What type of assessment do I need?
Please note that these questions are meant to help you determine which assessment is likely to be most suitable for your needs prior to completing intake; however, your intake worker or your assigned therapist may determine that additional or different testing is appropriate.
If so, this will be communicated to you as soon as possible in order to discuss the rationale, what would be expected, and any additional costs associated.
You have the right to refuse any additional testing prior to or during your assessment but this may impact your therapist’s ability to draw final conclusions about your diagnostic profile.
Psychoeducational Assessment
Is the person to be assessed at least 6-years-old and having difficulty with learning, problem solving, or school / occupational performance and/or having difficulty with executive functioning (e.g., organization, planning, impulse control), inattention/focus, or fidgeting/hyperactivity?
Psychoeducational assessment – this is a comprehensive assessment which, in addition to assessing cognitive and adaptive abilities, this generally includes screening for common mental health conditions, particularly those which can impact cognition and performance
Psychodiagnostic Assessment
Is the person being assessed having difficulty related to other possible mental health concerns such as low /dysregulated mood, anxiety, obsessions/compulsions, substance use, trauma, etc.?
Psychodiagnostic assessment – please note, if learning disability, intellectual disability, or ADHD are suspected and have not been previously diagnosed, a psychoeducational assessment is recommended as these conditions will not be diagnosed on the basis of psychodiagnostics assessment alone
Abbreviated Psychoeducational Assessment
Is the person being assessed at least 6-years-old and having difficulty with executive functioning (e.g., organization, planning, impulse control), inattention/focus, or fidgeting/hyperactivity BUT NOT having difficulty with learning, problem solving, or school / occupational performance?
Abbreviated psychoeducational assessment – in some cases, the standard psychoeducational assessment may be abbreviated at the discretion of the therapist. If your therapist believes a brief assessment will be sufficient, you will be given the choice to continue with the full assessment or to complete the abbreviated version.
Personality Assessment & Psychodiagnostic
Is the person being assessed at least 19-years-old and experiencing long-standing challenges (e.g., at least 6 months) which appear to be related to distinct personality traits or rigid thinking styles resulting in behavioural, social, and/or occupational difficulty?
Personality assessment (and psychodiagnostic assessment) – depending on the individual’s goals for the assessment, a combination of personality and psychodiagnostics assessment may be warranted. Individuals who have previously had psychodiagnostics assessments or who are specifically querying a personality disorder (e.g., BPD) may wish to opt for personality assessment only.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment
Is the person to be assessed at least 6-years-old and having difficulty social communication and/or connection and engaging in restricted, repetitive behaviours and/or interests? Are they experiencing delays, plateaus, or regression in development in any areas (e.g., motor skills, social skills, language, learning) and/or differences in sensory processing (i.e., being over or under-sensitive to stimuli)?
Autism assessment – this is a comprehensive assessment which, in addition to assessing for Autism, includes a comprehensive cognitive assessment. This also includes an assessment of an individual's adaptive abilities and, if warranted, may include an assessment of learning abilities. Read More >>
A note regarding psychoeducational assessments – if the individual being assessed has had a psychoeducational assessment (i.e., achievement testing, cognitive testing, etc.) in the past 2 years, they may not be eligible for repeat testing.
This will depend on the tests used in the previous assessment and will require discussion with your assigned therapist to determine the best path forward which may include, but not be limited to:
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providing the therapist with previous assessment results so that they can determine whether the previous assessment is likely to invalidate current testing,
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the therapist uses results from a the previous assessment as part of the current assessment; or
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the therapist recommending pausing the current assessment to allow the required time to lapse between assessments.