On report writing:

I guess that is the most tedious part of my job. But it is also the most important part. Each child that i had done an assessment on will forever have this report kept in his file. It would determine if an external agency would accept him. It would help future teachers on knowing the child better in terms of his functioning level. It would determine the help he can potentially receive.

Of course there is a time span where an assessment report would be valid. For a standard IQ test, perhaps up to 2 years. The same IQ test could not be administered twice within a year because of practise effects. Hence an IQ assessment report would still be useful within two years after it was finished. For other assessment like adaptive behaviour and development assessment would be much more dynamic and much more changes could be expected due to perhaps developmental progress or environmental changes. The lifespan of such reports may not be long, but are still extremely useful in determining the functioning level of the child at that particular period of time. It would provide useful information that could be use for intervention.

One assessment report generally include 1-2 tests. A test for functioning level and one for adaptive behaviour. Sometimes 2-3 IQ tests may be attempted as the previous test may have failed in solicitating responses (e.g. test requirement is higher than child's functioning level or child tantruming), hence unscorable. The report will also include detailed description of the child's behaviour during testing, an observation of child in class or group setting, along with information provided by the teacher and an interview conducted with the caregiver on child's adaptive behaviour. Sometimes a child may have an assessment report without an IQ score but the other parts of the report would have given the reader an idea of how the child is functioning.

Some reports are easier to write than others. Some external agencies only require the interview with the caregiver for referral. I could usual finish one within two hours. But those which include an IQ assessment is much more detailed and harder to write. The detailed observation and reporting on individual test items are fairly straightforward, but it is difficult when it comes to the conclusion as it requires more than a summary of the report, it also require clinical judgement and evaluation. The conclusion would also include the recommendations. For example, which external agencies should he be referred to. And if he is not being referred out, what action would benefit the child from the information that has been obtained (e.g. specific therapy). Hence i spend a great deal of time writing the conclusion even though it only constitute 1/5 generally of the assessment report.

One assessment report can take me a day to write if i just concentrate on it solely. However it is difficult to do so as it is rather draining. So i much rather write a section here and there (usually starting with those that are straightforward reporting) before sitting down and concentrate on the conclusion.