate support needs must take priority. These needs are better addressed by a public service equipped to provide the necessary support, monitoring, intervention, or assessment. Select “None of the above are applicable” only if you have selected no other options.

Please note: The Clinical Psychologist is a Mandated Reporter under Children First. Where information provided raises a child welfare or protection concern, the appropriate safeguarding and reporting procedures will be followed, including reporting to Tusla where required.

Where to seek support:

Immediate danger or emergency: If the child or young person is about to harm themselves or someone else, call 112 or 999 or attend the nearest Emergency Department.

Mental-health concerns: For significant mental-health concerns, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or behaviour affecting safety, contact the child or young person’s G.P. or their existing mental-health team, such as C.A.M.H.S. If the G.P. practice is closed and help cannot wait until it reopens, contact the G.P. out-of-hours service. H.S.E. guidance on getting urgent help.

Child-protection or welfare concerns: Contact the Tusla Duty Social Work Team for the area where the child lives. If Tusla is unavailable and you have an immediate concern about a child’s safety, contact An Garda Síochána. In an emergency, call 112 or 999, regardless of the time of day.

Information about mental-health services: Call the H.S.E. Your Mental Health Information Line on 1800 111 888 for information about available services and how to access them. This is an information service, not a counselling or emergency-response service.

Educational Supports and External Schemes:

A diagnosis of dyslexia or dyscalculia and eligibility for an educational support or scheme are separate matters. Each scheme sets its own criteria, which may require particular test scores, evidence of educational impact, or specified documentation. A child may meet the diagnostic criteria without meeting a scheme’s eligibility criteria. Equally, some supports and schemes can be accessed through school-based evidence without a formal diagnosis or report. If access to a particular support or scheme is your main reason for seeking assessment, please check its current requirements with the school or organisation responsible before arranging an assessment.

The S.L.D. Assessment page explains the different requirements for Irish exemptions, R.A.C.E., assistive technology, and D.A.R.E.

I confirm that I have had the opportunity to read the Terms of Service on the All Kinds of Minds Assessments website, and I agree to be bound by them. I understand that I can request clarification at any time. If “No” is selected, the submission cannot be processed and the service cannot proceed.

I understand and agree that All Kinds of Minds Assessments will securely store and use the information I provide in this form for the limited purposes of assessing suitability for services and contacting me about this enquiry. If an assessment does not proceed, the information submitted in this form will be managed in accordance with the Privacy Policy, data-retention arrangements, and G.D.P.R. requirements. If “No” is selected, the submission cannot be processed further.