ADHD, Psycho-educational, and Learning Disabilities Assessment

PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL
(PSYCH-ED)
ASSESSMENT

WHAT IS PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL
ASSESSMENT?

A psycho-educational assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of an individual's cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, memory, executive functioning, and learning profile. The assessment helps identify an individual's strengths and areas of difficulty, clarify the factors contributing to academic challenges, and provide recommendations to support success in college or university.

Many students seek an assessment after experiencing persistent academic difficulties despite working hard, receiving tutoring, or spending significantly more time studying than their peers. Others may have managed well throughout elementary and secondary school but begin experiencing difficulties once they enter post-secondary education, where coursework becomes more demanding and requires greater independence.

In many cases, these challenges may not be entirely new. There is often evidence that similar difficulties were present earlier in childhood or adolescence, although they may have been less noticeable or did not significantly interfere with academic functioning at the time. Some students develop effective strategies or benefit from structured learning environments, family support, or personal strengths that help compensate for these challenges during elementary and secondary school. For others, longstanding symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other neurodevelopmental differences may not have been recognized until the increased academic, organizational, and independent living demands of college or university made them more apparent.

WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM A PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT

College and university students may benefit from an assessment if they:

Spend considerably longer studying than classmates but continue to struggle academically
Have difficulty understanding or remembering what they read
Read accurately but slowly, or need to reread material multiple times
Have difficulty organizing essays, reports, or written assignments
Frequently miss deadlines or underestimate how long assignments will take
Have difficulty planning, prioritizing, organizing, or managing multiple courses simultaneously
Struggle to keep up with the pace of lectures, coursework, or examinations
Experience difficulty sustaining attention during lectures or while studying
Have longstanding academic challenges that have continued into post-secondary education
Wonder whether ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, a cognitive processing weakness, or another learning difference may be contributing to their difficulties
Require updated documentation to support applications for academic accommodations

Many students have developed effective strategies that allowed them to succeed in elementary and secondary school. However, the increased academic demands and greater independence required in college and university often make underlying cognitive, academic, attention, or executive functioning difficulties more apparent.

ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Learing Disabilities, Autism and Psycho-educational Assessment

WHAT DOES THE ASSESSMENT INCLUDE?

Psycho-educational assessments are completed by Licensed Psychologists and are based on an hourly fee.

The assessment may include:

A comprehensive clinical interview
Review of educational, medical, and previous psychological records (when available)
Standardized cognitive testing
Comprehensive academic achievement testing
Assessment of attention, memory, executive functioning, and processing speed
Additional testing when clinically indicated
Screening for ADHD and other conditions that may affect learning and academic performance

The assessment is individualized based on the student's referral concerns and educational history.

ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Most psycho-educational assessments require approximately 15 to 18 hours, although additional assessment time may occasionally be required depending on the complexity of the referral.

Typical assessment hours include:

Student interview (approximately 1 to 2 hours)
Interview with Parents (when needed and if appropriate, 1 to 2 hours)
Cognitive testing (approximately 2 to 3 hours)
Academic achievement testing (approximately 3 to 4 hours)
Additional testing, when indicated (approximately 1 to 2 hours)
Test scoring, interpretation, and review of records (approximately 2 hours)
Preparation of the assessment report (approximately 6 yo 8 hours)
Feedback session (approximately 1 hour)

ASSESSMENT OUTCOME

Following the assessment, students will receive:

A feedback session reviewing the assessment findings
A detailed psychological assessment report
Diagnostic conclusions, when appropriate
Individualized recommendations to support academic success

The assessment report will summarize the assessment findings, provide diagnostic conclusions (if applicable), and describe the student's cognitive, academic, attention, and executive functioning profile to help explain their learning strengths and areas of difficulty. Individualized recommendations will be provided to support academic success and, where appropriate, applications for accommodations through a college or university Accessibility Services office. Depending on the assessment findings, recommendations may include additional examination time, a reduced-distraction testing environment, note-taking supports, assistive technology, access to lecture recordings, flexible assignment deadlines, or other individualized accommodations. If diagnostic criteria are not met, the report will explain the findings and provide recommendations to address the student's identified areas of difficulty.