Our comprehensive psychoeducational assessment evaluates multiple areas involved in a child’s ability to complete tests and academic assignments to the best, as well as academic achievement. Based on the results of the assessment, we determine your child’s area(s) of difficulty and provide recommendations for classroom modifications and accommodations as well as additional services (e.g., learning support), if necessary. Our recommendations be implemented in the classroom, when completing assignments or when participating in standardized testing. For example, if assessment findings indicate that a child has attention, concentration, information processing difficulties or delayed academic achievement, recommendations for individualized accommodations are provided that may include additional time on exams and other tests, completing work in a separate room and/or being given a notetaker or verbal instructions. The following are the steps for the typical psychoeducational assessment:

Step 1: Initial Meeting with Parents

Initially, we meet with the child’s parents or parent in person. The main goal for this meeting is to learn about the child by discussing his/her developmental history, current abilities and experiences at school and home.

Step 2: Assessment

There are several parts to the assessment. A high-quality assessment helps understand a child from different perspectives using several methods. The assessment includes the following:

• Intellectual ability – What a child is capable of achieving academically
  1. Academic achievement – What a child has achieved academically with a focus on reading, writing and maths
  2. Standardised tests to assess a child’s intellectual abilities and academic achievement
• Questionnaires and rating scales to assess a child’s social-emotional and executive functioning (engagement in purposeful, goal-directed, problem-solving behaviour) from the parents’ and teachers’ perspectives
• Interviews with the parents or parent, the child’s teachers and other school staff as well as the child, if appropriate
• Observations at school and during the administration of the standardised tests
• Review of school records

Step 2: Assessment

Once the assessment is complete, we write a comprehensive report that integrates and summarises the findings. The report typically includes the following:

• The reason(s) the child was referred for an assessment
• The child’s background, including educational history
• A description of the tests administered, test results and interpretation of those results
• Recommendations to solve and/or decrease the severity of the child’s difficulties. These recommendations are interventions that are designed specifically for the child and can be implemented at school and/or at home.

Step 4: Feedback Session(s)

After the child’s report is completed, we meet with the parents to discuss the report, including the recommendations. If it is helpful, we can also meet with the teachers, along with the parents, at the child’s school to review the report and discuss how the recommendations could be implemented.