ADHD rarely occurs on its own. Often other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities are also present. It is important to get a complete picture when being assessed. However, if attention problems are the primary concern and it is very clear that academic skills or mental health are not impacted, there may not be a need for a full psychoeducational assessment. In this case, a thorough ADHD assessment would be recommended, which rules out cognitive, medical, or mental health reasons for attention concerns.

Reading, writing, and math skills would not be assessed in this type of assessment, which reduces the time and cost of the process, while still offering the most informative and clear diagnostic picture. If learning needs to be differentiated, a psychoeducational assessment will be more appropriate and would be recommended.

Symptoms of ADHD may be reassessed at any time in one’s life, to determine the effects of treatment, age-related change, and other interventions, or to offer updated recommendations and accommodations (e.g., high school goals, post-secondary accommodations, workplace accommodations).

This is a special type of assessment used to determine whether an adult may require ongoing or new, Formal Guardianship or Trusteeship, or shared Decision Making regarding their OWN personal and/or financial needs.

This is not the same as a Parenting Capacity Assessment, which we don’t offer at Little Oaks.

An adult capacity assessment determines whether an adult with a neurodevelopmental or acquired cognitive delay or decline, has the independent ability to understand the information that is relevant to making various personal decisions (e.g., may include: health care, accommodation, choices of associates, social/leisure activities, personal legal matters, employment, educational, vocational or other training accommodations), financial decisions (e.g., management of income/assets, expenses/debts, risks of exploitation), and the ability to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of their decisions.

These assessments are often conducted as an adolescent is transitioning to adulthood (17+), or in cases where an adult has been informally supported but needs formal documentation of this ongoing need to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

The assessment may consist of a: 

1. Psychosocial Assessment (collecting information about personal and social history).

2. Functional Assessment (evaluating ability to complete everyday activities such as meal preparation, grocery shopping, and managing bills).

3. Neuropsychological / Cognitive Assessment (evaluating thinking abilities in areas such as attention, memory, and problem solving) if not completed recently.

The assessment may result in treatment, recommendations, or referrals and can be used in legal proceedings for determining rights related to decision making and autonomy.

We provide thorough and comprehensive assessment of complex neurodevelopmental concerns and ensure specific goal-oriented recommendations to support an individuals growth and development. By examining social, behavioural, cognitive, motor, speech, and developmental features we are able to clearly differentiate the picture of Autism using the gold standards of evidence-based assessment practices. We work carefully and thoroughly to determine diagnosis or alternative explanations for complex neurodevelopmental conditions in children, youth, and adults, as well as providing and recommending next steps, and individualized strategies and supports.

This process begins with a screening interview and questionnaires to confirm whether this type of assessment is appropriate. If the professional determines it is appropriate to proceed with the assessment, we will schedule testing, comprehensive interviewing, and structured observations to follow.

Autism Assessments can be added to any other assessment we conduct, or conducted on their own.

Symptoms of Autism (e.g., social skills, rigidity, repetitive behaviours) may be reassessed at any time in one’s life, to determine the effects of treatment, age-related change, and other interventions, or to offer updated recommendations and accommodations (e.g., high school goals, post-secondary accommodations, workplace accommodations). Re-diagnosis would not be required and is not pursued in most cases once a diagnosis of autism has been confirmed.

At Little Oaks our senior psychologists offer Assessment Consultations in which they can go over the results from any assessment received anywhere, to help clients better understand the results or what they mean for the future.

Our senior psychologist will review any report, test results, and outcomes, then provide an opportunity to talk through and help you understand clearly what these results mean and answer any technical or clinical questions you may still have.

This type of service might be considered when an assessment was provided by a clinician that you can no longer access (e.g., perhaps they retired or your cannot find their new clinic), or you simply would like additional time to talk about the results in relation to your treatment goals or ongoing needs.

Early childhood is defined at Little Oaks as children ages 3-5. Since young children’s brains are still growing and developing rapidly, stable test results or concrete diagnoses can be more difficult to obtain; however, given that early intervention is so important to success, it is not too early to start understanding your child’s developmental strengths and weaknesses.

An Early Childhood assessment can be incredibly powerful and meaningful in helping parents understand their child’s abilities. It can also be extremely beneficial for early education planning, early intervention, and support. In many cases Early Childhood assessments do not provide a diagnosis or “label”, but will always include direction and recommendations for what next steps and supports would be most beneficial.

Early Childhood assessments include a comprehensive report outlining your child’s strengths and areas of need, along with many suggestions about support planning, programming, and nurturing your child’s strengths.

Gifted assessment is the process of identifying individuals who demonstrate exceptional abilities or potential in various domains such as intellectual and/or academic skills. It typically involves a combination of standardized tests, observations, interviews, and profile reviews. The assessment aims to identify the strengths and needs of gifted individuals in order to provide appropriate educational and support services tailored to their unique abilities and talents, as well as any needs they may also have.

This process may or may not result in a diagnosis, as with any assessment, but will certainly provide insights and direction to the client and psychologist to make treatment and supports the most direct and applicable as possible.

When children, youth, or adults are struggling with mood, worries, social relationships, work or school stress, or a variety of other presenting concerns, a mental health assessment may be recommended as a good place to start. This process typically consists of a couple of hours of interviewing and questionnaires to form a clear diagnostic picture or direction for treatment. This type of assessment will be written into a short report or diagnostic letter that provides clear guidelines and next steps for treatment and support. This process may or may not result in a diagnosis, as with any assessment, but will certainly provide insights and direction to the client and psychologist to make treatment and supports the most direct and applicable as possible. This type of assessment can be completed by any of our psychologists; you will most likely work with a counselling psychologist who can continue with treatment after the assessment, if appropriate.

Mental Health Assessments could include differentiating the type of Anxiety Disorder, Depressive symptoms, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD, childhood traumas, or persistent interpersonal challenges. Diagnoses clarify the degree of impairment experienced by clients, and are intended to offer clarity for treatment planning.

Psychoeducational Assessments are standardized comparisons with same aged peers to examine the presence of Learning Disabilities, Processing Disabilities, Gifted Abilities, or Intellectual Disabilities.

When a person is having trouble making progress in school, is struggling with academic skills (e.g., reading, writing, math), attention problems, or anxiety, or is demonstrating exceptional skills and may need more of a challenge, an assessment helps gain more information as to what supports are needed. The process is very thorough, comprehensive, and explores all possible psychological factors that may be impacting learning (e.g., learning disabilities, intellectual differences, social-emotional challenges, problems with attention, and so on). This type of assessment requires a specialized psychologist trained in formal assessment.

This process may or may not result in a diagnosis, as with any assessment, but will certainly provide insights and direction to the client and psychologist to make treatment and supports the most direct and applicable as possible.