About Me

Welcome to my website! Please have a look around and feel free to contact me with your questions.

What I do: Educational-Psychological Assessment. Full diagnostic assessments for Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia / Dyscalculia). Eligible to assess learners for the Fund for Students with Disabilities (Ireland) and the Disabled Student’s Allowance (U.K.).

My background:
Rowena O’Brien (C.Psychol., Ps.S.I.) a Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland, founded Assess Me with the aim of making assessments for all more accessible. A Psychology graduate, with over 20 years’ experience, teaching and lecturing in the areas of General, Developmental and Educational Psychology at both Further and Higher Education. I have a real understanding of the individual nature of each student in terms of how they learn best, and I work with them to facilitate their academic success and empower them towards independent learning. During my experience in education, I have seen the need for such an assessment service as too many students are still going through much of their schooling and into the workplace undiagnosed with their individual needs unrecognised.

Chartered Psychologist of the Psychological Society of Ireland. Registered on the British Psychological Society Register of Qualifications in Test Use. Professional member of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Registered with The Teaching Council of Ireland. Holder of a current Assessment Practicing Certificate (APC SpLD Patoss). Garda vetted. UDL Facilitator. LIFT Ireland Accredited Facilitator.

My philosophy:
I am passionate about helping individuals build confidence and realise their potential. I believe the key to unlocking potential is to:

• Offer assessments that investigate an individual’s learning profile, identifying their own unique strengths and areas of difficulty.
• Use my knowledge and experience across the education sectors to make key individualised recommendations through a detailed yet accessible diagnostic report.
• This will facilitate effective support that empowers the individual to work towards understanding how they learn best – ‘learning to learn’.

My mission:
To ensure that the assessment process is accessible, meaningful and of direct relevance to the individual to provide reassurance, identify strengths, and suggest ways forward to ensure equality and the challenging of barriers in both education and the workplace.

My Professional Development & Accredited Formal Qualifications:
MA Occupational Psychology (UCC); Professional Practice in Assessment and Reporting SpLD / Dyslexia (University of South Wales MA Programme); SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate (APC); Certificate in Competence in Educational Testing (British Psychological Society); Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Psychology (British Psychological Society); HDip Psychology (UCC); BA Hons (NUIG).

Membership of Professional Bodies: Psychological Society of Ireland; British Psychological Society, Dyslexia Association of Ireland.