Brain Test for Child: What It Is and Where to Find One
Brain Test for Child: What It Is and Where to Find One
No parent can say raising their child has been easy. Although the experience has not been the same for all parents, most face similar challenges, particularly in academics. Some children have trouble paying attention to your schoolwork, make careless mistakes, and seem demotivated to do their homework. As the children grow, some fail to develop life skills that will guide them when making critical choices in life.
At some point, many parents ask themselves, “what is wrong with my child?” or “what can I do to help supplement my child’s learning ability?” Fortunately, brain tests are now available to help parents have a better understanding of their child. Singapore is one of the countries with strong healthcare structure and a significant number of learning centres where varying clinical tests can be carried out to determine why a child behaves the way he or she does – is there an underlying medical condition? Is my child experiencing a developmental delay? Or is my child simply going through a slower learning phase?
When it comes to education, Singapore is quite competitive. A child who has all the necessary support but still underperforms is likely to worry most Singaporean parents. That aside, clinical tests will help you to find out the reasons why your child takes longer to absorb or apply information, and steps that you can take to improve your child’s prospects.
What are the Key Components of a Brain Test for Children?
Brain tests are primarily done for children to identify their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The results will provide a guide on the training the brain requires to improve performance and/or help parents and medical professionals to identify the learning disabilities or delays and challenges present in the child.
Some of the cognitive skills tested in a ‘Brain Test’ include the following:
1. Visual Processing
This test on visual processing is done to determine how your child can form and manipulate images in his mind accurately. The result will tell why your child has difficulty in math and other activities that require him to solve problems. If your child struggles to see the relationship between images and a story he or she is reading, there is a possibility the part of the brain that processes images is inefficient. In this case, the doctor will recommend brain training activities.
2. Ability to Remember Accurately
Memory skills are critical in life, especially in education. If you find your child easily forgets something he has just learned or has trouble following simple instructions. A child whose memory skills are insufficient can be frustrated and demoralized since this is something that is beyond their control.
3. Auditory Processing
Although the number of children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is unknown, between 2-5% of children in western countries are affected. Children with ADP have normal hearing, but their brain fails to make sense of what they are hearing. The Auditory Processing test is done to confirm if your child has ADP. It is easier to find a solution when you know if this is the reason why your child to perform poorly in school.
4. General Processing Speed
A child is naturally expected to absorb as much information as possible, especially as they progress in their education. Unfortunately, some children cannot handle vast volumes of data. This can be overwhelming to the child, parents, and teachers since the curriculum has been designed with the expectation that a child can handle it. This is not always the case. The brain test will show if your child has trouble with the speed with which he processes information.
5. Word Attack Skill
A child’s vocabulary grows as he gets older. He or she is naturally expected to retain the old and new words. However, children with a weakness in auditory processing are likely to have a tough time reading content that has a new vocabulary.
The brain is an organ that plays a vital role in a child’s behavioral pattern and performance. Identifying the reasons behind the challenges your child faces will help you find solutions, such as targeted brain training, early enough.
Where Can I Get a Brain Test for my Child?
Most medical facilities or medical specialist clinics provide preliminary testing and diagnosis for various learning delays and syndromes. Another avenue to consider is learning centres, or specifically learning centres that specialize in effective brain training such as Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) for children.
Find out more about the types of clinical assessments and brain tests for children, as well as the ensuing customized program solutions offered at Singapore Brain Development Centre (SBDC) here. SBDC uses a variety of nationally acclaimed cognitive abilities, achievement, and reading mastery tests in addition to proprietary screening tools developed to further identify a child’s individual skill strengths and weaknesses. An accurate assessment is thus formed, and a better program can be crafted to help your child.
