Behavioural observations (test-taking behaviours) are an important part of the assessment process, but their value extends far beyond simply describing whether a client was “pleasant and cooperative” during the session. In many cases, observing how an individual approaches a task can provide far greater insight into underlying cognitive, academic, and neurodevelopmental processes than test scores alone.
For example, two students may achieve similar scores on a reading task, yet present very differently during the assessment process. One student may read quickly but inaccurately, while another reads accurately but slowly and effortfully, relying heavily on decoding strategies and cognitive effort to reach the same outcome (or achieve the same score overall). Similarly, a student completing mathematics tasks may quietly draw lines or tally marks on scrap paper to support calculation, revealing ongoing reliance on concrete counting strategies rather than automatic retrieval of number facts. This can also be seen during written language tasks. Some students may repeatedly sound out words aloud while spelling, trial multiple spelling options before selecting one that “looks right”, or pause frequently to verbally rehearse sounds and letter patterns. While the final written product may appear relatively intact, observing how they approached the assessment task itself can reveal the significant cognitive load and compensatory strategies underpinning performance.
These process observations can offer valuable insight into the development, application, and automaticity of underlying skills. They may help clinicians better understand how hard a student is working to achieve a result, what strategies they are relying upon, where breakdowns occur, and whether skills have become efficient and integrated over time. These are often the moments during assessment that deepen clinical understanding beyond the standardised score profile alone. They can assist clinicians in identifying emerging skills, compensatory strategies, and areas to target intervention and supports post assessment.
Developing confidence in noticing and interpreting these subtle process observations often comes with experience, reflective practice, and opportunities for discussion through supervision and mentoring. At Flourish, these types of observations frequently form part of broader conversations around assessment interpretation, diagnostic formulation, and understanding the “why” behind a student’s presentation, rather than focusing solely on scores and outcomes.
The observation checklist included within the SLD Assessment Resource Kit was developed to help clinicians move beyond simply documenting behaviour and instead support more intentional observation of the strategies, processes, and patterns that may emerge throughout the assessment process. These observations can often provide some of the richest clinical insights during assessment and contribute meaningfully to understanding how a student is learning, processing, and engaging with tasks in real time.
