Assessment Services

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Psychoeducational

Our psychologists offer comprehensive evaluations for students in Grades 1 through 12 related to the following concerns:

  • Learning Challenges, Cognitive Difficulties, Attention Problems, Hyperactivity, School Transitions

To find out more about our team’s approach to psychoeducational assessments, please see below. The fee for a psychoeducational assessment is $3150 (15 hours), and includes the following:

  • Interview with parents and youth
  • Testing with youth
  • Interview with the school
  • Scoring and interpretation of test results
  • Writing of detailed report with recommendations
  • Feedback with the family
  • Feedback with the school

*Please note that if significant additional work (e.g., multiple parent interviews, additional necessary testing) is required, additional charges may apply. Your psychologist will discuss prior to your booking.

 

What is a Psychoeducational Assessment?

A psychoeducational assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of a child’s learning profile. Children who may be experiencing learning or academic difficulties, particularly those who may be performing below grade-level at school in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math, often benefit from an assessment.

Why do a Psychoeducational Assessment?

A psychoeducational assessment can provide insights into how a youth learns and processes information, and can help highlight any barriers to learning. Identifying strengths and challenges in a youth’s learning profile is an important step in the development of individualized strategies to help a youth succeed and show their true learning potential. A psychoeducational assessment can also highlight other factors that may be contributing to a youth’s challenges (e.g., attention difficulties, emotional regulation difficulties) to ensure that appropriate supports are put in place.

Sometimes psychoeducational assessments lead to the provision of a diagnosis, such as a Specific Learning Disorder or Disability, ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), or other relevant concerns. Our psychologists recognize that receiving a diagnosis may be challenging, and they work diligently with families to help them understand what the diagnosis means for the youth’s functioning. The diagnosis does not change who the youth is. Rather, a diagnosis helps caregivers and educators use a common language to talk about the youth’s difficulties and allows them to work toward the common goal of supporting the youth’s learning in and outside the school.

What is Involved in a Psychoeducational Assessment?

An Intake Interview

The purpose of the interview is to obtain background information about a youth’s development, medical history, school performance, and socio-emotional and behavioural functioning. This interview is typically conducted with parents, although older youth may also be part of the initial meeting to share their perspective on perceived strengths and challenges.

One-on-One Testing with the Youth

Testing typically takes place over one full day or two half-day meetings (approximately 5 to 7 hours in total). During testing, youth complete a wide range of assessment tasks to evaluate a variety of factors involved in learning, including: verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, memory, vocabulary and language, phonological processing (understanding of the structure and sounds in English language), visual-motor skills, and academic abilities.

Review of School Information

Information about a youth’s functioning at school is obtained through review of school records (e.g., report cards, documentation related to adaptations, previous assessments) and through an interview with the current classroom teacher. An interview may also be conducted with other school staff that may be involved in supporting the youth at school (e.g., Resource teacher, Guidance Counselor), if appropriate.

Completion of Standardized Forms

These forms evaluate a youth’s emotional, behavioural, and social functioning in a systematic way. The goal is to determine whether the youth is experiencing more difficulties than would be expected for their age, and whether those difficulties are impacting their functioning across settings. Forms are typically completed by parents and teachers. Depending on the age of the youth, they may also be asked to complete their own set of forms.

Completion of a Detailed Report

Once all the above information is gathered, your psychologist will review and summarize the findings in a comprehensive report that will be provided to you. The report will also include detailed recommendations about how to draw upon the youth’s strengths at home and at school, and how to support the areas of challenge.

Feedback Session

Your psychologist will review the findings of the assessment at the feedback session and discuss ways in which the recommendations can be implemented at home and at school. If it is believed that further intervention is needed (e.g., academic remediation, intervention for emotional regulation difficulties), your psychologist will review possible options with you.

The feedback session is typically first completed with parents. However, our psychologists believe that it is important for youth to understand their learning profile, so that they can become advocates for themselves. As such, depending on the youth’s age and family’s preference, they often offer a feedback session for youth themselves to help them understand their strengths and challenges in an age-appropriate way.

The feedback session will be schedule approximately 4 weeks after the completion of all testing and the return of questionnaires.

School Meeting

The findings of the assessment report are often relevant to a youth’s functioning at school. As such, our psychologists are happy to consult with school staff at the family’s request.

 

Psychodiagnostic

  • Our team utilizes a goals-based approach in treatment, so the primary focus is not on diagnoses. However, our psychologists offer comprehensive evaluations for children and adolescents for concerns such as mood/depression or anxiety, if deemed helpful.
  • Psychodiagnostic assessments are billed by the hour, at our typical rate of $190/hour. Cost will depend on the specific goals and presenting concerns. Your psychologist can provide an estimate at the time of booking.
  • Please note, our psychologists are unable to provide assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

What is a psychodiagnostic assessment and why do I need one?

A psychoediagnostic assessment aims to clarify mental health diagnoses. Although a psychodiagnotic assessment is not necessary for treatment, a comprehensive mental health diagnostic assessment may be helpful to better under a client’s concerns, to provide additional recommendations, or to access appropriate resources/supports.

What is involved in a psychodiagnostic assessment?

If you are interested in a psychodiagnostic assessment, one of our psychologists will speak with you to discuss the goals for the assessment and whether they are a good fit for what we can offer. A psychodiagnostic assessment typically involves clinical interviews with the parent and youth, as well as completion of standardized questionnaires. However, the exact nature of the assessment tasks will depend on the goals and presenting concerns. Your psychologist can provide you with more detailed information on what to expect.