Are the standards the same around the world?
Short answer: the science is global, the paperwork is local. Psychologists in Melbourne, Boston, and London measure the same abilities with the same family of tests, but each country sets its own norms, registers its own professionals, and runs its own support systems.
1 · The tests are the same brands, normed locally
The WISC-V, the world’s most-used cognitive assessment for children, comes in an Australian & New Zealand Standardised Edition, a UK edition, and a US edition. Same subtests, same five-index structure (Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed), but each is scored against a local sample, so a child is compared with peers in their own country. Research shows the underlying measurement model holds across these versions, which is why an assessment done in one country can usually be read in another.
2 · The professionals are regulated differently
In Australia, assessments must be done by a psychologist registered with AHPRA. In the US, by a licensed psychologist or credentialed school psychologist under state law. In the UK, “educational psychologist” is a protected title that requires HCPC registration, though specially certified teachers can assess for exam access arrangements. The test publishers enforce this too: Pearson only sells the WISC-V to registered psychologists.
3 · The reports open different doors
This is where countries differ most. The same assessment report feeds NCCD adjustments and VCE Special Examination Arrangements in Australia, IEP or 504 processes in the United States, and EHCP or JCQ access arrangements in the UK. The GiraffeLens report includes a country-specific next-steps section, so you know exactly which door your evidence opens.
Side by side
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core instruments | WISC-V Australian & New Zealand Standardised Edition; WIAT-III A&NZ | WISC-V (US norms); WIAT-4; Woodcock-Johnson IV | WISC-V UK; WIAT-III UK |
| Who can administer | Psychologists registered with AHPRA (Psychology Board of Australia) | Licensed psychologists / credentialed school psychologists (state licensure) | HCPC-registered practitioner psychologists; for exam arrangements, also specialist teachers with an SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate |
| School funding & support | NCCD (Nationally Consistent Collection of Data) adjustments; NDIS funding for eligible supports | IDEA → IEP (specialised instruction); Section 504 plans (accommodations) | SEN Support via the school SENCO; EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) |
| Exam accommodations | VCAA Special Examination Arrangements (VCE); equivalents in other states | College Board / ACT accommodations (documentation required) | JCQ Access Arrangements (e.g. 25% extra time) via Form 8 |
| University entry schemes | SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme) and equivalents | Disability services offices; documentation per institution | DSA (Disabled Students' Allowance) support |
| Typical private cost | AUD $950-$3,000 (Medicare generally doesn't rebate) | USD $2,000-$6,000 (school-district evaluations are free under IDEA) | £500-£1,200 for an educational psychologist assessment |
What this means for GiraffeLens
Because the abilities being measured are the same everywhere, a well-designed screening works anywhere: working memory is working memory in Sydney and in Seattle. GiraffeLens screens these shared abilities, then tailors the one part that really differs, the next-steps pathway in your report, to the country you select in your child’s profile.