Psychoeducational & Academic Assessments
Assessment, intervention, and treatment services are provided to children, adolescents, and adults who exhibit symptoms of inattention, concentration difficulty, memory impairment, hyperactivity, poor academic performance, and learning disabilities.

We utilize a comprehensive evaluation process to help identify and rule out the presence of attention deficits and hyperactivity, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorders, attachment disruptions, emotional factors, and behavioural problems including:

• Intellectual and cognitive testing
• Academic and achievement testing
• Personality, emotional, behavioural testing

Once specific problems are identified and/or an accurate diagnosis is attained, a variety of proven effective interventions are available to help clients reach their potential. Evaluation reports also offer specific recommendations for schools and parents to assist with their child’s special learning needs, which may include:

• Tutoring
• Individualized Educational Plans (IEP)
• Specific, hands-on suggestions (i.e., instructional activities in school & home)
• Specialized treatment
• Medication evaluation (if necessary)

When Should Parents be Concerned about their Child’s School Performance?
When children struggle with learning, it poses a challenge for both parents and teachers. Often parents and school personnel get confused when children present with learning differences or difficulties. A child may struggle in one particular subject or demonstrate general challenges around learning or behaviour.

Just because a child may struggle in one area of learning doesn’t mean that the child has a learning disability. Equally, just because a child has difficulty in attending or concentrating or is somewhat hyper, doesn’t mean the child has ADHD. Sometimes poor school performance and social anxieties can present themselves as a learning disorder when they may be caused by other psychological factors. Knowing the difference can make a difference in the types of services offered to help a child.

A psychoeducational assessment can provide families and teachers with a very clear and objective understanding of a child’s skills, abilities, and needs. Testing can provide a diagnosis or rule out suspicions.

The first step is to identify the types of problems that need to be targeted for intervention strategies to be successful. This is accomplished through a thorough psychoeducational assessment.

When is it Appropriate to Seek an Assessment for your Child?

• School performance is not-aligned with other acquired skills or talents
• Language skills are behind motor and perceptual skills
• Test anxiety interferes with classroom performance
• Shyness or social anxiety interferes with learning
• Inability to pay attention in school
• Inability to listen or follow instructions
• Inability to complete homework
• Extreme deficits in one subject area (e.g., Math, Reading)
• Inability to achieve average grades
• Child can watch TV or play video games for hours but can’t concentrate in the classroom
• Daydreams excessively or lives in a fantasy world
• Skipping or refusal to go to classes

A psychoeducational assessment report will provide functional recommendations for both home and school. Each report is tailored to the unique needs of each child where specific learning strengths and deficits are identified and thoroughly addressed. The report will present parents and teachers with an evidence-based plan of action that can help them provide the best support for a child.