Parents usually request a psychoeducational assessment when they have some concerns about their child’s behaviour, learning and academics, or general functioning. Perhaps a teacher has commented that their son or daughter appears to have more difficulties paying attention than others their age, or perhaps the child is struggling in some areas of school. In some cases, children may have difficulty establishing friendships or may be getting into trouble in school. In each case, the goal of a psychoeducational assessment is to identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses, and to formulate recommendations to best meet the child’s unique needs.

Older individuals may also seek out a psychoeducational assessment. Perhaps they find they are struggling in the later years of high school or post-secondary school, as the demands for independent work increase. They may have noticed that they need to work harder to achieve the same level of results as their peers or are not getting the grades they would like despite working hard. As with children, a psychoeducational assessment will help to uncover any underlying issues that may be preventing the student from reaching their potential and identify supports to foster improved performance.

Psychoeducational assessments are generally very comprehensive in nature and look at a wide range of issues, including intelligence/cognitive ability, learning difficulties, attentional issues, memory skills, executive functioning (planning, organization, time management, behavioural regulation, etc.), behavioural difficulties, and general emotional functioning.

Psychoeducational assessments with children involve several steps:

1) An intake interview with the parents to get a detailed history of the problems at hand, but also to get a sense of the child’s strengths. Depending on the child’s age, the child may choose to participate in this session. If there are any previous assessments or other relevant educational or medical reports, these can be shared at this point.

2) The Registered Psychologist then meets with the child to do testing, which usually takes 2-3 sessions. The child’s teacher and parents are usually asked to complete some questionnaires to gather additional information.

3) After testing, a comprehensive report is prepared, pulling together information gathered from the interview(s), questionnaires, and testing. Reports tend to be very detailed and include a relatively large number of recommendations based on the child’s unique needs and strengths.

4) We then meet with the parents (and the child, if appropriate) to go over the results in detail and to answer any questions. Following the assessment, we are happy to collaborate with schools to help implement recommendations.

Psychoeducational assessments with adults follow the same steps as above, albeit with less involvement (or no involvement) with the parents.

We have a number of very skilled clinicians who conduct the assessments, all of whom are registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. They each have extensive experience with psychoeducational testing and are very familiar with educational settings and appropriate supports. Please reach out for further information about our assessment services.