Specialists can assess a child's cognitive development, but accurate measurement may not be possible for those under 3, a United Nations University report. There are a number of validated tests for children older than 3; none are designed for home administration or evaluation by a parent, unless you are a trained child psychologist or educator. Other testing, based on observation of school and social performance, can also evaluate your child's cognitive development.
Step 1
Administer a Stanford-Binet IQ test as the first part of a holistic testing process. Consult your child's school psychologist for an interpretation of this test.
Step 2
Obtain the skilled-teacher observations and evaluations of social and academic development, records of grade advancement, milestone achievement and special-education placement from the beginning of your child's education to the present.
Step 3
Obtain your child's medical records from birth through the date of this evaluation.
Step 4
Consult your child's school psychologist, or a privately retained child developmental psychologist, to combine the IQ test results with the observational and medical data to obtain a full assessment of your child's early cognitive development.
Tips and Warnings
- The holistic test procedure, combining IQ with all other data, detected an average increase of 8 IQ points along with superior short- and long-term social and academic performance and health in disadvantaged children enrolled in specially enriched school programs, according to research published in 1995 by Rutgers University professor Dr. W. Steven Barnett. Early childhood cognitive development is intimately connected to social, academic and health factors. Specific tests for components of early childhood cognitive development include the Test of Non-verbal Intelligence; Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; and Stanford-Binet. You must retain a trained professional to administer, interpret and advise you based on any or all of these. Your child's school may have professionals skilled in test administration, but you can also engage a private professional for the work. Costs may range between $500 and $3,000, depending on the complexity of testing you request.
- Your child is not a test result, but a complex and growing individual. Beware of labeling based on tests of early childhood cognitive development. Labels can lock in both positive and negative expectations, restrict your child's freedom of choice and expression, and may foreclose on future possibilities.
Things You'll Need
- Standardized developmental tests: WISC, TONI, Stanford-Binet IQ
- Childhood developmental psychologist
- Pre-school and school records
