Assessments

Assessments are one way to better understand ourselves, our challenges and our strengths. They are a key piece for extra support in schools from kindergarten to university, as well as accommodations in the workplace. Jackie specializes in numerous assessments designed to look at cognition, behaviours and emotions for adults and children alike. Specifically, Jackie specializes in diagnosing autism in adults and children, ADHD, learning disorders, as well as giftedness. When getting an assessment done with Jackie, next steps are always included in a comprehensive report compiling the whole process and results of the assessment. Mental health assessments might also be done within a counselling session. To overcome barriers, assessments can be done virtually for most adults.

Reach out now to start the assessment process. A better you is waiting.

Assessments can be done on children as young as 3 years old and has no upper limit on adult age. The assessment process generally takes about 4-6 weeks to complete, depending on the type of assessment. However, it often results in insight and understanding of whatever issues may be a barrier to success by examining your or your child’s specific strengths and challenges, outlining learning profiles, identifying diagnosis if applicable, and accessing school or community resources if needed.

What to Expect

The assessment appointment will begin with an interview to gather some background information. This provides relevant information regarding your presenting concerns and goals, as well as helps determine what type of assessment may be warranted.

Following the interview, the psychological testing portion of the assessment will be done. This often takes several hours, sometimes a full work or school day. Alternatively, it can also be divided into two sessions to better meet your needs.

Depending on the age of the individual being tested, a file review may be conducted to obtain a more thorough picture of the presenting concern. A file review often involves examining the individual’s history and applicable report cards, previous reports and assessments. A file review is often accompanied by a teacher/caregiver interview or questionnaire to determine if these concerns are present across various environments. If behavior is a concern, then a school observation (depending on the age of the individual) might also be warranted.

The psychological tests will then be scored and interpreted along with the relevant information collected. All findings will then be written into a comprehensive, yet easy to read, report.

To conclude the assessment process, a debrief meeting will be held to go over the results and any diagnosis that might be relevant. Next steps will also be discussed which could include consultation around implementing supports at home and school. Further, an action plan, including services such as parenting consultations and counselling can be provided at Dandelion Psychological Services if desired.