PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL
ASSESSMENT: HELPING YOUR CHILD TO ACHIEVE HIS OR HER ACADEMIC POTENTIAL
Written by Dr. Rebecca Moore, C. Psych.
Most kids
struggle in school from time to time, whether it's difficulty mastering
fractions or learning to read. How do
you know if your child's difficulty is just a bump in the road or whether it is
a sign of something more serious, like a learning disability or adhd? Your
child may need a psychological assessment to achieve optimal success in
academic settings.
How do you know if your child might
need an assessment?
An
assessment may be needed if:
- Your child is falling significantly behind classmates
- She or he seems to understand a concept one day but then forgets it later in the day or the next day
- Teachers have shared concerns that something may be getting in the way of your child reaching his or her potential
- Your child consistently resists school work or shows other signs of emotional or behavioural difficulty
What is a psychoeducational assessment?
A psychoeducational assessment is a comprehensive
evaluation of your child’s intellectual functioning that focuses on identifying
the factors that affect your child’s school performance. Both children with learning and behavioural
difficulties and children who are academically talented (gifted) might benefit
from this type of assessment. For example, an assessment can identify the underlying
attention and memory factors that may contribute to learning problems with
reading, writing, and math. An assessment identifies your child’s strengths and
intellectual, academic, school functioning and/or behavioural needs.
Psychoeducational assessments are conducted by psychologists
who have received extensive specialized graduate level training in test
administration and interpretation. As the process is comprehensive, a typical
assessment takes approximately 6-8 hours. Test interpretation and report preparation requires
additional clinical time.
CFIR psychologists provide comprehensive psycoeducational
assessment that pinpoint your child’s learning strengths and challenges. The information
obtained from our rigorous testing process is consolidated into a formal report
that is provided to you. CFIR psychologists will provide you with practical
recommendations for successfully managing intellectual, attentional, learning,
behavioural and/or social emotional differences that block your child from
achieving his or her optimal potential in an academic setting. Your CFIR
psychologist will then explain all test results to you in understandable terms.
Your child's school can use then use the information and recommendations from
the report to help your child perform better at school.
Read more about our Psychoeducation Assessment Service.
