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.

Typical Parts of a Comprehensive Psychoeducational Assessment:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.