Appropriate assessment and intervention for poor academic performance in a primary school aged child

Poor academic performance in a primary school aged child could be a symptom of a myriad of biological, psychological and social conditions. These may vary from child abuse and neglect to learning disorders, to attention deficits, giftedness, and anxiety disorders. Initial assessment arising from such a broad complaint as ‘poor academic performance’ should involve a structured elimination process. This could involve various qualitative and quantitative assessment tools including interviews, observation, psychological tests, and neuropsychological measures. Hypotheses would be developed, depending on the evident deficits and difficulties being encountered by the child, and tested with a view to developing informed and efficacious intervention.

The discussion of assessment will focus on the importance of a multiaxial approach, such as that which is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association (2000) and by Silver and Hagin (2002). Given the limited word limit and scope o...