PsychED Direct: Learning Disability Assessment with a Psychologist-Psychometrist Team
A Learning Disability (LD) is a neurodevelopmental difference that emerges in early childhood. Differences in brain circuitry and functioning have been mapped out quite specifically for some Learning Disabilities like dyslexia. Others are still being explored. Individuals with Learning Disabilities have solid intelligence, strengths, and talents. They also have difficulty learning in one or more academic areas, like reading, writing, and math. Some people are diagnosed with Learning Disabilities in early childhood. Others are diagnosed much later in life, when symptoms become more obvious as schoolwork or demands at work get harder.
At Possibilities, we can help. We diagnose Learning Disabilities with Assessment Teams who value compassion and accuracy, and who consider strengths that can be leveraged to support areas of need. Our Treatment Plans are supported by science to help boost skills, while also offering accommodation suggestions to work around challenges. We offer our Psychoeducational Assessments to individuals across the lifespan.
If you are seeking an assessment for yourself, or for your child, you have two options at our clinic. We offer a PsychEd Direct Assessment with a Psychologist-Psychometrist Team that focuses on learning, and whether Learning Disabilities—or a combination of LDs—are present. We describe this assessment option in a series of questions and answers here. We also offer a Signature Assessment with a Multidisciplinary Team that includes a Psychologist and medical professionals, so attention and mental health can be examined fully along with learning.
Here are some questions people ask us about our PsychEd Direct Assessment, along with our answers.
Our PsychEd Direct Assessment is offered by a Psychologist or Psychological Associate, along with a Psychometrist. There are 3 components to this assessment offered in this order: 1) An Intake Interview with the Psychologist/Psychological Associate, 2) Direct testing with a Psychometrist over 1 or 2 testing sessions, 3) Feedback with the Psychologist/Psychological Associate.
The Intake Interview and Feedback session with the Psychologist/Psychological Associate are both 50 minutes each at the start and completion of the assessment. Direct testing with the Psychometrist is approximately 6 hours in total, with break time built-in to support persistence and focus, along with one hour for lunch. Testing is completed in one day, or over two days, depending on the age of the client, and the client’s ability to complete testing in one session.
Children 6 years and older, as well as adolescents and adults of all ages, are eligible to receive a PsychEd Direct Assessment. Children 6 to 10 years are booked in 2 testing sessions lasting 3 hours each, completed on different days. Older children, teenagers, and adults who are able to sustain focus and persistence over one day will be booked for 6 hours of testing in a single day with a one-hour break for lunch between two, 3-hour testing sessions. Smaller breaks throughout the testing are provided.
Not always. The Psychologist or Psychological Associate will examine testing data and clinical information to determine whether the findings support—or do not support—a diagnosis of a Learning Disability.
Yes. School boards typically require an average IQ as part of their definition of Learning Disabilities. That means problem-solving skills are tested in our PsychEd Direct Assessment using an intelligence test. Most children perform in the average IQ range or higher, with 1 to 2 percent scoring in the well above average range on the IQ test which school boards may identify as Giftedness. If you wonder if your child qualifies for a Gifted Exceptionality at school, in-person testing is usually required. If scores on the intelligence test are quite low—in the 1st or 2nd percentile range on the other end of the continuum—and adaptive skills (a measure of independent, daily living skills) are also very limited, an Intellectual Disability, rather than a Learning Disability, may be diagnosed. Statistically speaking, only 1 or 2 percent of children we see will fall into this range and receive this diagnosis.
Additional diagnoses cannot be made through this assessment. The PsychEd Direct Assessment is focused and direct, designed to determine whether a Learning Disability in one or more areas is present, like reading, writing, or math. Beyond Learning Disabilities, this assessment does not provide an in-depth examination of attention or mental health. Screening tools relating to attention are part of the PsychEd Direct Assessment, but screening tools don’t allow diagnoses like ADHD to be made. Concerns related to attention and mental health require a separate, in-depth assessment that is not part of our PsychEd Direct offering. If the screening measures done through PsychEd Direct testing suggest concerns around focus, a separate, specialized assessment will be recommended like our ADHD Direct Assessment, or our Focus Forward 360 ADHD Assessment. Both of these options examine ADHD and mental health. If you have concerns about learning, focus, and mental health right from the start, our Signature Assessment would probably be a better fit since all these factors are considered in this larger assessment by a Multidisciplinary Team that includes a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist.
Autism cannot be diagnosed from a PsychEd Direct Assessment. Determining whether Autism is present or not requires a highly specialized, comprehensive assessment which we offer though a separate Autism Assessment.
No. Our Psychology Team providing a PsychEd Direct Assessment does not require a referral.
The cost of a PsychEd Direct Assessment is $2500.
Only Medical Doctors are covered by OHIP. Allied health professionals like Psychologists and Psychometrists are not. Please check with your insurance provider to see if assessment services provided by a Psychologist are covered.
Yes. You can find information that directly compares our two Psychoeducational Assessment options here.
We understand that you may need help deciding. At Possibilities we offer a complimentary 20-minute session with a member of our Next Steps Navigation Team. Members of this team are professionals from education and healthcare. During this session a member of the Navigation Team will listen to your questions, discuss your concerns, and help you clarify your next steps. If you would like to book an appointment with the Navigation Team, please begin by completing our Intake Form. If you have already completed an Intake Form, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or 1-833-482-5558 so we can assist you in booking a Navigation Team appointment.
If you would like to book a PsychEd Direct Assessment, a Signature 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 an Intake Form, please contact us at info@possibilitiesclinic.com or 1-833-482-5558.
