Comprehensive Educational Assessments

Understand your child and help them understand themselves

When school feels harder than it should, it’s easy for kids to start believing something is wrong with them. Maybe they’ve started calling themselves ‘dumb’ or ‘lazy’ — or maybe they’re working so hard to keep up that they are melting down after school or not wanting to go at all.

At Shapiro Learning, educational assessments are about helping you and the school understand how your child’s brain works — how they think, learn, and solve problems — so we can help them understand themselves too. My assessments don’t just diagnose, they explain. This helps kids see that their brain isn’t broken — it’s just wired in a unique way. Together, we figure out:

  • Why reading, writing, or maths might feel so frustrating

  • Why school feels ‘boring’

  • Why staying focused or remembering instructions feels harder for them than for other kids

  • Why they might get overwhelmed or shut down when work feels too tricky or confusing, and

  • What hidden strengths they can lean on to make learning easier and boost their confidence.

Whether we’re identifying a specific learning disorder in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), or maths (dyscalculia), exploring attention and focus difficulties like ADHD, or digging into working memory, processing speed, or executive functioning challenges, every piece fits into a bigger picture — the story of how your child learns best.

“The real power of an assessment isn’t just in finding out what’s hard — it’s in understanding what helps.”

~ Jillian Shapiro, Psychologist and Founder, Shapiro Learning

You’ll receive a clear, non-formulaic report that explains why the challenges are happening and what can be done to help. No confusing jargon, just real-world insight into how your child learns that (i) explains what your child needs to thrive and move forward, (ii) empowers parents, teachers and specialists to reflect on their current practices and make adjustments, and (iii) identifies priorities to guide everyone's next steps. 

For most families, an assessment isn’t just about understanding their child—it’s about ensuring their school understands and supports them, too.

Every comprehensive assessment provides the formal documentation and expert advice schools, TAFE and universities need to implement:

  • Learning support and adjustments under the Disability Inclusion Plan and Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).

  • Changes in teaching methods, such as extra time, assistive technology, quieter workspaces, or modified tasks.

  • Special provisions for exams and assessments (HSC, university, or TAFE) to ensure your child can demonstrate their knowledge without unnecessary barriers.

  • Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Personalised Learning and Support Plans (PLSPs), helping teachers understand what works best for your child.

Whether you’re starting the process or advocating for changes at school, you’ll receive clear evidence and practical recommendations to move forward with confidence.