Psychoeducational Assessments

A psychoeducational assessment is intended to explore the learning profile of a student. A psychoeducational assessment may include assessment of cognition, language development, social-emotional development, behavioral patterns, motor development, and academic achievement (i.e. school-type performance). 

The outcomes of a psychoeducational assessment can be used to diagnose learning exceptionalities (also known as Learning Disabilities by some), attentional challenges (such as ADHD), and cognitive exceptionalities (intellectual disabilities). A psychoeducational assessment can also be part of determining whether or not a student may benefit from being identified in the school setting as a “gifted” learner.

We are pleased to offer our holistic approach to psychoeducational testing to children and students who are preschool aged, in grade school, or engaged in post-secondary study. 

A psychoeducational assessment is not a mental health assessment. While our clinicians often screen for potential mental health issues as contributors to learning or other challenges in the classroom and beyond, the diagnosis of things such as anxiety and depression necessarily involves an assessment focused entirely on those challenges, completed by a Registered Psychologist. This is a service available through our registered psychologists and can be discussed with one of them by booking an intake/consultation appointment.

A psychoeducational assessment is not an autism assessment. Autism assessments are an entirely different kind of assessment and must be completed by somebody approved for that type of service provision in the province of British Columbia. 

A psychoeducational assessment is not a developmental assessment. A developmental assessment is typically completed in a medical setting by a multidisciplinary team.

1. The Intake appointment – Virtual (online) appointment
A 1-hour virtual session between just the clinician and the parents to review developmental history, referral reason, and ask any questions you may have prior to the assessment. At this session we call upon your expertise as parent to your child to let us know your child’s specific needs. Afterall, you are their “North Star”. This provides a starting point for our assessment process.


2. Assessment appointments – each 2 hours in length.
Each assessment session will be approximately 2 hours long and will happen onsite in our clinic space. For those traveling or if your child is older, we may book slightly longer sessions to accommodate your schedule. Each student will have 2-3 assessment sessions depending on a variety of factors decided on by the involved clinician. These sessions are student-lead in terms of work-load, frequency and length of breaks, etc. It is important to us that the student is functioning at their best during these sessions and we work hard to be very encouraging and to keep things comfortable for the student, including giving the student’s brain the rest required be attentive and engaged, and also having parents sit in on the session if it helps the child to feel more at ease. 


3. The debrief appointment – Virtual (online) appointment
A 1-hour virtual session between just the clinician and the parents during which all results, diagnoses, and key recommendations are reviewed in a prepared presentation. You will be provided with copies of this presentation. On request, we are also able to prepare an “assessment summary” document if you urgently need diagnosis confirmation, etc. for a specialist appointment or school planning. The final report will be available 4 weeks after the debrief appointment.


4. The final report
The final report will be provide to you approximately 4 weeks following the date of your child’s debrief appointment. This is an approximate time frame as sometimes it takes a little longer to make sure everything is perfectly compiled. 

Many parents wonder what to tell their child about the assessment. We encourage an honest response that includes discussion of the purpose of the assessment, which is to make sure that all of the big people (parents, caregivers, educators, other professionals) are doing their jobs in the best way possible for learning to be fair for the student.

Tips:

1. Make it normal – like a checkup that many students go for;

2. Give them a concrete expectation – You can stay in the assessment appointments with your child if they would refer that or for however long they love. Let them know they will do some brainy kinds of activities, and some other things that will feel more like schoolwork. Some of it will be very easy and other parts will feel hard, but never too hard that it becomes too much;

3. Bridge the connection – link your child’s assessment clinician to familiar people, such as preferred teachers (e.g. Did you know Dr. Vanessa knows your teacher Mr. Brown?), or maybe a shared interest with your child (did you know Dr. Vanessa also LOVES baseball just like you?)

*These sessions are student-lead in terms of work-load, frequency and length of breaks, etc. It is important to us that the student is functioning at their best during these sessions and we work hard to be very encouraging and to keep things comfortable for the student, including giving the student’s brain the rest required be attentive and engaged.

Please make the following documents available to the clinic (which you can do via our client portal) prior to your intake appointment:
1. Consent to Psychoeducational Assessment

2.Psychoeducational Assessment Fee Agreement

3.Authorization for Release of Information – please complete this with your child’s teacher’s name and contact information

4.Client Intake Form

5.Electronic Communication Form

Once the assessment begins, we require the following documents to be completed prior to the debrief appointment. If possible, it is helpful to have these forms completed sooner and even by the intake appointment.

1. Background Information Form (BIF): This document is designed to provide a thorough history which is required for correct conceptualization of your child’s assessment. If you will have your child’s teacher complete rating scale forms (see below), it is very important that you provide their name and email address in the BIF where requested as well as completed a Release of Information Form (see #3 above). This form is completed in Jane app and will be sent to you via Jane app at the time of booking the assessment.

2. Teacher Checklist: This form is attached to this email as a PDF document for the teacher that best knows your child to complete. You may scan and email us the completed form or provide the hard copy to your clinician at the first assessment appointment.

3. Past Report Cards: If you are able to, we love to have copies of the final report card for each grade, as well as the most recent report for current grade. If you prefer, you may also scan and email these documents, keeping in mind secure electronic transfers of confidential information.

4. Previous Assessment Reports or Other such Documentation: We will need copies of previous assessment reports or other such documentation. If you prefer, you may also scan and email these documents, keeping in mind secure electronic transfers of confidential information.

Please Note: Our office is not able to make photocopies or provide scanning services on site of your original documents.

What other documents might I be asked to complete prior to the debrief appointment?
Your clinician may decide to collect additional information from you via rating scale questionnaires that are sent directly to you from the corresponding assessment company. Your clinician will discuss this with you if they decide to pursue this, and our office will provide additional instructions if/when the time comes.

If you are looking for something to pass the time during your child’s assessment session, we are close in proximity to the following:
 
The Indigo Café (right around the corner in our building)
Shops at Morgan Crossing (5 minutes)
Grandview Corners Shopping Centre (5 minutes)
Starbucks (5 minutes)
White Rock Beach (10 minutes)
Crescent Beach (10 minutes)
 
We are happy to provide you with directions if you are new to the area. Just ask! Of course you are welcome to make yourself comfortable in our waiting room. We do have wifi available to parents who wish to make use of that.

At the time of each appointment, we collect payment specific to the appointment. The rate for each appointment includes the time spent with your child as well as all the other time that plays out behind the scenes for each of those appointments (preparation, scoring, writing, peer supervision, etc.). The $500 deposit we take to secure your assessment spot is applied towards the balance due at your first appointment.

Payments are as follows:

Intake
$552
*Your $500 deposit will go towards paying this balance; we will collect the remaining $52 at the time of the intake appointment.

Assessment Sessions
$2484
Divided up into the number of assessment session hours completed by your child

Parent Debrief
$652

Student Debrief
Free of charge