Often students seek a psychoeducational assessment because they are struggling in college or university with problems that have either never been assessed or were assessed a long time ago (5 years or more). In order to receive academic accommodations in secondary school an updated psychoeducational assessment is usually required.
How do I know if I need a psychoeducational assessment?
Here are few things that are commonly observed among university students who are struggling to learn:
- Difficulty getting through readings
- Can read but doesn’t comprehend
- Can’t spell
- Slow to complete work despite great effort
- Work not done on time
- Poor printing/writing skills
- Gets easily frustrated
- Easily distracted and/or asks to be excused a lot
- Rushes through work just to be finished
- Trouble copying from the board
- Memory seems poor – doesn’t retain information
- Trouble organizing written text, ideas, things
- Difficulty with multi-step instructions
- Resistant to going to school
Can the college or university do the assessment?
Yes, possibly. Some colleges and universities have psychology departments with student assessment clinics affiliated with them. You will have to call your academic institution to see if this service is available to you.
How should I prepare for a psychoeducational assessment?
It helps us to know that you have had a recent physical examination and that possible physical causes for your concerns have been ruled out. Also, because of the importance of hearing and vision to learning, it is ideal to have hearing and vision tested by a proper specialist prior to the assessment.
What should I do with the report I receive?
Following the assessment you will receive a comprehensive and detailed report of your unique learning needs and strengths. We are fully licensed to diagnose learning, developmental and neurocognitive disorders (e.g., adhd) and we strive to provide you with evidence based recommendations that will set you up for success. If you choose to share this report with the school they will have a better understanding of your learning needs and extra resources that may be available to you. We typically recommend sharing your report with the student disabilities centre at your college or university to discuss its findings and the accomodations you need.
Note: Always hold on to a copy of your report as a part of your child’s health history. Reports are often requested many years down the road and can be invaluable to those offering support.