Cognitive assessments are sought and conducted in a variety of situations. These may form part of a standard assessment (ie Parenting Capacity, Risk Assessment) where there are indications that a person’s intellectual capacity may be compromised or they may form the basis of a specific referral.
Situations where specific referrals for cognitive and allied assessments (i.e. memory, premorbid functioning, suggestibility and compliance, neuropsychological) might be sought include:
- Capacity to understand and engage with court proceedings, or capacity to contribute meaningfully to one’s legal case
- In relation to adolescents where intellectual difficulties are suspected, a cognitive assessment can aid in determining if Juvenile court would be a more appropriate setting than Adult court to conduct proceedings
- In criminal cases, where issues in respect of false confession or suggestibility have arisen
- In criminal cases, where neuropsychological impairment may have been a potential contributory factor to the offence/s
Cognitive assessments determine IQ levels, verbal comprehension ability, processing speed, working memory and perceptual reasoning ability. Depending on the individual case, more in depth assessments can be conducted (ie memory, premorbid functioning, suggestibility and compliance, neuropsychological).