VICTORIA BARRON 

Many caregivers worry that psychoeducational assessments are administered to find out what is wrong with their child. A psychoeducational assessment is a way to determine your child’s strengths and weaknesses in many different areas. Not only are these insights empowering but also act as a roadmap for ensuring your child learns and develops to their full potential. Knowing which natural strengths you should help your child to develop is important to improving their happiness and quality of life in the future.

Additional key benefits of psychoeducational assessments are:

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• Setting realistic academic expectations according to your child’s strengths and relative weaknesses or challenges

• Identifying what strategies, tools, and resources will maximize their learning

• Determining the most effective academic environment and study strategies for their individual learning style

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Results from assessment measures are best shared with both caregivers and the school to ensure consistency of strategies across environments. Results of the assessment are not typically shared in entirety with the child as this would be overwhelming. Instead, it is best to share strengths, areas to work on, and what the “team” can do to support the child. When children understand what helps them learn, they are empowered and better able to advocate for their learning needs as they progress through Grade 12 and onto post-secondary education.

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Assessment tools are developmentally appropriate and, depending on the reason for referral may include:

• Weschler Individual Achievement Test- Third Edition (WIAT-III)

• Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence- Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV)

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition 

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)

• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales- Third Edition (Vineland 3)

• Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Third Edition (BASC 3)

• Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-IV Questionnaire (SNAP IV)

• Brown Executive Function/Attention Scales (Brown EF/A)

• Delis Rating of Executive Functions (D-REF)

• Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale- Second Edition (RCMAS-2)

• Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED)

 

Dependent on measures administered, assessment may take up to 12 hours of time which includes testing time, scoring, interpretation of results, report writing, and a debrief appointment.