Students who fit the specific criteria for the Gr8 Transitions Program will receive a psychoeducational assessment at no cost.

What is involved in the assessment?

1) Intake Interview and Consent (1 hour)

• To obtain informed consent by explaining the nature of the assessment, expected benefits and associated risks
• To provide the clinician an opportunity to clarify items from the background questionnaire
• To give the child and parent a chance to ask questions before testing
• To put the child at ease before testing

2) Testing (3 separate, 3 hour sessions)

• To examine the child's ability to do things that require very specific skills so we can better isolate the problems

One additional session of 2 hours

• This is ONLY for students who have received adaptive technology training

3) Feedback (1 hour)

• To share assessment results with parent and child
• To talk about realistic and practical recommendations
• To ensure the child understands his or her own learning profile
• To give parent and child the opportunity to ask questions

What does the testing involve?

There is a huge variety in the test activities. We might ask the child to copy designs, repeat made-up words, solve math problems, remember a list, write a story and define words. When we interpret the results of the tests we take into account test behavior (level of distractibility, effort, anxiety), the child's general response style (impulsive, careful and slow, hesitant), and current stressors (family issues, problems at school). When formulating a diagnosis we take into account the child's learning and school history including grades, early development, and past assessment results. We put all these together to try to understand the child as fully as possible, in order to make the most sensible recommendations and form a clear diagnosis, if needed.

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Assessment Information Handout (PDF 87 KB)