Should You Consider Seeking a Psychoeducational Assessment for Your Child?

Dr. Tali Shenfield | November 19, 2016

If your child is struggling behaviourally or academically, his school may recommend that he take what is known as a psycho-educational (“psy-ed”) assessment - or you may wish to seek such an assessment independently. This comprehensive evaluation is designed to measure a child’s cognitive processing abilities (including logical reasoning, memory, attention, and executive functioning), his current level of academic knowledge in various subject areas, and to screen his social, behavioural, and emotional functioning. This assessment can specifically define both your child’s strengths and his areas of weakness, allowing the strengths to be amplified and the weaknesses to be targeted and overcome. For many children, having a psycho-educational assessment performed is the first step toward not only securing a diagnosis, but also accessing a range of timely interventions and support programs.

A psycho-educational assessment is an intensive process, requiring interviews, the input of parents, teachers, and the child, one-on-one testing sessions, and observations. Once the assessment has been completed, however, you will be provided with a complete report detailing your child’s myriad abilities and needs. You’ll also be connected with essential services (where appropriate), such as occupational therapy (for improving coordination and motor functioning) and speech therapy.

 

Know the signs that a psychoeducational assessment is needed.

All children have difficulties at school from time to time; it’s normal for an otherwise bright child to, for example, struggle with math. It’s also normal for children to have difficult weeks or months socially and behaviourally. If, however, your child continues to struggle greatly and consistently in certain areas despite classroom accommodations/additional help being provided, it would likely be valuable to seek out a psy-ed assessment. Additionally, some signs that your child would probably benefit from a psy-ed assessment include a progressively worsening attitude toward school (e.g. a complete loss of interest in school as a whole or the belief that he is “bad at school”), persistently disruptive behaviour in class, and/or a failure to learn basic intellectual, social, or behavioural skills (as appropriate for his age group).

It’s important to note that a child who is exhibiting disruptive behaviour at school but not at home is likely suffering from a learning disability rather than a behavioural issue. A child suffering from an undiagnosed LD will often act out due to confusion, frustration, or simply the desire to create a distraction (either to avoid doing work he cannot easily complete or to avoid looking vulnerable in front of his peers).

Understand that the need for a psychoeducational assessment may not become clear until your child is older.

Many intelligent children with learning disabilities learn to compensate for their weaknesses early on in their academic careers and therefore successfully “mask” them for years. As such, it’s only when these children encounter a more strenuous curriculum in middle school or high school that their disabilities really begin to become apparent.

Do not assume that just because your child was very successful in school early on, he is free of cognitive, social, or behavioural difficulties—and do not hasten to judge him as lazy or defiant when he begins to show resistance. If your older child begins to lose interest in school, makes less of an effort to succeed, or becomes increasingly rebellious in an academic setting, it is absolutely worthwhile to consider performing a psy-ed assessment. Even an older child or teenager can benefit greatly from the many support programs available for young people with learning disabilities.

Prepare both yourself and your child for the assessment process.

As valuable as psy-ed assessments are, they aren’t a simple process to go through. Expect to provide a great deal of information detailing both your child’s medical and developmental history and his current social and behavioural functioning at the outset of the intake process. Come prepared with any relevant medical reports and your child’s academic records and be ready to schedule a number of hours for your child to receive one-on-one testing. (It may be necessary for your child to be absent from school during this time and your child may need breaks to rest after each testing session.) You may also wish to involve your child’s educators in the testing process as they can provide additional insight. In some cases, having a psychologist work directly with your child’s teachers in order to observe your child in class may also be helpful.

 

Time your child’s assessment well.

Because psy-ed assessments are usually performed with the aim of helping a child access academic support programs at the beginning of the school year, many parents wait until late summer or early fall to have their child’s assessment performed. Unfortunately, this often means that the school cannot secure a comprehensive Individual Education Plan (IEP) that same year, as these plans generally begin early in the fall (and take a great deal of time to create, as the school board has first to go through a process of review and identification known as IPRC).

Ideally, you should have your child assessed as soon as difficulties become apparent; this will give you and your child’s educators the time you need to develop an effective IEP. It is important that the assessment does not coincide with other significant changes in the child’s life, such as the birth of a sibling, moving to a new place, loss of a family member, etc. If your child’s assessment coincides with the summer holidays, ask your child’s teacher if he or she would be willing to keep in touch over the summer months and communicate (via phone or email) with the psychologist performing your child’s assessment. This will help to lay the necessary groundwork for your child’s IEP, ensuring that he has access to the support he needs as soon as the new school year begins.

Once your child is placed on an IEP, he will have the opportunity to start the school year off on the right foot, helping him to form more positive associations with the academic environment. Many children with academic, social, or behavioural challenges begin to flourish very shortly after being connected with the support they need to succeed.

Read Next:

  1. Psychoeducational Assessment Tools and Testing Process (For assessments administered by private psychologists)
  2. Psycheducational Assessments: Guidelines for Parents (For assessments administered by school boards)
For information about assessments conducted in our center please visit "Psychological Assessments" page.

About Tali Shenfield

Dr. Tali Shenfield holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto and is a licensed school and clinical psychologist. She has taught at the University of Toronto and has worked at institutions including the Hospital for Sick Children, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, TDSB, and YCDSB. Dr. Shenfield is the Founder and Clinical Director of Advanced Psychology Services.

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