Psychoeducational Assessment
If you or someone you know is struggling academically a psychoeducational assessment is recommended to help uncover what the barriers to school success are by diagnosing intellectual delays, learning disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, et cetera.
The psychoeducational assessment serves as an “umbrella” test which could include a number of different tests(such as ADHD, ASD) and integrates the results into a comprehensive picture that can be used as the basis for formulating future planning. This diagnosis along with the psychoeducational assessment report allows students to get accommodations and other types of assistance to be successful at school be it early on in primary school or later during college or university.
Many of our clients use the results of the psychoeducational assessment to apply for various education bursaries and grants, equipment, financial support as well as disability claims through the government.
Contact us today to schedule a psychoeducational assessment »
When Should You Get a Psychoeducational Assessment? Signs You Might Need an Assessment:
- Unsure how I or my child can learn best?
- Wondering if my job or my child’s school a good fit?
- Feeling stress about workload or homework
- Comparing self to others, feeling low confidence, doubting self
- Trouble making and keeping friends
- Lack of interested in learning
- Studying and working hard but marks and outcomes not reflecting effort
- Trouble paying attention and staying focused
- You or your child would benefit from accommodations
- Grade discrepancies (i.e. high marks in most subjects and low in English)
- Difficulty getting work in on time because of poor planning skills and procrastination
- Potential and performance not matching up
- Not wanting to go to school/work
- Emotional/behavioural problems at home, school or work
- Struggling to understand new ideas/abilities
- Needing help from others to get things done (i.e. study successfully and complete homework)
Contact us today to schedule an assessment
Why Take a Psychoeducational Assessment?
Every person’s brain is good at some things and not good at other things. Sometimes one person’s brain isn’t able to do the same things that other brains can do or they can’t do the same things as well as other people.
For a child or an adult to be successful in life and school it is essential to determine what his/her strengths and weaknesses are to be able to provide any needed support and accommodations. A psychological assessment determines where someone is struggling with the purpose of using that knowledge to help that person do well at life.
Understand the Underlying Issues
A psychoeducational assessment provides clarity by addressing underlying issues as to why an adult or child isn’t able to achieve to a level expected or why they are struggling with certain subjects. You can’t help or fix something until you are able to understand what isn’t working. These individuals are often labelled as disruptive, unmotivated, not hardworking, and this can have adverse effects on self-esteem and overall wellbeing.
An assessment can help optimize learning and performance and provide concrete steps to improve the level of achievement. It can help provide a roadmap to mitigate weaknesses by becoming aware of the need for special accommodations and build on assets resulting in long-lasting future success.
Help Access Support
Many educational and workplace supports are not available without a clear diagnosis. The results of the assessment can be shared educators and employers to make them informed of the need for specific accommodations.
What is a Psychoeducational Assessment?
Psychoeducational assessments evaluate “psychological functioning.” In this case, psychological functioning means intellectual abilities and cognitive skills such as attention.
It is important to understand how a person solves problems, learns, and retains information because untreated barriers to this can have a major impact on the quality of one’s life. In addition to this a psychological assessment can diagnose a learning disability, developmental disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as put a name to any behavioural/social/emotional or psychological problems.
A psychoeducational assessment is conducted by a registered psychologist, psychometrists and psychological associates and results in comprehensive suggestions for helping with issues at home and school.
Typical Parts of a Comprehensive Psychoeducational Assessment:
- Initial Consultation: During the initial screening interview, the adult or parents (and student when appropriate) will meet with a registered psychologist to discuss any ongoing issues and determine whether a psychoeducational assessment is necessary or advantageous.
- Psychometric Testing: The adult or student will then be given various tests to assess his/her academic and reasoning skills, intellectual abilities, memory, attention, and executive functions. The testing duration will be adjusted to the individual needs, but will typically last a few hours.
- Assessment of Social-Emotional and Behavioural Functioning: This part of the assessment involves gathering information of a qualitative nature that will allow the psychologist to better understand the adult or child being tested. Interviews and questionnaires are conducted with peers, parents, teachers and student to complete.
- Report and Recommendations: Insights from interviews and questionnaires are combined with test results and are then synthesized into a comprehensive report and analysis. The report will also include recommendations for any necessary school accommodations and at-home support strategies.
- Feedback Session with Psychologist: The adult and parents (or student when appropriate) will be scheduled to meet with the psychologist to review the report results together. The psychologist will clarify and discuss key observations, recommendations, and will be there to answer any questions that adults who have taken the test, or parents of children who have taken the test, may have.
What does a psychoeducational assessment test?
Working memory, visual-motor integration, attention span, language abilities, reasoning, problem-solving skills, spatial abilities, memory, executive functions (impulse control, organization, planning, etc.), reading, writing and mathematical performance.
How Do You Use the Results of a Psychoeducational Assessment?
- Helps in the diagnosis of possible other psychological issues, ADHD, or learning and developmental problems
- Identify and address or leverage cognitive weaknesses and strengths
- Selecting the educational environment most conducive to individual needs
- Apply for and receive available academic and/or government disability subsidies
- Make informed future career choices
- More effectively target extracurricular activities and enrichment experiences
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