Introduction
The advantage of the Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) is that it is not a psychometric test with age-specific norms. This makes the use of CAP appropriate for a wide variety of students and is not limited to school/academic settings.
Within SEN legislative framework, CAP can be used for students from early years into adulthood, providing a flexible tool for work in the new extended age range for education, health and care plans (EHCPs) up to the age of 25 years.
The Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) is grounded in developmental psychology and underpinned by DA and cognitive approaches to teaching and learning. For example, it emphasises the importance of metacognition in teaching and learning, which has been widely shown in modern education research to be a key factor in the understanding of what works most effectively in the classroom.
Why study the CAP?
Many education professionals need to be able to assess student progress effectively. This Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) course will bring the unique benefits of Dynamic Assessment and cognitive education into the mainstream work of practitioner psychologists, specialist teachers and therapists.
The course will not only teach you how to use CAP to structure an in-depth individualised assessment but will also show you how it can be used for systematic consultation and observation – which may mitigate the need to carry out individual direct work with a particular student.
Read more about Dynamic Assessment and the CAP here
Select your study style and dates
Online
Webinar series and online learning
Info & dates
The course is delivered via a series of 4 webinars. The next dates will be:
- Tuesday 11th November 2025
- Tuesday 18th November 2025
- Thursday 4th December 2025
- Thursday 11th December 2025
Course content
The following content will be covered during the four webinar sessions together with all the online course materials..
- The principles of Dynamic Assessment (DA).
- The key questions that DA addresses and how DA concepts apply to CAP.
- The tripartite learning partnership model – the learner, the mediator and the task.
CAP in practice
- Rate the seven functional domains of cognitive abilities (Section A).
- Recording profile information and constructing the summary graph – including video analysis and discussion.
- Undertake optional further analysis.
- Exploring the differences between direct instruction and mediated learning – while understanding the impact on the learner.
- Using techniques and video analysis in consulting and rating (Section B).
- Analyse how observation and analysis actually work in the classroom (Section C).
- Practice task analysis in and out of the classroom using video.
Investigating CAP’s landscape – from cognitive dysfunctions to cognitive abilities
- Examine the underlying theoretical concepts and cognitive processes – particularly phases of thinking and functional domains model of the CAP.
- Get an overview of the CAP manual’s contents – including records and summary forms, general scoring guidelines and considerations.
Review, reflect and follow up
- Summarise the profile.
- Evaluate how CAP interpretation leads to intervention targets.
- Develop an intervention plan (IP).
- Learn how to customise your IP.
- Examine CAP’s review cycle.
- Tackle questions, take part in the discussion, look at the next steps, and support for practice.
Course details
How will you benefit?
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Use CAP to help teachers, parents and others understand the learner’s needs.
- Develop recommendations that lead to an intervention plan (IP).
- Understand how to use the profile systemically to review progress.
How is the course delivered?
The CAP course is delivered through a mixture of online videos, reading and activities via four 2½ hour webinars. As you will be aware, many activities and all kinds of communication have been increasingly benefitting from online media not only as forms of social communication but as important channels for learning, sharing and working.
People undertaking the forthcoming CAP online course will be able to:
- Join from anywhere in the world, without encountering the costs and inconvenience of travelling.
- Take the course at schedule that suits you, with a blend of pre-recorded videos which can be viewed and reviewed at times convenient for you.
- Reflect, digest and prepare your questions ahead of the next live session, as you’ll watch a pre-recorded video before each live session
- Experience maximum flexibility. Missed a live session? You can go over it yourself. Want to watch a case study again? All live sessions will be recorded and made available for participants to view and review for a limited period of time following the course.
- Network with other participants, to share experiences and ideas.
- Benefit from one-to-one Q&A time with Dr Ruth Deutsch who will deliver the CAP online training.
We also organise bespoke national/international courses for those organisations wishing to train up a cohort of staff.
How will you be assessed?
This course is not formally assessed. However, clear staging posts over the four interactive webinars will ensure that your learning and practice are embedded every step of the way.
What will the CAP enable you to do?
The Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) course will enable you to:
- Understand the theoretical basis and goals of CAP.
- Get to grips with the contents of CAP.
- Utilise CAP Record forms and the CAP manual effectively.
- Use CAP to plan interventions and review progress.
This will strengthen your confidence in the:
- Gathering of information.
- Summary and analysis of data.
- Generation of hypotheses regarding student progress.
- Identification of the next learning steps.
- Development of specific measurable targets.
- Monitoring of progress.
Are you eligible?
Access to the course will be highly relevant to psychologists, therapists, teachers, learning-support assistants (LSA’s), caregivers, etc.
Those who do not work in one of these professions are also welcome – as long as they work in the learning and development of children, adolescents, and adults.
When does the course start?
Next available dates:
The course is delivered via a series of 4 webinars. The next dates will be:
- Tuesday 11th November 2025
- Tuesday 18th November 2025
- Thursday 4th December 2025
- Thursday 11th December 2025
Sessions will run from 9.30am to 12pm GMT. Please note, these dates are currently provisional and we will confirm them no less than 2 months prior to the course start date.
Please note: To ensure you are able to get the most out of the Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP) course, there will be preparation (reading, tasks and videos) before each session. Please ensure when you enrol, you have sufficient time to complete the preparation tasks and have access to a CAP manual.
How much does the course cost?
- The price of our CAP course is £615+VAT per delegate.
Please note: If you do not have access already, we strongly advise everyone attending a CAP training course has access to the CAP toolkit (consisting of the CAP guidance manual, Summary forms, Record forms, and Short forms). You can purchase the CAP Toolkit from the Dyslexia Action Shop.
- The CAP toolkit is £350 + VAT
Find out more about the CAP toolkit.
Bespoke courses
If you, or your organisation, would like to book a bespoke CAP training course for up to 20 participants, then please contact us at info@realgroup.co.uk to discuss available dates and prices.
Are you based in an international setting and would like a bespoke CAP course for you and your colleagues in your own time-zone? Please contact us at info@realgroup.co.uk to discuss an online international CAP training course. Whether you’re in Australia, the USA or Madagascar, we can discuss a course with dates and times that suit you.
Speak to us on +44(0)1273 35 80 80 or send us a message.
Success stories
“I found the course inspirational. It made me think about my practice, principles and priorities. I learnt so much and it was good to reaffirm much of what I do value.”
Helen Nation
Module leader
Module Leader for CAP course
Ruth is a practitioner psychologist and a leading international trainer in the field of dynamic assessment and cognitive education. She is also the author of the Cognitive Abilities Profile (CAP).
As an educational, child and adolescent psychologist, she combines ongoing practice with training and wide ranging consultation to psychologists, therapists, teachers and parents.
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