Psychoeducational Assessments

For diagnosing Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Intellectual Delays, and more. Upon diagnosis, clients may qualify for special accommodations in school or university. Can be used to support government-funded disability claims, educational bursaries, and equipment subsidies.

PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS: BASIC FACTS

Psycho-Educational Assessments

Why Consider a Psychoeducational Assessment?

The purpose of psychoeducational assessments is to provide an age-referenced profile of a child's cognitive, learning, and behavioural functioning as well as to elucidate the sources of their academic struggles. Assessment tools include structured standardized tests and measures that are administered individually under controlled conditions to maximize accuracy and to achieve uniformity across administrations. This distinguishes them from standardized tests given to students en masse.

What is a Psychoeducational Assessment?

A psychoeducational assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the mental processes that govern academic, social, and personal achievement. This detailed assessment is equally valuable for identifying high-achieving students and those who struggle with learning or behavioural impairments. Psychoeducational assessments are a key diagnostic tool for identifying children with neurodevelopmental issues (e.g., ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disability, Intellectual Disability) and those with psychological or conduct disorders (anxiety, depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.).

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Specifically, psychoeducational assessments analyze a child's reasoning and problem-solving skills, attention span, working memory, language and spatial abilities, memory, visual-motor integration and a broad range of executive functions, including planning, organization, and impulse control. A psychoeducational assessment will also gauge your child's performance in individual subjects, such as reading, writing, and mathematics.

Once tests and interviews are completed the psychologist conducting the assessment evaluates the results and looks for patterns that reveal a child's unique abilities and learning challenges. This information is then used to form recommendations to enhance the child's education and satisfaction. Parents and educators can apply the results in the following ways:

  • To diagnose possible learning or developmental problems, attention deficit disorders or other psychological issues
  • To identify cognitive weaknesses and strengths
  • To choose the educational environment that best suits your child's needs
  • To identify which school supports and accommodations a child may need to thrive academically
  • To support the school identification process and provision of the required accommodations
  • To support a claim for academic equipment subsidy
  • To guide future career choices
  • To help choose extracurricular activities and enrichment experiences
  • To apply for government-funded disability subsidies

What to Expect During a Psychoeducational Assessment?

Supervised by a registered psychologist licensed in school psychology and administered by a properly trained psychometrist, the evaluation process takes place over multiple sessions. It is administered one-on-one, and typically includes the following five components:

  • Initial Consultation. Parents, student (when appropriate) and the psychologist meet to discuss current issues, review history and any pertinent documentation, such as school reports, previous tests, doctor's notes, and evaluate psychoeducational assessment needs.
  • Psychometric Testing. The actual testing takes between four to eight hours and includes interactive administration of various tests that assess academic and reasoning skills, intellectual ability, executive functioning, memory, and attention.
  • Screening of Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Functioning. Clinical interviews with parents and child and questionnaires completed by parents, teachers and student are used to gather pertinent information from people observing the child in different settings.
  • Report and Recommendations. Based on test results, interview insights, and questionnaire findings, the psychologist produces a comprehensive report summarizing and explaining the findings and, subsequently, makes recommendations for strategic school accommodations and home-support strategies.
  • Feedback Session. The purpose of the final meeting is to review the results, consider recommendations, and address outstanding issues.

 

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WHEN SHOULD YOU TEST?

In some cases, a child's teacher, physician, or psychologist will recommend a psychoeducational evaluation based on their direct observations or the results of standardized testing. However, parents don't need to wait for a professional recommendation to have their child assessed. Many parents independently seek testing in order to diagnose possible developmental problems and proactively explore treatment options for their child. Behaviours and attitudes that could signal a need to evaluate include the following:

  • Loss of interest in school
  • Self doubt and low confidence, especially in comparison to peers
  • Consistent complaints about workload or homework stress
  • Unusual difficulty grasping new concepts/skills
  • High need for significant parental help to accomplish homework and study effectively
  • Disconnect between a child's potential and performance
  • Procrastination and poor planning skills create an obstacle for success
  • Observations that the child struggles to stay focused in class and/or at home
  • Refusal to go to school
  • Striking discrepancy in grades, such as high marks in English and low grades in Math
Psycho-Educational Assessments

Who Should Receive a Psychoeducational Assessment?

If a professional has advised that you have your child assessed, it's important to recognize that there are diverse reasons for testing – many of them positive. The thorough nature of psychoeducational assessments makes these tests ideal for identifying strengths as well as weaknesses. Through testing, a psychologist can inform you about your child's complete learning profile, including undetected gifts and treatable learning problems. Generally, this kind of testing is recommended for any child who does not fit a "typical" learning profile, whether they appear to be far ahead of their peers or behind.

You should consider a psychoeducational testing if you believe your child is gifted, but he or she was not selected for gifted testing during standardized aptitude tests due to lower than expected achievement. Assessments can identify and document learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, mood disorders, or executive functioning issues that may be holding an otherwise intelligent child back.

Some of the executive functioning deficits analyzed during assessment include problems with attention, impulsivity, and self-regulation, a set of behaviours sometimes referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Results provide information about distractibility and executive functioning that can be used to choose appropriate school accommodations and set realistic goals for improvement.

Children who struggle at school often feel ashamed, frustrated and insecure because they compare themselves unfavorably to their peers and blame themselves for not being "as good as the others". Reasons for behavioural and emotional difficulties become apparent through assessments, too. Once the roots of the problem are identified and an intervention plan is put in place, children's confidence improves dramatically.

Parents who sense that something simply "isn't right" with their child frequently pursue testing to answer questions including the following:

  • How does my child learn best?
  • Is my child's school a good fit?
  • Why does my child not show interest in learning?
  • Why can't my child make friends?
  • Does having poor social skills and bad eye contact mean my child might have Asperger's or autism?

Even children with no apparent deficits or needs can benefit from receiving a comprehensive cognitive profile. Results give educators and parents precise information about areas in which the child is strong and could excel with further development, and areas requiring extra support and focus. At the same time, they yield insights and information that include the following:

  • Learning style
  • IQ level
  • Recommendations for test and exam-taking tactics

 

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Why do a Psychoeducational Assessment?

The most important reason to pursue psychoeducational testing is clarity: Many young people wonder why they have difficulty with certain subjects, or why they have hit a "ceiling" with their performance when they feel they could do better. Having an assessment is the best way to address these underlying issues.

Testing can secure early intervention for school-aged children, so they receive support before learning problems adversely affect their academic career. For young adults, testing can optimize learning and performance prior to entering very challenging learning environments (i.e., higher education) or the workforce. In all cases, testing will generate specific steps a young person can take to improve his or her level of achievement and make educators/employers aware of the need for special accommodations, if such a need exists.

ONE SIZE DOESNT FIT ALL

Choosing educational experiences that are right for your children may have important and long-lasting effects on their future success, self-esteem, and overall happiness. As early as elementary school (and sometimes earlier) it is possible to ascertain an accurate, comprehensive profile of a child's intellectual strengths and needs. Using this information as guiding coordinates, parents can tailor a child's education strategically, building on strengths while mitigating weaknesses.

Psychoeducational assessment is the most reliable way to evaluate a child's cognitive abilities. Based on data gathered with a variety of tools and administered in a one-on-one setting, this type of evaluation provides an estimate of child aptitudes, learning style and academic skills. Most important, the results of assessment form the basis for recommendations to enhance a child's success at school, home and extracurricular activities with appropriate strategies and interventions. Essentially, such information can be used to shield children from "one size fits all" educational methods.

How to Use The Results of Psychoeducational Testing?

If you have your child evaluated by a private psychologist, you'll have a variety of options for utilizing the information you receive. You may choose to share your child's results with his or her school in order to access educational supports (many of which are not available without a clear diagnosis), share the information with a private tutor, or arrange ongoing therapy to address your child's needs. If your child is an adolescent, you'll be able to speak to him or her about accessing available accommodations when applying to college.

Though some parents worry about the effects of "labeling" their child, the results of a psychoeducational assessment are often particularly useful for dispelling stigma. If your child's teacher views him as being an unmotivated or disruptive pupil, for example, you will be able to clear up those misconceptions. For most families, the psychoeducational evaluation process is helpful and enlightening, even if it feels daunting initially.

What Are Learning Disabilities?

The term "learning disability" refers to a specific type of information processing disorder. Kids with learning disabilities have difficulty in a particular area or subject, such as reading, writing, mathematics, spelling, reasoning, planning, or remembering. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are some of the most common forms of learning disability.

Learning disabilities are not a behavioural or psychological problem; they are exclusively a learning problem. Similarly, learning disabilities are distinct from learning problems that arise from physical factors (visual, hearing, or motor impairments) or developmental issues, such as intellectual disability or Autism.

Learning disabilities can remain hidden for many years – in some cases, they go undiagnosed well into adulthood. Bright and gifted children often learn to compensate for their disability, so parents and educators should not assume that learning difficulties are always easy to identify. If you see a gap between your child's grades and his potential, or your child consistently under-performs in one subject, you should consider a psychoeducational testing – even if your child is not significantly behind at school.

Should your child's assessment reveal a learning disability, you'll need to familiarize yourself with what this term implies. First, it's vital to place your child's diagnosis in its correct context: Though learning disabilities are lifelong issues, their presence does not indicate poor intelligence. In most cases, learning disabilities can be successfully managed via accommodation and adaptation. Many children with learning disabilities achieve excellent grades and go on to enjoy productive careers.

 

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How to Get a Psychoeducational Assessment

To arrange a psychoeducational assessment, begin by speaking to your child's educators. In many cases, schools can refer parents either to their own psychologist or to a qualified private psychologist who will perform the test for a set fee.

If you seek assessment on your own, be aware that only certain professionals can properly perform this kind of testing: Look for a registered school psychologist who is trained in developmental psychology. Ideally, you should choose someone who is experienced in performing psychoeducational assessments.

How is a Private Psychoeducational Evaluation Different from the School Psychologist's Evaluation?

In many cases, schools will not provide evaluation unless a child is profoundly ahead or behind academically. As such, school-based evaluations tend to miss children whose difficulties are not readily apparent (e.g., gifted children with learning disabilities). Likewise, schools typically do not intervene until a child's difficulties have already severely impacted his academic trajectory and/or mental health. Finally, school evaluations are much less detailed than the evaluations administered by private psychologists and involve much longer wait times. It may take up to two years for a child to be evaluated through his or her school, which represents a critical loss of learning time.

Parents should consider private assessment when they need timely results, a comprehensive report, or privacy. (You are not obligated to share the results of a private assessment with your child's school.) Private assessment is also necessary in cases where parents can clearly identify the need for testing, but their child's school does not recognize their concerns.

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS, PLACEMENT AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

All private and public schools accept testing conducted by certified school psychologists. Some private schools require prospective students to get assessed as part of the application process. They use results for two purposes: to decide whether or not the school and child are a good match, and to determine which accommodations and supplemental learning opportunities the institution could provide for children with special needs.
Psychoeducational assessments are critical to the development of a strong and effective Individualized Education Program (IEP). If testing results are understood and used appropriately by school personnel, they can inform critical components of the special education planning including the following:
Identifying entry points in skill hierarchies
Formulating instructional goals
Defining educational methods and strategies
Evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention

To learn more about psychoeducational testing conducted by school boards please visit Psycho-Educational Assessments: Guidelines for Parents

What to Expect on Evaluation Day?

Depending on a child's needs, an evaluator may ask for one evaluation session lasting several hours, or multiple shorter sessions spread out over different days. Be sure to book these sessions on days when your schedule is clear, and avoid disrupting special events in your child's life (e.g., holidays or field trips). It's important that your child retains a positive impression of testing or he may under-achieve.

Much of the evaluation process will consist of your child working privately with the evaluator, so bring something to keep you busy if you plan to stay throughout the session(s). Staying may be advisable if your child will be allowed to take breaks during the session. During longer sessions, you should ask to bring refreshments, especially if your child has special dietary needs. Staying well-fed and hydrated is vital to successful assessment, as fatigue can impair a child's concentration.

Before your child's assessment, be sure to record any concerns or observations you want to discuss directly with the evaluator. Collect relevant documents, such as report cards and the results of other tests, and bring them with you. You should also be prepared to complete additional forms in the days leading up to the evaluation.

To prepare your child for testing, do your best to normalize the assessment process: Tell your child that many children go through similar testing to discover how they learn, and refer to other types of testing (e.g., aptitude tests) that your child is already familiar with. If your child is very young, avoid referring to the evaluator as a doctor; many young children are frightened of going to the doctor. Instead, explain that he (or she) will be working with a new teacher or tutor.

Finally, do your best to ensure that your child is well-rested, well-fed, and relaxed on the day of assessment. Don't schedule the assessment close to family trips, birthday parties, or other significant events that may impair your child's focus. Do feed your child a nutritious, low-sugar breakfast prior to the evaluation and bring bottled water with you.

 

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OUR PSYCHOLOGISTS

Psychoeducational assessments at the Advanced Psychology Services Centre are supervised by Dr. Tali Shenfield, C.Psych., Dr. Willi Steinke, C.Psych., Dr. Elana Miller, C.Psych., Jeremiah Silliman, C.Psych. Assoc., and Karen Wright, C.Psych. Assoc.

Helping clients from North Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Thornhill, and Vaughan since 2004.

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We only perform assessments for clients located in Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Our comprehensive assessments require in-person testing.

 

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