Services
Services offered through Clarity Assessment Services include Consultation, and Psychoeducational Assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults. Professional Development services can also be made available for your team or community, and customized to your individual needs.
Counselling services are not currently offered. Should an assessment be undertaken, and concerns regarding mood or mental health revealed, referrals to community services would be offered to support your child and your family.
Sometimes as a parent you may have concerns regarding your child's development, but you don't know where to start in terms of getting help, or deciding which action plan to follow. All of our work with clients begins with a consultation regarding your concerns, to ensure that the psychoeducational assessment you are inquiring about is, in fact, the best course of action.
Clarity Assessment Services offers consultation from a professional in child learning and development to help you determine the best plan for your family. I can offer information on when an assessment may be helpful, or when an alternate plan may be a better place to start. I can put you in touch with community resources and publicly funded programs depending on your child's and family's needs. Make a list of all your concerns and questions and we can discuss them together!
My child's teacher thinks we should have a Psychoeducational Assessment done. What does that mean?
A psychoeducational assessment is a comprehensive examination of the psychological factors impacting learning, academic achievement, and/or behaviour. Nicole Callaway is Registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists, and is qualified to assess for a range of possible learning and/or behavioural challenges impacting upon a child's presentation at home or school.
The psychologist will work with you to develop an assessment plan based upon the primary concerns at home and/or at school as part of a thorough interview. Based upon this collaboration, the psychologist will recommend an assessment plan. This may include assessment of:
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Intellectual ability
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Academic achievement
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Adaptive functioning
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Executive Functioning and self-regulation
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Behaviour and/or hyperactivity
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Vocabulary development
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Visual-motor Integration
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Memory skills
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symptoms of anxiety or depression
Nicole will work collaboratively with you and educators to gain the best understanding of your child's learning and behavioural profile. The assessment plan is developed openly with parents, and discussed thoroughly before undertaking any direct work with your child. Any recommended adjustments to the assessment plan are discussed with you.
There are several diagnoses that can be assessed in the process of a Psychoeducational Assessment. The collaborative assessment plan will assist the psychologist in ruling in (making a diagnosis) or ruling out (not making a diagnosis) one or more of the following:
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Specific Learning Disorders/Learning Disabilities
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Intellectual Disabilities
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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Anxiety Disorders
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Depressive Disorders
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Behavioural Disorders
Once the testing portion of the assessment is complete, the psychologist evaluates all of the information gathered, including information from interviews with parents, information provided by teachers, testing results, observations, and rating scales (if appropriate) to interpret the testing performance within the context of the whole child and situation. All of this information is reviewed with parents during a debrief meeting, including clinical opinions/diagnoses and any recommendations for further evaluation (e.g. medical referral, interventions, etc.). Parents are provided with a Psychoeducational Report, which they can share with whomever they deem appropriate (e.g. teachers, doctors, etc.).
Empower yourself by revealing your learning profile through psychoeducational assessment
Are you in your first or second year of college or university and feel like you are working twice as hard as everyone else, but not achieving the grades you expect? Or perhaps you know you have the capacity to be successful with post-secondary learning, but get bogged down in organization, prioritizing, distractibility, or time management?
Psychoeducational assessments aren't just for kids! I often see clients in high school or university who experience unexplained barriers to their academic progress. Assessment can assist you in gaining more information about your profile to assist in alleviating those barriers, accessing accommodations (yes, even in a post-secondary setting!), and maximizing your potential.