A neuropsychological assessment is a formal comprehensive evaluation of cognitive abilities (e.g. memory, problem-solving, visual-spatial skills, attention, processing speed) that is done to understand brain-behaviour relationships (i.e. how the brain works). It must be done by a licensed psychologist who is specially trained in neuropsychology. The goal of the assessment is to understand, not only what function has been impacted and how severely, but also to look deeper to the specific process that is resulting in these functional difficulties. For instance, with an attentional difficulty, it is helpful for someone to understand what aspect of attention in particular is compromised so that situations can be avoided that cause difficulty and/or a different approach could be taken to bypass the area of difficulty.
None of the testing is invasive. The information is collected primarily through paper and pencil type tests, practical problem solving tests (some may be computerized) and answering of questions. There are often questionnaires to complete. The tests are carefully chosen depending on the needs of the patient and are well-researched. The information gathered helps the neuropsychologist understand how the patient makes sense of things he or she perceives, how he or she remembers, pays attention in the environment, uses language, problem-solves, and in some cases, learns to do academic things as read, write and do mathematics.
Typical domains assessed include:
A specialized procedure to identify and differentiate a client's symptoms, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and provide further insight into the client's daily life.
KMT’s child psychologists offer psychoeducational assessments for children and adolescents. These include both gifted assessments and learning disability identification.
We offer psycho-educational assessments for children and adolescents. These include both giftedness and learning disability identification. These assessments evaluate thinking/reasoning abilities and underlying cognitive processes (e.g. memory, attention, executive functioning), academic achievement, behaviour and social-emotional functioning. A psycho-educational assessment can identify strengths and weaknesses cognitively and academically so that these areas can be targeted through intervention or additional support.
What is involved in a comprehensive psycho-educational assessment?
Psychological and Psycho-Educational Assessments
These assessments evaluate a child or adolescent’s cognitive, academic, behavioural and/or social emotional functioning in order to identify the following, if appropriate:
Compared to a neuropsychological assessment, a psychoeducational assessment typically focuses on intellectual and academic functioning. The assessment can be completed by a neuropsychologist, school psychologist or learning specialist. A psychoeducational assessment is usually requested if a learning disability or attention problem is suspected as this would help determine if the individual qualifies for accommodations and resources within the school.
A neuropsychologist not only uses a wider-range of specialized assessment tools, their training will allow them to have a more in-depth look at the interplay between brain-behavior relationships, social skills and personality functioning. Having a neuropsychologist complete the evaluation is particularly important for complex cases such as adolescent or young adults with comorbid disorders (e.g. learning disability plus ADHD, brain injury, or psychological disorder). The comprehensive nature of the evaluation and process of interpretation may lead to (a) an accurate diagnosis, (b) a representative profile of strength and weakness, (c) understanding of what specific aspects of a function are responsible for a given difficulty, (d) detailed and practical individualized recommendations for academic, psychological and neurological interventions, and (d) an opinion on prognosis.
Psychovocational assessments investigate the client’s aptitudes, current academic functioning (literacy and numeracy), interests, personality, and general ability. Such assessments also assist in the development of suitable vocational goals which provide realistic occupational or training suggestions.
Our teams have worked with WSIB, HCAI, FSCO and MVA clients over these years. Our research abilities and clinical experiences have taught us that emotional and cognitive (thought) factors can affect an individual's rehabilitation following physical injury and the performance of activities of daily living. This is why we work within a collaborative model that shares innovative ideas and techniques within the team to assist individuals successfully return to employment in a safe and healthy way that benefits all parties involved in the treatment and rehabilitation process.
We offer a variety of rehabilitation assessment and treatment services including: