Rocky Mountain Psychological Services
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Psycho-Educational Assessment

What Is A Psycho-Educational Assessment? How Will It Help?

A psycho-educational assessment usually involves a person completing a cognitive assessment and an academic assessment. Sometimes it also includes measuring other aspects like how a person is doing socially, emotionally, or behaviourally. A psycho-educational assessment usually involves a series of appointments and includes gathering background information, one-on-one testing with the client, the psychologist writing a report, and sharing information with clients.
Parents, teachers, and even adult learners sometimes seek a psycho-educational assessment in order to better understand factors that can affect how a person learns. People might get a psycho-educational assessment done to answer the following kinds of questions:
  • Is there a learning disability?
  • Is my child gifted?
  • Do I/does my child have ADHD?
  • Why is my child struggling in school?
  • Why can’t I/my child remember things?
  • What will help my child do better in school?
  • What supports or accommodations do I need in college or university?

With a psycho-educational assessment, a person’s current learning profile is identified and then recommendations are made. The recommendations include things the person can do for themselves (e.g., strategies, counseling), what parents can do, and what the school or college or university can do to make life better and easier. 

Would you or someone you love benefit from a psycho-educational assessment? Are you wondering if a psycho-educational assessment might be a good choice? Contact us at intake@rmpsychservices or 403-245-5981 to book an appointment with one of our assessment psychologists who can help to answer your questions and make a plan to meet your needs.

FAQ

A psycho-educational assessment is a formal assessment process that can help to identify why your child is struggling and from there, make targeted suggestions about strategies, what kind of school or educational approach might be a fit, or next steps that might help. A psycho-educational assessment can also help teachers to understand your child better, give teachers suggestions for strategies, or even access different supports for your child.
There are no specific rules about what a psycho-educational assessment includes – psychologists, agencies or schools decide what their process looks like and what it includes. This can be confusing for parents because sometimes one psycho-educational assessment isn’t the same as another. Some include more in-depth assessment measures, and some are more basic. But, in general, a psycho-educational assessment will include a cognitive assessment (i.e., understanding how your child thinks, learns, processes information and some measure of their memory), academic assessment, and it may also include social/emotional/or behavioural evaluation. These measures compare how your child is doing on the questions compared to other children their age. This is helpful because the curriculum and expectations are based on what is typically manageable for a child their age. So, if things are easier or harder for your child than other children their age, this is a clue as to why they might be struggling at school.The process of a psycho-educational assessment typically includes an initial interview to find out about the reason for referral, gather relevant background information, and discuss the process and what to expect. There may be a series of individual testing sessions. These are conducted one-on-one with the child and usually involve a number of activities. The activities are conducted in a standardized manner, which means that the assessor has to ask the questions or present the tasks in a specific way so that one child’s assessment results on the tasks can be compared to others. The assessor will also be taking note of other aspects during the sessions such as how the child responds to the tasks, how they interact, their focus and attention, etc. Parents and teachers or others may also provide information to the assessment by way of interview or questionnaires. From there, the psychologist will review the data, write a report, and meet with you to discuss the results.

This is a common question that parents want to know. Some parents are concerned that their child may be labeled or that teachers or others might have a negative impression of the child following an assessment. These are understandable concerns. It is true that the result of a psycho-educational assessment could be a diagnostic label such as a learning disability or ADHD. The purpose of providing a label is to help guide parents and teachers in understanding the child and also to give direction on the types of strategies or approaches that might help the child to function better or feel better. The risks and benefits of doing an assessment is something that can be discussed with the psychologist.

Yes, you may get a report or a diagnostic letter at the end, depending on your needs. Both documents are written with several different audiences in mind – it is typically written for parents, teachers, medical doctors, and other professionals who may be working with the child such as tutors, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.

This is another tricky question, and one that most parents seeking a psycho-educational assessment face. Some parents look only at cost, believing that all assessments are alike because the measures are standardized. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. While it is true that administration of assessment measures is standardized, there is also an “art” to this science. Some individuals have been trained to administer the measures but do not have extensive background knowledge of interpreting the scores or interpreting all of the data together to come up with a cohesive understanding of the individual. This is where experience and assessment processes that take years to develop come in. Here at RMPS, while we do some have clinicians who are early in their careers, there is input and support from seasoned psychologists with years of experience consulting on the assessments.

Alberta Education uses a process called “coding” to help to identify students who have unique learning needs and who need supports, accommodations, or modifications that are different from what is typically provided. A child who is identified as having unique learning needs and who receives a “code” will have an individualized program plan (IPP) that is a plan created by the school and the child’s parents. The IPP is an agreement on how the child’s learning needs will be addressed as well as specific goals to help the child develop skills needed to successfully participate in school. In general, the code is based on the results of an assessment (often conducted by a psychologist) and also reflects a diagnosis indicating that the child requires additional learning supports.
One of the reasons RMPS is structured the way it is as a “one stop shop” is to address this question. Psychologists have different backgrounds and training – a counseling psychologist may not do assessments; an assessment psychologist may not do counseling or interventions. This can be confusing and frustrating for parents who are looking to get help for their child. And this is why all assessments at RMPS include a follow-up appointment to help parents with planning next steps after an assessment. It can be hard to know where to start or what is most important after receiving a lot of information and recommendation from the assessment. With the follow-up appointment, questions can be answered and parents can expect to leave with a plan that they can take to the school, their medical doctor, or even another psychologist, to help them on their way to implementing the next step of the change process for their child.

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Rocky Mountain Psychological Services (RMPS) is dedicated to helping children and teens work through any issues they have towards becoming self-confident, successful young adults. We know that the earlier years of life can be challenging to navigate, which is why we are here to provide our patients with the assistance they need to succeed. Our expert psychologists understand the best methods for working with people of all ages, as our services are completely suited to your individual needs and requirements.

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Cassandra White

Cassandra has been the owner and Director of RMPS since 2013. She brings more than 20 years of experience in working with children and families to the practice. Her background and expertise in the areas of assessment and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD as well as her knowledge of neurofeedback therapy and play therapy give her the broad base of knowledge to direct this multi-faceted private psychology practice.In addition to her experience in assessment and treatment of learning disabilities and giftedness, Cassandra has training and expertise in Child Psychotherapy and Play Therapy. She has worked extensively with children and their families regarding treatment of anxiety, depression, behavioral issues and emotion regulation using play-based and expressive interventions. Cassandra is also a clinical supervisor who provides supervision and consultation to other practitioners specializing in working with children. Cassandra’s experience and knowledge is not only academic; she is the mother of four children. Her experience of being a parent of four children makes her a very practical and realistic therapist. She understands the demands of parenting and does not rely on “book knowledge” or recommendations that appear unattainable for parents. She prides herself in understanding both the needs of the parents and the child. She looks for ways to enhance family functioning so that parents can feel competent and successful in their difficult jobs of raising children with a variety of complex needs.
Rocky Mountain psychological services Calgary

MacKenzie Ebel

MacKenzie is a Psychometrist/Psychological Assistant at RMPS. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Princeton University, where she also played 4 years for the women’s ice hockey team. She recently completed her Masters in Counselling Psychology through City University of Seattle.MacKenzie has worked with children, youth, and their families in a number of settings, through coaching, as a behavioural aid, and counselling through her internship placement. She is excited to continue learning about assessment administration, neurofeedback, and play therapy practices at RMPS! Currently, she is part of the assessment and neurotherapy team, as she completes her final capstone assignment and intends to join our counselling team as a Registered Provisional Psychologist.

Tammy Thomson

Tammy is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) program at Yorkville University and is trained at the master’s level in art therapy as a professional art psychotherapist and member of the Canadian Art Therapy Association. She brings more than 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and families in child development settings, children’s hospitals, and schools as an early childhood educator and elementary teacher.She completed a Bachelor of Applied Science specializing in Child Development Studies at the University of Guelph, Ontario and holds a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Tammy is a member of the Canadian Counsellor and Psychotherapy Association and College of Alberta Psychologists while pursuing her next goal of registration as a provisional psychologist. Tammy values a client-centered approach using play therapy and the expressive arts to support those who may find it difficult to articulate their thoughts and feelings with words. Children and families do not need any skill or prior art experience and the art studio is a safe place where children can gain a sense of independence, greater emotional regulation, and confidence through self-exploration. Expressive interventions in art therapy can treat behavioural issues, anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, physical and developmental disabilities, and attachment difficulties. As a parent of three young children herself, Tammy understands the complexities of family life using compassion to help parents feel more confident in their role of raising a successful family.

Raquel Freitas

Raquel is an Office Administrator at RMPS. Back in Brazil, her home country, she graduated as a Psychologist and worked as a clinician for the past 5 years. Although she loved working with children and adults, she discovered a new passion: manage the administrative tasks that keep the business running. 

As someone who is passionate about learning new things and developing new skills, with the career transition also came the decision to live abroad and explore a new culture. To serve empathetically and connect with people is Raquel’s main personal and professional goal.

Emma Donnelly

Emma is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in her hometown at Brandon University, after which she moved to Calgary to earn her Master’s of Science in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary.Emma has a passion for working with children and families and has experience doing so in a number of settings, including schools, homes, early intervention programs, and within the community. She specializes in assessment, including psychoeduational, social-emotional-behavioural, and autism assessment. Emma uses a client centred approach to counselling, supported by cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as play-based and attachment-based techniques. She believes in meeting clients where they are at and prides herself in working together with her clients to achieve their goals, improve their functioning, and enjoy their daily life.

Amanda Stoner

Amanda is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Amanda earned her doctoral degree in Psychology at Brock University in Ontario in 2017, with a specialization in developmental psychology. Amanda provides formal assessment services at RMPS. 

Since 2009, Amanda has received formal training and work experience in private practice settings in conducting psycho-educational assessments for students ranging from preschool through university. Amanda is skilled at test administration, interpretation of data, and report writing for various referral questions including ADHD, Learning Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, Giftedness, and Intellectual Disabilities. Amanda enjoys working with people of all ages from diverse backgrounds, and she tries to make the testing environment feel relaxed and comfortable while maintaining integrity in testing protocol.

Denise Riewe

Denise has completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences through the University of Lethbridge and a Master of Counselling with Athabasca University. She is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists and a member of the Psychological Association of Alberta.Denise has over 9 years of experience supporting children, youth and their families in both residential and community-based practices. Denise is experienced in working with high and at-risk youth, supporting children and their families with strength-based approaches. She practices from a client-center approach supported by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Theraplay, and other play and art-based modalities.

John Pynn

John is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. He completed his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. He brings more than 20 years of experience working with children, teens, and families in a variety of settings. He brings a relaxed and collaborative atmosphere to sessions.John uses an integrated counselling approach including client-centred, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Solution-Focussed therapy (SFT) to find the best-fit for clients. He has experience with a variety of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, anger, self-
esteem, relationships, parenting, ADHD, grief/loss, addictions, and trauma. This broad experience comes from working in schools, social service agencies, group-care, and clinical settings. He also draws from the practical experience of being a parent to two teenagers as well as a husband. Supporting and empowering clients with mental health concerns is something John genuinely enjoys. John also provides counselling for adults and holds a Gottman level 1 certification for couples therapy.

Zara Crasto

Zara is a Psychometrist/Psychological Assistant at RMPS. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Calgary and her Graduate Diploma in Psychological Assessment at Concordia University of Edmonton. 

Zara has spent over five years working alongside children, adolescents, and their families in a variety of settings. These include public and private schools, in-home support, residential programs, early-intervention programs, and non-profit organizations. Currently, Zara is part of the assessment and neurotherapy team. As a lifelong learner, Zara plans to go back to graduate school and eventually become a psychologist one day.

Kellie Lanktree

Kellie is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. She completed a Bachelor of Child and Youth Care with the University of Victoria and a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology through the University of Lethbridge.Kellie has over 10 years experience supporting children and youth with developmental disorders/delays and their families. Kellie has experience working in schools, clinical settings, and within homes to provide support and therapeutic interventions. Through her time at RMPS, Kellie has also gained experience in helping individuals affected by trauma, grief/loss, separations, emotional dysregulation, depression, and anxiety. Kellie practices through developmental, attachment-based and trauma-informed lenses, and draws from a variety of play-based approaches such as Synergetic Play Therapy, Child-centered play therapy, DIR/Floortime, art-based mediums, and mindfulness-based practices. Kellie also provides Neurofeedback therapy, and is working on receiving her certification through BCIA. Kellie believes in meeting children and their families where they are at and that there is no “one size fits all” for therapy.