Comprehensive Assessment

Our Comprehensive Assessment is a detailed, formulation-led Occupational Therapy assessment designed for children and young people with more complex, layered or fluctuating neurodevelopmental presentations.

Some children experience difficulties that cannot be fully understood through looking at one area in isolation. Sensory processing, emotional regulation, executive functioning, motor coordination, participation, fatigue, school demands and environmental stressors may all interact together over time, affecting everyday functioning in different ways across different settings.

Comprehensive Assessments aim to develop a deeper understanding of how these factors interact to affect participation, wellbeing and daily life.

At Activate OT Scotland, all assessments begin with understanding how difficulties are affecting participation across home, school and community environments.

Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, formulation-led and tailored to the child’s individual profile, strengths and support needs.

Depending on the child’s presentation, assessment may explore:

• sensory processing and sensory integration

• emotional regulation and nervous system stress

• executive functioning and adaptive functioning

• motor coordination, praxis and motor planning

• participation fatigue, overwhelm and burnout

• interoception and body awareness

• school participation and environmental demands

• functional independence and everyday routines

• interaction between sensory, emotional, cognitive and environmental factors

Assessment methods are adapted according to the child’s needs and may include:

• structured observation

• play-based and activity-based assessment

• functional participation analysis

• standardised assessment tools where appropriate

• questionnaires and rating scales

• collaboration with families, schools and professionals

• school observation or contextual assessment where appropriate

Comprehensive Assessments are often appropriate for children and young people who:

• present with complex or overlapping neurodevelopmental differences

• experience significant sensory overwhelm or dysregulation

• show fluctuating or inconsistent functioning

• experience school distress, burnout or participation fatigue

• have significant executive functioning difficulties

• present with complex sensory, emotional and participation needs

• have FASD or complex neurodevelopmental profiles

• require detailed formulation and integrated recommendations

• have previously received support that has not fully explained the difficulties

Rather than identifying isolated deficits, Comprehensive Assessments aim to understand the interaction between systems and the impact this has on everyday participation, wellbeing and functioning over time.

Recommendations are detailed, individualised and designed to support more sustainable participation across home, school and community environments.

Recommendations may include:

• sensory and regulation-informed strategies

• environmental adaptations

• participation and pacing recommendations

• school recommendations and collaboration

• executive functioning supports

• emotional regulation supports

• support around burnout, fatigue and recovery

• intervention planning

• detailed professional reporting and formulation