Cadence Counseling & Psychology offers the services of Registered Psychologist (Associates) who specialize in psychoeducational assessments of children, teens, and adults. These assessments are usually completed to find possible learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), or to identify preferred methods and modalities of learning. The assessments may also provide important insight into other challenges, such as anxiety or depression.
Common reasons for seeking assessment may include: general underachievement (compared to ability), notable and consistent discrepancies in achievement, behavioural difficulties in school (sometimes due to frustration or impulsivity), poor self-esteem, ongoing executive functioning difficulties (i.e., impulsivity, lacking delayed gratification, poor concentration, poor time management, etc.) negatively impacting functioning, and other issues.
Psychoeducational Assessment
Psychoeducational assessments can help identify the source of struggles in school, work, or other learning challenges. Assessments can be completed on clients of any age – from early childhood to adulthood. Assessments help to identify strengths and relative weaknesses in order to understand what may be contributing to challenges and how best to intervene.
Has your child come home with a report card that flags concerns? Or do you feel that yourself or your child is not performing at a level you would expect? This may be an indicator of a possible learning disability, anxiety, depression, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD), or potentially a developmental disability.
Psychoeducational assessments help to determine if one of these challenges or mental health issues is interfering with learning/success – and help us create support strategies.
Signs of potential hidden learning challenges:
- Low grades
- Poor report cards
- Difficulty focusing / concentrating
- Profound discrepancies between verbal and visual-spatial skills
- Disruptive behavior and other behavioral concerns
- School-related anxiety or a sense of being overwhelmed
- Not achieving at the level of full potential
- Experiencing bullying (or exhibiting bullying behaviour) or rejection in school
Psychoeducational assessment also provides the necessary documentation to acquire accommodations from schools and employers. These accommodations and suggested interventions help individuals manage their challenges better and reach their full potential.
Common Accommodations (may or may not apply):
- Extra time for tests and exams (i.e., 150% increase in allotted time)
- Taking exams or tests in a quiet and separate space, with private supervision
- Scheduling breaks throughout classes
- Having assignments broken down into smaller components
- Access to supportive technology in the classroom (e.g. a laptop with Word to text)
- Access to audiobooks of the course material and texts
What to expect:
You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire before the assessment. For minors, parents must provide and sign informed consent. You and/or your child’s confidentiality will be maintained and protected. It is important that results are discussed afterwards with the psychologist who did the assessment to:
- Ensure that results are not misinterpreted
- Provide the opportunity for you to address questions or concerns regarding the process, results, or suggested accommodations and interventions
You will be provided, and have full ownership of a copy of the assessment. You can share the assessment with whomever you choose (including, of course, your medical doctor/psychiatrist, school, post-secondary institution, employer, etc.).
While the assessment process may seem overwhelming or intimidating, the results can change the course of an individual’s academic and/or occupational career to support greater achievement and success.
At Cadence, we pride ourselves on the quality of care and assessment that our trained and experienced psychologists provide in a supportive setting. If you have any questions or want more information regarding our assessment services, please feel free to contact Cadence at 306-291-0900.
