Everything you need before an appointment at PALS: where we are, what to bring, how long it takes and what happens on the day.

Finding us

PALS, Castletown (near Portroe), Ballina, Co. Tipperary, V94 YC90. We are a few minutes outside Portroe; Ballina is the postal address.

Please don't rely on satnav. If you are coming from the Ballina direction, mapping apps route you up a very narrow mountain road. Written directions from Nenagh, Killaloe and Limerick, and the landmarks to look for (a black and yellow wall, a large concrete driveway, two large mirrors on the road opposite the entrance), are on our Contact page.

When you arrive

Please stay in your car until we call you in. This gives us time to make sure the previous client has left and the room is ready.

What to bring

• Glasses or a hearing aid, if the person being assessed wears them.
• A copy of any previous professional reports (for example psychological, speech and language, or occupational therapy), if you haven't already sent them to us. We don't need school test results.
• For DARE attainment testing: the student's CAO number, and a copy of the psychological report that gave the dyslexia or dyscalculia diagnosis.

There is no need to bring a snack: there isn't normally a break, as Jason prefers to keep the session moving.

How long it takes

The appointment can vary anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the person being assessed and the length of the feedback. Your booking shows the full slot we hold for you; the appointment is often shorter.

With very young children the length varies enormously. Some are happy to keep going for a while; others show us what we need in 5–10 minutes, and that is completely normal. A short session is never a wasted one.

Preparing your child

Talk to your child about where you are going; for many children this helps. The words "test" and "assessment" can cause anxiety, so it often helps to describe the visit as games and puzzles with Jason that get a bit trickier as they go. Many children like the idea that it is a bit like a video game: you keep going to see what level you can reach, and everyone reaches a level they can't beat. Unlike school, your child is not expected to know all the answers.

For a teenager: there is nothing to revise or prepare for. This isn't a school exam and it is impossible to fail. The tasks are designed to get gradually harder until they become too tricky, so no one is expected to finish everything.

What happens on the day

Educational (psycho-educational) assessment. Jason works one to one with your child. The session has two parts: thinking and reasoning games and puzzles (the cognitive part, using the Stanford-Binet / SB5), then reading, spelling, writing and maths tasks (the attainment part, using the WIAT, plus a short timed reading exercise called the TOWRE). The testing room is right beside the waiting area and the door is normally left open, so you both have a clear line of sight to each other. For a very anxious child it is possible for a parent to sit in the testing room.

Adult assessment. The same two parts, at your own pace. There is nothing to revise and no pass or fail.

DARE attainment testing. About an hour: reading, spelling and maths tasks only, to give the up-to-date scores a DARE application needs. Jason completes the DARE Literacy/Numeracy Attainment Summary Sheet and sends it to you, usually within two weeks of the session.

Comprehensive assessment, Phase 2. The components agreed at your Stage 1 feedback call: the psycho-educational profile (as above), the TOVA attention test, or the 3Di diagnostic interview, in any combination. Your child attends for the educational and attention testing. The 3Di is an interview with the parent or guardian only and takes about an hour; if it is part of the same visit, please bring another adult to mind your child during it. If you can't bring a second adult, let us know and we will arrange the 3Di for a separate date or online.

3Di interview only. A parent or guardian interview of about an hour, in the clinic or online over Zoho Meeting. Your child should not attend.

Feedback on the day

On completion of the assessment, we ask that your child returns to the car so that Jason can give you feedback privately, with an idea of what the report will say. If you feel your child is too young to be left unsupervised in the car, please bring another adult with you to supervise while you receive feedback.

An adult stays in the building

In line with TUSLA child protection guidelines, a parent or guardian must remain in the building throughout the assessment. Tea, coffee and bathroom facilities are available while you wait. Please sanitise your hands on arrival; masks are not required.

The teacher report form

For a school-age child, please share our short Teacher Report Form with the teacher who knows your child best, to gain their perspective on any difficulties. For a preschool child, the creche or preschool can complete it. (Not needed for a Comprehensive Phase 2 visit: the school forms were collected in Phase 1.)

After the assessment

A draft report is emailed to you within four weeks of the assessment (and of receiving any outstanding paperwork) for you to review before it is finalised. In some cases, depending on what the assessment shows, we may also ask you to complete a short online questionnaire at home about everyday skills; Jason will explain if that would help. Our reports are accepted by the HSE and the Department of Education (DES).

Need to change your appointment?

Use the reschedule or cancel link in your booking email, or email us at pals@pa-ls.com.