Early Years Signature Assessment
For Children 3.5 to 6 years of age
At Possibilities, we understand that the early years of a child’s life are filled with big milestones—and sometimes big questions, too. From first words to first friendships, these early experiences lay the groundwork for lifelong learning and emotional well-being. That’s why we’re here to support young children and the families who care so deeply about their futures.
If you’ve been wondering whether your child’s development is unfolding as expected—or if something just doesn’t feel quite right—you’re not alone. Many parents share similar thoughts during the early years. The good news? Early identification of developmental differences or concerns can lead to early intervention, which can make a profound difference in your child’s journey.
Our Early Years Signature Assessment is thoughtfully designed for children aged 3.5 to 5 years, and for 6-year-olds currently in Kindergarten. This comprehensive assessment is conducted by a Multidisciplinary Team of specialists in early childhood development—professionals who bring warmth, expertise, and a deep understanding of how young children grow, play, and learn.
Here are some questions we are asked about our Early Years Signature Assessment, along with our responses, so you know more specifics about our unique service.
Early intervention is crucial for supporting development. If a skill is lagging early on—and gaps continue to widen as you wait—more intervention will be needed to address gaps that have grown much larger over time. Doing what you can do now to strengthen early development as much as possible helps to create a more solid foundation for development going forward.
The Early Years Signature Assessment includes a Physician, a Psychologist, and a Psychometrist, all with expertise essential for understanding early development. These experts explore strengths and why difficulties are happening from several perspectives.
Members of our Multidisciplinary Assessment Team examine many developmental skills. More specifically, they examine cognitive development with a test of intellectual functioning. They also examine language skills, motor skills and coordination, school readiness, behaviour and emotion regulation, and the ability to function independently in various daily tasks. These skills are assessed through a combination of direct testing by a Psychometrist, information derived from parent questionnaires and clinical interviews with the Physician and Psychologist, and additional information derived from teacher questionnaires if your child attends Daycare or Kindergarten.
This assessment focuses largely on whether development is on track. That means that most results will focus on whether your child is “at-risk” for on-going difficulties and whether specific interventions can be started now to minimize that risk while boosting skills. For example, we’ll examine school readiness, looking at your child’s grasp of concepts like shape, number, and letter sounds, but Learning Disabilities (LDs) can’t be diagnosed in this age range. LD diagnoses are made after students have been in school for a while—towards the end of Grade 1 at the earliest. If your child is 6 years old and finishing Grade 1, our Signature Psychoeducational Assessment would be more appropriate, allowing a Learning Disability diagnosis to be made if the results indicate academic challenges. In some cases, though, diagnoses may be made with the information we gather, like Developmental Coordination Disorder, if your child struggles to produce coordinated movements. However, most information you’ll receive won’t involve a diagnosis; instead, we’ll indicate whether or not development is on-track and recommend programming to address any gaps.
No, we do not diagnose Autism with our Early Years Assessment. If you wonder whether Autism is present because you have questions about language development, social engagement, and sensory sensitivities, for example, we recommend you start with a Comprehensive Autism Assessment. If you are not sure which assessment to pursue first, members of our Next Steps Navigation Team can provide you with a complimentary 20-minute consultation after you have completed an Intake Form to discuss your options.
No, ADHD cannot be diagnosed from an Early Years Assessment. If you have concerns about attention and wonder if your young child might have ADHD, a separate attention assessment would be needed. For children younger than 6—in the 4- and 5-year-old range—we recommend a comprehensive Focus Forward 360 Assessment of attention to examine focus, and how well your child manages behaviours and emotions, more closely.
There are 6 appointments altogether. There are 2 appointments with the Physician, 2 appointments with the Psychologist, and 2 appointments with the Psychometrist.
The Early Years Assessment involves a mix of both in-person and virtual sessions. Three appointments are in-person, specifically the first Physician appointment and the two testing appointments with the Psychometrist. The 2 appointments with the Psychologist, and the last appointment with the Physician, are over secure video.
Yes, there is a cost. Physician appointments in the Early Years Assessment are covered by OHIP. However, fees for Allied Health Professionals like Psychologists and Psychometrists, and the testing materials we use, are not covered. The cost for this comprehensive Early Years Assessment is $4750. Please check with your insurance provider to determine if some of this cost will be covered.
If you would like to book an Early Years Signature Psychoeducational Assessment, or a session with our Next Steps Navigation Team, you can get started by filling out our Intake Form. If you have already completed a Intake Form, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or 1-833-482-5558 to request an appointment.
