Frequently Asked Questions

Children, youth and young adults may be referred for a psychoeducational assessment for a number of reasons. Here are a variety of questions to ask, remembering that each child is their own unique person, with individual characteristics. Please note that although this list appears to ask about ‘difficulties’ or ‘challenges’, the goal of the assessment is to be strength-based and positive, and to learn more about your child so that they can flourish.

• Has your child had difficulty acquiring reading, writing, spelling and/or mathematics skills?
• Is it hard for your child to write answers to questions, stories or essays?
• Have you noticed any socio-emotional difficulties that may be affecting academic progress?
• Does your child have difficulty paying attention in class and at home?
• Is your child working extra hard, just to achieve the same amount of success as other students?
• Does your child have difficulty initiating or following through on homework or assignments?
• Does your child seem to worry more than other kids? Does the worry interfere with everyday activities?
• Is your child learning slower than other children?
• Does your child appear to learn faster than other children?
• Has your youth been receiving accommodations to help them succeed in secondary school? Are they entering post-secondary college or university? Will they continue to need accommodations in college or university? Colleges and universities require up to date psychoeducational assessments to document a diagnosis and the need for accommodations and interventions.

1. Intake, review of information, interviews
The psychoeducational assessment begins with a conversation with the parent/guardian to talk about your child. You will also be asked to fill out forms describing development, school history, socio-emotional development, executive functioning, etc. You will be asked to provide copies of available records such as report cards, Individual Education Plans, assessment reports, medical reports.

You will also be asked for your consent to contact the school to obtain information about your child’s progress at school, and to fill out forms regarding academic history and socio-emotional development. All of this information helps the psychologist get to know your child/youth better.

2. Individual assessment with your child/youth
The psychologist will meet with your child individually for the testing sessions. This is the time for the psychologist to connect with your child and develop a relationship that will make them feel comfortable during the assessment. The approximate time of the individual testing is five to six hours, usually divided into two sessions, or more if necessary.
During this time, the psychologist will conduct

• Cognitive (i.e intellectual) assessment, which provides important information about verbal skills, perceptual reasoning, fluid reasoning, memory skills and processing skills.
• Academic assessment in language skills (i.e. reading skills including reading comprehension, written language and spelling skills, etc.) and mathematics skills (i.e. operational and problem-solving skills).
• Socio-emotional assessment – you may be asked to fill out forms that ask questions about your child’s socio-emotional development, attention, mental health, executive functioning, etc.
• Other assessments as necessary, determined during the assessment session – e.g. assessment of receptive or expressive language, visual-motor integration, etc.

All of the assessment tools (i.e. ‘tests’) that the psychologist uses are standardized forms of assessment. That means that they have been administered to large groups of children and that your child’s results can be compared with other children/youth of a similar age. The results of the assessment can also demonstrate cognitive and academic areas of their individual strengths and needs within their own profile.

3. Report and Feedback
The psychologist reviews all of the information, scores the tests that have been used and develop a comprehensive report which includes the results of the assessment, a diagnosis if appropriate, and recommendations for home and school.
When the report is complete, the psychologist will meet with you to review the report and answer any questions that you may have. Follow-up meetings/email/phone calls are encouraged if you have additional questions after the feedback meeting. The psychologist is also available to meet with school personnel and you to discuss the report and assist with determining specific accommodations.

The assessment can provide information about your child’s learning and socio-emotional skills, and increase understanding about your child for you and the school. Many times, a child may be struggling with an undiagnosed learning disability or other condition that makes it very difficult to learn. The assessment can help parents and educators support learning and achievement and positive mental health.

Sometimes the assessment may reveal unexpected information. For instance, it may reveal a diagnosis of a learning disability, ADHD, a developmental disability, etc. It is important to know that the diagnosis does not change who your child is and always has been. The psychologist can help you understand the implications of the diagnosis, and to suggest plans and strategies to help your child/youth now and in the future.

A referral is not needed for a psychoeducational assessment. However, if there are medical issues, please provide this information to the psychologist.

Typically, a psychoeducational assessment will provide enough information for many years of school programming. When big educational transitions occur, for instance, moving into high school or into college/university, it can be helpful to have a new psychoeducational assessment to provide further information about accommodations and interventions for the new school setting. Also, when a child’s performance in school changes dramatically, it may be useful to have a re-assessment.

If the assessment reveals that a diagnosis is necessary, it will be provided within the context of the report.

We strive to provide affordable rates, which are lower than the suggested fee structure of the Ontario Psychological Association. Fees are discussed at our first contact. Portions of psychological services are often covered by extended health benefit plans. If you have any questions, please call your benefits provider.