Every child, and every situation, is unique, and as such, I offer a number of options for psychological assessments in both Calgary and Okotoks, Alberta. A full psycho-educational assessment may be appropriate if you suspect that your child has a learning disability (reading, writing or math), intellectual disability, or other social, emotional or behavioural needs, including ADHD, anxiety, developmental coordination disorder, or you simply would like to gain insight into your child’s cognitive and learning profile.
Many programs, including Westmount Charter School and the Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE) offered by the Calgary Board of Education require recent intelligence testing as part of the admissions process, and so a more targeted gifted assessment may be appropriate.
I have experience working with children in both private and public settings, including directly within the school system. If you are unsure as to which assessment is right for your child, please contact me for a free phone consultation to discuss.
Full Psycho-educational Assessment
A full psycho-educational assessment will provide you with information about your child’s cognitive profile, which includes IQ as well as specific information about the various areas that make up IQ, including verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, visual spatial abilities, processing speed and working memory. The assessment will also provide you with insight into your child’s current abilities in the areas of reading, writing and math. In addition, the assessment can include visual perception and fine motor testing, screening and diagnosis of social, emotional and behavioural issues, and adaptive functioning, as required. Combined, this information in frequently requested by schools to help aid in programming and planning accommodations for students, as well as by doctors and other health professionals for treatment planning.
The following sessions are typically scheduled:
- 1 hour initial intake interview with parents/guardians
- 2 hour testing session directly with child for the cognitive assessment
- 2 hour testing session directly with child for the academic assessment
- 1 hour feedback meeting with parents to discuss results, to be scheduled once the report is completed
Gifted Assessments
If you believe that your child may be gifted and you are interested in applying to a specialized program, or are simply curious as to their cognitive profile, a gifted assessment may be appropriate. These programs typically require the intelligence testing only, or intelligence testing plus an academic assessment.
If you suspect that your child is a dual or twice exceptional learner (identifiable as gifted and also has other learning needs), and/or they are experiencing social, emotional or behavioural issues, a full psycho-educational assessment is recommended.
Westmount Application
The Westmount Charter School application process requires students to have undergone recent intelligence testing (also called an IQ test or cognitive assessment), and submission of a psychological assessment report that contains the full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and general ability index (GAI) scores obtained during testing.
The Westmount Application assessment is scheduled for 3 hours, and includes the following:
- Initial intake interview with parents/guardians
- Cognitive assessment (using the WPPSI-IV, WISC-V or WAIS-IV)
- Final feedback meeting with parents to discuss results
*If after completing the cognitive portion of a gifted assessment, the student is found not to meet gifted criteria, parents have the option to discontinue the assessment process and opt out of the full report and feedback meeting for a reduced fee.
GATE Application
As part of the Calgary Board of Education’s application process to the Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE), a psycho-educational assessment is required that includes both cognitive and academic testing.
Our GATE Application assessment typically includes the following:
- 30 minute initial intake interview with parents/guardians
- 2 hour testing session directly with child for the cognitive assessment (WPPSI-IV, WISC-V, WAIS-IV)
- 2 hour testing session directly with child for the academic assessment (WIAT-III)
- Final feedback meeting to discuss results
*If after completing the cognitive portion of a gifted assessment, the student is found not to meet gifted criteria, parents have the option to discontinue the assessment process and opt out of the full report and feedback meeting for a reduced fee.