Why Choose Marbles and Minds
Why Assess Cognitive Ability
Cognitive assessments helps uncover the underlying reasons why a learner may be struggling. Instead of focusing only on grades or performance, these assessments evaluate the brain skills that support learning, thinking, and problem-solving.
Identify the Root Cause
Learning challenges are often linked to weak cognitive skills such as memory, attention, processing speed, auditory processing, or visual processing. Cognitive testing helps pinpoint which specific skills may need support.
Understand Ability vs. Performance
Some learners have strong potential but struggle because certain cognitive skills are not working as efficiently as they could. Testing helps determine whether difficulties are related to brain skills rather than effort or motivation.
Create Targeted Support
Once specific challenges are identified, a Marbles and Minds therapist can tailor sessions to focus on strengthening the skills that need improvement.
Prevent Mislabeling
Without proper assessment, struggling learners may be labeled as lazy, unmotivated, or inattentive. Cognitive testing provides objective insights that help explain the real reasons behind learning difficulties.
Measure Progress Over Time
Cognitive testing also provides a baseline. After targeted training or intervention, a second assessment can measure improvements and show how cognitive skills have developed.
By understanding how the brain processes information, cognitive testing helps learners build stronger skills and gain the confidence they need to succeed academically, professionally, and socially.
What to Expect
Before we begin, we will schedule a skills assessment with a Marbles and Minds therapist. This includes a one on one in-person assessment lasting roughly 1 hour.
During the assessment, you or your child will complete a series of activities designed to measure different cognitive skills, such as memory, attention, and processing. Each activity focuses on specific skills, allowing us to evaluate the brain’s core learning and thinking abilities. This helps us identify the root causes of learning or thinking challenges before beginning brain training.
The assessment results allow us to develop a detailed cognitive profile for each learner. Using these insights, we identify the skills with the greatest need for improvement and individually plan each session to target specific areas of the brain. At the same time, we maintain our holistic approach, ensuring the whole brain is exercised while tracking and measuring the meaningful gains made along the way.
About the Assessment
Our skills assessment measures 10 individual cognitive skills, as well as overall cognitive performance.
- Processing Speed- The ability to perform cognitive tasks, particularly when measured under pressure to maintain focused attention.
- Working Memory- The ability to hold information in immediate awareness while performing a mental operation on it.
- Auditory Memory- The ability to hold auditory information in immediate awareness while
- Visual Memory- The ability to hold visual information in immediate awareness while performing a mental operation on the information.
- Long-Term Memory- The ability to store information and fluently and retrieve it later in the process of thinking.
- Attention- The ability of the brain to stay focused on activities and tasks.
- Visual Processing/Spatial Reasoning- The ability to perceive, analyze, and interpret visual patterns, including the ability to store and recall visual images.
- Auditory Processing/Phonemic Awareness- The ability to analyze and manipulate speech sounds; crucial underlying skill for reading and spelling.
- Logic and Reasoning/Critical Thinking: The ability to reason and think logically, develop ideas, and solve problems using unfamiliar information or novel procedures.
- Reading Comprehension: The ability to picture and remember what you read and hear.
Through these assessments, we identify the cognitive skills that may be holding children or adults back. In subsequent training sessions, we focus on strengthening those specific skills so individuals can better reach their full potential, whether academically, professionally, or socially.
