Will you assess a student in grade 4? Grade 2? Kindergarten?
School psychologists will assess students in all grades, although most frequently assess students in grades 2 to grade 10. This is partly because of the design of the tests we use, or we want to give the student an opportunity to learn and develop prior to a standardized assessment. However, the decision to assess a student is decided on a case-by-case basis, and the school psychologist will discuss with the school staff the student’s progress, interventions used, and other areas (see Pre-Referral meeting) to decide if an assessment will be beneficial for the student. If you have concerns about a Kindergarten or Grade 1 student, or student in Grades 11 or 12, please do not hesitate to consult with us.
Will you assess students in grade 12?
Most requests for psych-ed assessments/re-assessments for non-grade school purposes, such as assessing in Grade 12 for possible accommodations at post-secondary institutions, are not usually completed due to heavy demand for psych-eds and large caseloads. There are occasional exceptions. However, the priority is on assessing for planning educational supports for students while they are in Kindergarten-to-Grade 12.
Will you assess an English Language Learning (ELL) student?
School psychologists will assess ELL students, yet, as mentioned above, this is decided on a case-by-case basis, and the school psychologist will consult with the school staff (see Pre-Referral meeting) to decide if an assessment is appropriate. Most cognitive assessment measures require at least some degree of English-language competency in order to understand task directions and/or to get a valid estimate of language reasoning skills. The vast majority of standardized assessment measures require that language used for giving directions not be changed in any way, regardless of a student’s suspected level of cognitive ability or English language level.
Will you assess a student who is in French Immersion?
Yes, School Psychologists do assess students who are enrolled in French Immersion. It is important that teachers and parents realize that the students are assessed with English-language measures, including the standardized cognitive measures and the standardized achievement measures. Particularly for primary-graded students in the Early French Immersion program, whose language of instruction is in French, some of the language based achievement tests, such as spelling and decoding English words, may need to be interpreted with caution. A common question is whether a French-language version of the cognitive test should be used instead, and the answer is no because French-language versions are normed on the Francophone population (French as the native language), whereas the vast majority of French Immersion students have English or a non-French language as their first language.
Do School Psychologists do “Gifted” assessments?
The decision to do a psych-ed to assess specifically for Giftedness is made by the School Based Team, following pre-referral with the school psychologist and, of course, informed consent from the parents/guardians. Sometimes a student is found to be Gifted while being assessed for another reason, such as for a Learning Disability. In some cases a student is found to be “Twice-Exceptional”, being gifted as well as having another exceptional learning need, such as Learning Disability that affects written language, reading, or math.
Will you assess a student more than once?
School psychologists are often asked if they will “reassess” a student sometime in the future. Depending on factors such as the age/grade of the student when initially assessed, whether the reassessment is required for a specialized program placement, what the outcome of that first assessment was, and whether the information in the report seems to be no longer relevant, this is decided on a case-by-case basis. In other words, “yes”, we will re-assess students in some cases, but it is not done automatically or routinely for most students.
What if a doctor or other professional is recommending a psych-ed for my child/student?
It is not unusual for a medical or mental health professional to request a psych-ed for a child/youth they see. These requests need to be treated the same way as school-initiated requests and go through the same stages of referral (such as school-based consultation, SBT, and pre-referral) as any other request. This is again because the demand for psych-eds usually far exceeds what a school psychologist can reasonably be expected to do, given that each psych-ed usually takes 20-30 hours to complete. Each request is discussed on a case-by-case basis and those that require more than classroom/school-based interventions will be prioritized by need.
What about private psycho-educational assessments?
Some children have psycho-educational assessments done privately, such as through a Registered Psychologist with a private or clinical practice, paid for by the family. In these cases, it is encouraged to share the assessment report with the school principal and learning support team, who will request the school psychologist to review the report and help explain the results to the school staff who work with the child. The school psychologist also determines if the results meet criteria for a Ministry of Education designation (see “What is a Designation?”) . Like the assessments done by the school district’s psychologists, a copy of the private assessment will be kept in the student’s confidential school file. Like when choosing for any private service, parents are reminded to be careful consumers and should have a clear explanation of what the concern and/or difficulties are presenting a need for a psych-ed assessment.
What do I do with a medical report I receive for my child/student?
Please ask the school psychologist to review any medically-based assessments that may come in, including Mental Health assessments. In some cases, the school psychologist will recommend that other district specialists also look at the report.
Can I ask questions about the results of an assessment? What about after the debrief meeting?
Often the results of a psycho-educational assessment may not be surprising; however, sometimes the information may be unexpected or even upsetting. People are encouraged to ask questions to the school and school psychologist during the debrief meeting if they do not fully understand the results or implications of the results. Although school psychologists make every effort to explain the results clearly, it is often a lot of information to take in, especially since many parents may be nervous in the meeting. It is not unusual to have questions a few days later, after having time to think about the results and looking through the report. School psychologists understand this and are happy to answer any questions about the assessment results.
Why did my request for a Psych-ed Assessment get turned down?
Most years, the demand for psych-ed assessments far exceeds the number of psych-eds a school psychologist is able to provide to each school. Unfortunately this means that not all requests for a psych-ed can be accommodated, even when requested by a doctor. This does not mean that the student’s needs are dismissed or ignored. Many support services, such as Learning Assistance, a classroom behavior plan, or counselling services do not require a psych-ed. Sometimes, a psych-ed may be too premature because other things such as hearing or vision problems, other possible medical issues, or mental health issues need to be addressed first prior to a psych-ed, since not being aware of them or extent of them could severely impact the results and interpretation of the assessment. It also does not mean “never”, especially if a student does not progress or respond as expected to some of the supports offered or suggested.
How do I contact a school psychologist if I have a concern about my child/student?
All Burnaby schools have a school psychologist that works with them. If you are a parent and have concerns about your child’s learning or behavior, it is best to first request to talk to your child’s teacher who may include a learning support teacher or school administrator in the conversation, depending on the question or concern. Although school psychologists will do their best to answer parent’s questions, they often are unfamiliar with the day-to-day activities and learning tasks in your child’s specific classroom. This is because each school psychologist is assigned to many different schools. If you are a classroom teacher with concerns about a student, it is usually best to first discuss the concerns with the student’s parent or guardian, and then if needed talk to your Learning Support teacher or administrator about concerns and request a consultation, which may lead to a larger school-based meeting. Learning support teachers and administrators will then usually be the ones to contact the school psychologist directly to talk more about the concern if it can not be resolved at the school level. Most Burnaby school psychologists have their office in one of the secondary schools, but travel back and forth between numerous elementary schools as well, so are best reached by email.