Psycho-Educational Assessments
A Psycho-Educational Assessment helps to understand an individual’s academic and learning abilities. This assessment also evaluates for a potential learning disability. The purpose of a psycho-educational assessment is to gain a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s functioning in the following areas:
- Cognitive abilities (i.e., intelligence)
- Academic skills (reading, writing, and mathematics)
- Behavioural functioning
- Attention and executive functioning
- Emotional functioning (i.e., mood)
A psycho-educational assessment is recommended when a person has concerns about aspects of their learning that are affecting school, work, or daily life. An individual may choose to have a psycho-educational assessment for a variety of reasons including:
Academics/Education: Falling behind in school, difficulties retaining information in class or lectures, challenges managing coursework, returning to school and seeking to identify strengths and areas for support.
Learning Difficulties: Difficulty reading, writing, mathematics, or other academic skills that have persisted since childhood, suspected undiagnosed learning disability.
Attention Difficulties: Suspected Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), challenges with focus, time management, or hyperactivity, seeking a possible diagnosis for further accommodations or treatment.
Career/Workplace: Difficulties with job performance due to attention, organization, or problem-solving, challenges to learn new tasks.
Accommodations: Requiring a new or updated psycho-educational assessment for education or work accommodations.
Self-Understanding: Personal desire to understand your learning and functioning or gain insight into your strengths and needs.
The aim of a psycho-educational assessment is to help identify factors impacting an individual’s functioning and develop actionable recommendations.
We offer psycho-educational assessments for teens (ages 16+) and adults.
Steps for a formal assessment typically follow the format below:
Intake Session: This first appointment will focus on discussing your area(s) of concern and provide an opportunity to gather information about your background. We will discuss the assessment process in further detail and develop an assessment plan to address your concerns. The intake session is 90 minutes in length.
Testing Session: This step typically involves two standardized testing sessions with your psychologist to measure your cognitive and academic profiles. Testing sessions typically are booked for 2 hours and may require less or more time as needed.
Completion of rating scales/questionnaires: These scales are often completed at home, work, or school and from multiple raters (e.g., parent, teacher, partner).
Scoring and Report: Your psychologist will score and interpret the data from your assessment and write a comprehensive report describing the results of your assessment and may include a diagnosis or diagnoses.
Feedback session: The final step involves meeting with your psychologist to overview the report, assessment findings, and provide recommendations for next steps. You will be provided with a copy of the assessment report at the end of this session. The feedback session is 60 minutes in length.
A psycho-educational assessment takes approximately 12-15 hours of billable time, at an hourly rate of $220 per hour. Extended health benefits may cover some or all the cost of an assessment. Please verify with your benefits provider to determine your available coverage. At the end of the assessment process, you will be provided with a detailed invoice that can be submitted to your insurance company.
Post-Secondary Students: Post-secondary students who have been diagnosed with a disability may be eligible for grant funding to reimburse the cost (in part or whole) of a psycho-educational assessment. These grants include the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment –Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE) and the Alberta Grant for Students with Disabilities (GFD). Please visit the following links for more information:
We understand assessments can seem confusing and are here to help clarify the process. If you are interested in scheduling a free 15-min consultation, please email us at therapycollective.yyc@gmail.com or click the button below.
Moriah will be scheduling Psycho-Educational Assessments beginning January 2025.
FAQs
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The time from the intake session to feedback meeting takes approximately 4-6 weeks. Please discuss with your psychologist if you are working within a shorter time frame as this can typically be accommodated to help meet specific deadlines or circumstances.
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A psycho-educational assessment is different from a test you would complete at school. As such, an assessment does not require any specific preparation (e.g., studying).
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Generally, a psycho-educational assessment is completed when concerns pertaining to learning arise, or if there are certain changes in one’s life (e.g., transitioning from high school to university). Some individuals may require an updated assessment for academic accommodations, even if they have had a previous diagnosis.
Assessment Therapists
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Moriah Edge-Partington
get in touch
How To Get Started
We understand assessments can seem confusing and are here to help clarify the process. We want to ensure you get connected with the appropriate assessment type. Our Office Admin Sabrina and/or our assessment psychologist Moriah will answer any questions you might have.