Psychological Assessments
Adaptive Functioning Assessment
An adaptive assessment measures an individual’s ability to function in daily life compared to others their age. These assessments focus on an individual’s actual actions rather than their potential capabilities. Adaptive assessments are administered for various reasons, including assessing independent living skills, accessing funding services, in combination with cognitive assessments to measure intellectual functioning, catering to individual learning needs, to monitor functioning over time, and in treatment planning.
When determining the level of adaptive functioning in children and adolescents, someone who knows them well (usually a parent, carer, or teacher) is asked to describe their daily activities. The level of these activities is compared with a sample group of children and adolescents the same age. This allows us to find out the areas in which your child is performing as well as others their age, and to identify any areas in which they are not doing as well, and therefore may benefit from additional support.
Assessment Tools
The ABAS-3 and Vineland-3 are commonly used psychometric measures for assessing adaptive functioning in children and adolescents aged 0 to 21 years.
- The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3) is widely used to measure the extent to which an individual performs age-appropriate everyday activities required to take care of themselves and interact with others. The ABAS-3 measures the following 10 areas of adaptive skills: Communication, Community Use, Functional Academics, School/Home Living, Health and Safety, Leisure, Self-Care, Self-Direction, Social, and Work (for individuals old enough to be employed). The scores in these domains are combined to produce a General Adaptive Composite total score (the GAC), which is a measure of overall adaptive behaviour.
- The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3) is an individually administered measure of adaptive behaviour that is widely used to assess individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities. It measures the extent to which an individual performs age-appropriate everyday activities required to take care of themselves and get along with others. The Vineland-3 includes five domains of adaptive functioning: Communication, Daily Living Skills, Socialisation, Motor Skills, and the Adaptive Behaviour Composite (ABC). The ABC provides an overall measure of adaptive functioning.
Assessment and reporting from $450 per respondent
(Price as of September 2024 – prices are subject to change – please call us to discuss prices and book in with our psychologist).