DAS INTERNATIONAL CONCIERGE ASSESSMENT SERVICES

OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS

DAS International Assessments Services comprises a team of Registered Psychologists, who have been awarded a Master's or Doctoral degree in Psychology from a recognised institution.

They are registered with a recognised national registration board, such as the Singapore Psychological Society.

They have received intensive training to ensure that they are well-skilled to carry out psycho-educational assessments. Besides learners with SpLD, they contribute to the community with their work with professionals from different Social Service Agencies and organisations as well as parents to empower them. Our psychologists are also constantly undergoing professional development, such as attending related seminars/talks, conducting research, presenting at conferences, and inviting consultants to learn from their expertise. 

MEET OUR TEAM!

	pearllyn kang Assistant Director Registered Psychologist Bishan Learning Centre Pearllyn joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2016 as a Specialist Psychologist. She has since completed the Master of Arts in Applied Psychology programme at the NIE and is a Registered Psychologist with the Singapore Psychological Society. Pearllyn is currently the Assistant Director of the SpLD Assessment Services at the DAS, a team that provides psycho-educational assessment services and facilitates the placement of students in learning programmes at the DAS. She also conducts psycho-educational assessments for children to determine their learning profile and is involved in the Research Committee at the DAS.
	KATHLEEN CHAN Assessment Services Registered Psychologist Senior Specialist Psychologist Parkway Parade Learning Centre Kathleen joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2021 as a Senior Specialist Psychologist. She is part of the SpLD Assessment Services team, providing psycho-educational assessments for children and young adults. Kathleen graduated from Monash University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, and from RMIT in 2011 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours)(Psychology). Thereafter, she completed a Master of Psychology (Educational & Developmental) at Australian Catholic University in 2015. Before DAS, Kathleen worked in both clinical and educational settings in Australia, mainly supporting primary school-age children and young adults with a range of school-based and mental health issues. Kathleen believes that every individual has the potential to thrive in life when given the right opportunities, skills and support. She has a strong passion for making a difference in the lives of children and young adults by building their resilience and resources to help them overcome their limitations and adversities.
	Winston Quek   Senior Specialist Psychologist Jurong Point Learning Centre   Winston is a Senior Specialist Psychologist who started working with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2013. At DAS, his core work involves conducting psycho-educational assessments on children and adults. He was involved in a longitudinal research project to evaluate the efficacy of the DAS Main Literacy Programme (MLP). This led to the poster and oral presentations of research findings at overseas and local conferences respectively. He also conducts talks for other DAS staff and external parties. During World Dyslexia Awareness Week 2019, he presented a talk on Comorbidities.
	shaian Lim   Senior Specialist Psychologist Jurong Point Learning Centre   Shaian has been with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) since 2017 and is a Senior Specialist Psychologist at the organisation. Her main role involves conducting psychoeducational assessments to investigate the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. Shaian currently holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology from the National University of Singapore, as well as a Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) from the National Institute of Education. She is also a full member of the Singapore Psychological Society.
	scarlet Leong   Senior Specialist Psychologist Jurong Point Learning Centre   Scarlet is a Senior Specialist Psychologist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). She joined the DAS in 2017 and is part of the SpLD Assessment Services (SAS) team that conducts psycho-educational assessments for children, youths, and adults, which aim to provide tailored recommendations according to various learning and behavioural needs. In addition to assessments, Scarlet performs individual literacy-based interventions for high-needs students within the DAS, training workshops and public awareness talks. Scarlet holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Psychology from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and a Master of Arts (Applied Psychology) from the National Institute of Education (NIE). She received The Applied Psychology Award in 2023 from NIE in recognition of her outstanding academic performance as the top graduate of her cohort. Scarlet is also a full member of the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS) and a mentor in the SPS Pilot Mentorship Programme. .

THE ROLE OF AN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST

The primary role of an Educational Psychologist is to assess for and identify the exceptional needs of a struggling learner, which may have resulted from developmental delays or deficits in his/her learning and social-emotional functioning in the educational setting. The easiest way to think about a child’s exceptional needs is to view them as a mismatch in the child between what is (i.e., the child’s present level of functioning) and what parents and teachers consider what should be (i.e., what the child ought to be achieving).

Special educational needs, learning difficulties (such as dyslexia), emotional and behavioural problems and exceptionally able children all fall within the scope of the educational psychologist's expertise. The educational psychologist is qualified to give advice based on expert assessment and observation of the child's strengths and weaknesses, drawing upon knowledge of child psychology, child development and education. At DAS International assessments are conducted by registered psychologists, who assess for concerns related to learning and behavioural difficulties such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Upon receiving a referral of a child, the Educational Psychologist proceeds to gain a better understanding of the referral concerns and where necessary, develops an assessment plan based on the highlighted concerns. The psychologist subsequently carries out the assessment, which may involve structured interviews, as well as direct observations or administration of tests for the child, to establish an assessment profile. Following this, the psychologist shares the findings and diagnosis (if any) with the child’s parents or guardians, along with recommendations for learning support and strategies. With these recommendations in place, it is hoped that the child can learn at his/her own pace and achieve academic performance that better reflects their potential. 

HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED? 

As every child is unique, with varying levels of strengths and needs, psychologists will tailor the assessment accordingly. Nonetheless, the assessment process is broadly described as follows:

• Hold a preliminary discussion with parents or guardians to understand further referral concerns and gather information about a child’s learning and developmental history.
• Where necessary, gather information from professionals who have worked with the child. These professionals can include the child’s teachers or educational/speech-language/ occupational therapists.
• Make direct observations and/or assessments of the child.
• Conduct an assessment debrief involving parents or guardians to share the outcome and recommendations based on their child’s assessment profile.
• Prepare a psychological report, which is a record of the child’s background and presenting concerns, assessments conducted and recommendations. The report is written as far as possible in non-technical language so that it can be clearly understood.

For further information

You are welcome to contact DAS International for further information if you have any specific questions about an assessment of your child at enquiry@dasint.org.sg

Alternatively, complete this ENQUIRY FORM.

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS

What assessment materials and techniques does DAS International use?

Assessment can be about answering specific questions about a child’s educational development

• Is he dyslexic?
• Is his inattention appropriate for his age?
• What can we do to help her pass her Maths exam?

Or about more general questions

• Is she doing as well as we can expect?
• What sort of school might be best at the secondary stage?
• How should his education be supplemented to overcome his difficulties?

That’s why we always ask what the purpose(s) of the request for assessment is/are.

We provide assessment services to answer these different questions, starting with what has been done up to the present. Specifically, so we would like to know about previous assessments and interventions (e.g. speech and language therapy or occupational therapy), in as much detail as possible. We also need parents’ views and observations, and we prefer parents to ask the child’s teacher(s) for opinions and observations on how the child performs in school.

We look carefully at what parents send us and formulate an assessment plan, suggesting what we consider to be the best ways to answer the questions.  We can discuss this via video conferencing, or we can invite parents (and sometimes the child) to an initial consultation to discuss what might be done.  

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY ASSESSMENTS

Cognitive Assessments:

Depending on the questions to be answered, the psychologist might use either the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 5th Edition, the Singapore Ability Scales, or some combination.  There may also be some value in using some aspects of dynamic assessment, including informal tasks and games, and tests and questionnaires of “executive functioning” (including attention control, short-term memory, motivation). The aim is to develop a picture of the child’s strengths and difficulties in handling a variety of learning tasks.  The child’s own feelings and attitudes to learning, especially as they pass the age of 10, is at the centre of this investigation.  We want to identify what the child finds hard and so look for ways of helping, as well as what the child finds easy, and so what resources they bring to their learning.

Academic assessments:

The educational psychologist may administer tests of educational attainments, such as from the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 4th Edition. If there is a particular focus on one academic area, then more detailed assessments might be used, to try to make clearer what the child’s strengths and difficulties in this particular area are.  The areas we most often look at in-depth are reading, writing and spelling, oral language and maths.

Assessments of other areas of functioning

Overlapping with both cognitive and educational assessments, we may want more detailed pictures in some particular areas of cognitive functioning.  For phonological abilities, where we might use the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing or the Phonological Abilities Battery. For attention, we might use the computerised Test of Variables of Attention. Parents and teachers may be asked to complete survey forms that provide further insight into a child’s learning and behaviour in various settings.

Reporting Back

Following the assessment, the psychologist will consolidate the findings and share them with parents. Conclusions and where diagnoses (if any), along with recommendations will be discussed with parents as well. As quickly as 2 weeks after the assessment debrief session, we will provide a report documenting the assessment process, outcome and recommendations. We aim to summarize the findings and recommendations as succinctly as we can.

We also aim to consider how adults can explain the conclusions of the assessment to the children concerned, and so we will suggest possible ways to do so, which will help the child and family go forward in learning or social development. 

ASSESSMENT FEES

Assessment Fees are in effect from 1 July 2024, fees shown are inclusive of GST at 9%.

# Partial assessments will be charged at 75% of the listed assessment cost.

^ Combo fees will only apply to dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD

*  For the conduct of a combination of test areas, separate pricing will be computed. 

DAS INTERNATIONAL CONCIERGE ASSESSMENT SERVICES

• Providing a personalised approach for every client
• A Concierge Service with direct access to the Psychologist within 3 working days of receiving the enquiry form
• Initiating an intake interview with the Client scheduled for a date of the following working week where the client will be guided in completing the assessment criteria, obtaining information, understanding the client's concerns and providing preliminary recommendations for assessment testing that is required.
• Discussion of Fees and range of assessments are discussed at the preliminary client interview so that clients are clear from the onset what to expect during the assessment process
• Assessment dates are confirmed within the earliest date of the following week or at the client's availability
• An Assessment report will be delivered as quickly as within 6 weeks* from receiving the application as we understand every assessment is a priority.
• DAS International Assessments complements our existing specialist remedial programmes with fast referrals to the appropriate comprehensive support from the assessment recommendations

 * Duration is dependent on the gathering of all necessary information.

DAS Psychologists can provide psycho-educational assessments for students (Primary to Tertiary) as well as school-readiness assessments for preschoolers. 

Contact us with your concerns and we will work with you to support you and your child.  

We look forward to supporting students with Specific Learning Differences to achieve their potential through DAS International Assessment Services.

Read more here

ASSESSMENT PROCESS