Does your child need a psychoeducational assessment?

There are numerous reasons why a child would benefit from a formal psychological assessment,

1) They consistently struggling at school.

2) They are variable in school performance, for example;

1. do well on one test, fail another;

2. study, parents question child does well, fails the test next day;

3. does well at the beginning of school year, then do worse as they go.

3) Teachers state that the child has behaviour problems.

4) Child does well in some areas, but is falling behind in others.

5) A doctor or teacher has told me that my child has ADD and I want a second opinion.

 

Yes they do, and there are good members of the College of Psychologists of Ontario working for the school system. However, there is frequently a two to three year waiting list to have a child assessed. Further, some school systems, in an effort to reduce costs do not hire members of the College of Psychologists to do the assessments. Rather they use other people to complete the assessments. 

While nearly anyone can administer an IQ test with some basic training, the ability to interpret and diagnose is a specialty of members of the College of Psychologists. Members of the College of Psychologists have obtained years of training in testing, diagnostics and interpretation of tests. These psychologists also brings a wealth of training and experience to the assessment process, they understand that behaviour may be the result of other issues and they apply a systematic, scientific approach to the assessment process. These persons have almost all been trained to the Doctoral level.

After working within the school system for many years, I can say that most teachers want to do what is best for the child and to help as much as they can. However, there are limited resources, so if a more needy child comes along, then yours may be "bumped" from the list. Under the Education Act in Ontario, if a child is formally identified, then they will receive assistance and/ or modifications regardless of how many other children need help. However, to be formally identified as a child with special needs, the child needs a formal diagnosis and a report outlining the condition. Thus, a report from a member of the College of Psychologists can be a crucial first step in obtaining extra help for your child. Without it, it may be more difficult to obtain help.

There is no "best" age. I have assessed five year olds, teens and adults. This is a question that parents ask, after speaking with the school and being told it is best to wait until Grade 3 or 4 before looking for an assessment, as the child will "grow out" of the problem. The problems are generally most acute at that grade three level and are more obvious. Research shows that it is best to intervene early to address learning issues. Teens and adults are assessed for similar reasons as children or they require re-assessments when entering college or university.

The typical assessment takes about 10 hours of direct contact time and another 10 hours of scoring, interpretation and report writing for a total of about 20 hours. It usually breaks down as follows:

1. Parents will be interviewed for about 1½ hours, during which time you will be asked questions about your child’s development and school history. 

2. Your child will be seen directly by the psychologist for between 4 to 6 hours for testing. These assessment sessions are spread over several days, as it keeps the child from being overwhelmed by 6 hours of nonstop testing and it also provides the chance to see your child over several days thereby obtaining a better understanding of his or her learning style. 

3. Once the material is scored a feedback session will be arranged with the parents alone, lasting up to 2 hours, in order to answer all your questions & concerns. 

4. The formal report is completed after the feedback and includes recommendations that can be implemented by any educator. This is a somewhat more involved process than what other professionals may engage in, but it does provide for a more in-depth product designed to assist your child in the classroom or home setting.

The overall cost of the assessment for a child, including intake meeting, assessment, scoring, report and feedback meeting is $1800. You may have an extended health plan that may cover some or all of the costs. However, you are responsible for full payment and then arranging reimbursement with your insurance company.

You should be prepared to pay three installments:

• $600 at the first session and interview,

• $600 at the beginning of the assessment block,

• $600 due on receipt of report.

• A receipt will be provided.

School meetings are billed at $150/hr.  School meetings are generally about one hour.

Other services such as filling out of forms, attending meetings, advocating, etc., are billed at $150/hr.

 Other questions? - Please send me an email: info@oakvillepsychologist.com

Or phone: 905 617-8308    Ask for "Dr. M"