Assessment information
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Assessment information *
ASD Assessment
Potential Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Behavioural symptoms:
Difficulty with social skills (fleeting or limited eye contact, staring at others, interrupting others frequently, asking inappropriate questions)
Repeatedly flapping their hands, spinning in circles or rocking their body
Challenges in expressing one’s own feelings
Often verbalizes internal thoughts that most would keep private
Flat tone or speaking style that lacks pitch
Talks excessively, especially about one specific topic
Frequently has one-sided conversations
Difficulty understanding the concept of personal space
Physical symptoms:
Heightened sensitivity and overstimulation to loud noises, bright lights, unusual textures, colours or strong tastes
Desire to only wear certain types of clothing or sensitivity to articles of clothing (socks, tags, underwear)
Limitations with the types of food they will eat
Clumsiness; difficulty with gross motor skills
Challenges with fine motor skills
Unusual body postures and gestures (walking on their tip toes)
Cognitive symptoms:
Non-responsive to their name by 12 months old
Repeating words or phrases
Providing unrelated answers to questions
Difficulties with change or upsets in routine
Challenges with organizational skills
May have one or a few very select interests
Psychosocial Symptoms:
Difficulties picking up on non-verbal cues, including the subtle changes in tone, pitch and voice that accompany regular conversation
May be unable to understand sarcasm or jokes
Difficulty understanding social cues and other people’s feelings (can appear to lack empathy)
Social isolation
What to expect?
Parental interview to obtain a history of your child’s early development and current level of functioning. This information is gathered using the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised (ADI-R), which is used to support with understanding developmental history. It is a parent interview that typically takes between 2 to 3 hours to complete.
A review of relevant records (health, education) and family medical history.
Observation of your child at informal or structured play and of parent-child interactions, using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2). This is a play-based semi-structured tool used to evaluate communication skills, social interaction and imaginative use of materials in individuals who are suspected to have ASD. It takes approximately one hour to complete.
Additional cognitive, social-emotional and behavioural measures, with additional testing considerations for academic progress, executive functioning, memory, language and other skills.
You will be provided with a written report, which we will discuss during a final feedback session. This comprehensive report will highlight your child’s strengths and areas of growth, in addition to recommendations to best support your child in intervention and guidance for next steps on your journey.
Psychoeducational Assessment
Your child’s unique learning profile. At your discretion, this report can be shared with your child’s place of learning. When you might need a Psychoeducational Assessment
Your child studies hard but their marks do not reflect the effort
Your child misses important milestones their peers have already achieved
Your child’s teacher notices they do not pay attention in class
Your child displays behavioural issues and resists parenting attempts
Your child has expressed that they do not like school or studying
Your child would benefit from additional school assistance
A psychoeducational assessment can help you understand why your child is experiencing academic struggles or why they are displaying social, emotional or behavioral challenges. This assessment may be appropriate for your child if you suspect that they have a learning disorder in reading, writing or math. It can also identify ADHD, anxiety, depression, intellectual disabilities or behavioural disorders.
Receiving a proper evaluation can help better understand the needs of your child and help your child qualify for additional resources and support, in all educational setting throughout their life, as early as preschool all the way to post-secondary education.
These assessments are essential in developing an Individualized Program Plan (IPP) or Learner Support Plans (LSP) for students, so they your child can keep up with educational material and feel proud of their achievements.
What to expect?
There will be an initial intake interview, where we will discuss academic and developmental history.
A review of progress reports, relevant school work and previous assessment reports.
Completion of rating scales from multiple raters (self report, teacher and parent rating scales) across different environments (home and school).
I will work one-on-one with your child to conduct standardized testing. This may involve two to three 2-hour testing sessions with your child, including tests of cognitive (IQ) and academic achievement.
You will be provided with a written report, which we will discuss during a final feedback session. This report will include all the scores, in addition to specific and individualized recommendations tailored to the strengths and challenges of
Post-secondary students may also benefit from a psychoeducational assessment. The Alberta and Canadian Student Grants Program provides financial support for post-secondary students who are diagnosed with a permanent disability. Click here for more information.
What you could be eligible for?
Canada Student Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities: $4,000 per loan TERM for education and living costs.
Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities: Up to $20,000 per loan TERM to help you with exceptional education related costs such as assistive services or equipment.
The Canada Student Grants program may cover the cost of a Learning Assessment (up to a maximum of $3,500 per loan year) if the assessment confirms you have a learning disability.
Gifted Assessment
A gifted assessment involves the use of standardized measures to assess cognitive skills, which is also known as an IQ. Gifted assessments are required for enrollment in school systems.
There are times when a gifted child may experience academic difficulties, social and behavioural challenges, emotional difficulties or other learning needs. If you feel that your child is gifted, but is also demonstrating some of the complexities that being gifted can bring, then a full psychoeducational assessment may be recommended.
What does a gifted assessment include?
There will be an initial intake interview, where we will discuss academic and developmental history.
A review of progress reports, relevant school work and previous assessment reports.
I will work one-on-one with your child to conduct standardized testing, which takes approximately 2 hours.
I provide you with a written report and a review session.
The written report will include all scores, the giftedness identification (if appropriate) and recommendations for how you and your child's school can support their learning.
Reports typically take about 3-4 weeks to complete and will be provided in time for any school application deadlines.
PDD/AISH Assessment
This assessment can be used as part of your PDD/AISH funding application. A PDD/AISH assessment looks at cognitive skills (IQ) and adaptive functioning.
These assessments include:
Completion of a structured clinical interview.
One to two testing sessions where you will be given standardized assessment measures, including cognitive testing (IQ) and adaptive functioning.
Completion of rating scales from multiple raters (self report and potentially a parent or partner) across different environments (home, employment and school).
A written report that includes specific, individualized recommendations that will help you optimize your success personally, academically or occupationally.