ADHD Assessments
I have a waiting list for new clients requesting brief ADHD assessments. Due to the very high demand, Brief ADHD assessment interviews are booked once clients submit the initial information requested by my office.
I am not able to complete any other types of assessments at this time
Brief ADHD Assessments
These determine if a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) is warranted. This assessment provides a brief summary report that outlines your specific symptoms to help you understand your own strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for your next steps. If relevant, you can take the summary report to your physician to discuss medication options. If you are at a post secondary institution, my assessment report may not be sufficient to use for university or college accommodations if the institution requires cognitive testing for an ADHD diagnosis. Please confirm with your institution's disability resource centre on the report requirements. If you need a report for university, please contact a psychologist who specializes in Learning Disability assessments.
The Brief ADHD assessment is completed entirely online through a combination of data gathered from forms you complete before our appointment, and information collected in a 1.0-1.5 hour interview. These assessments are in very high demand. To ensure you are ready for your appointment, when you request an assessment we will send you a number of forms. Once you have completed the forms, we will send you relevant questionnaires regarding your symptoms. After you complete the questionnaires, you will be invited to book an interview to discuss your symptoms and history with me. The brief assessment for ADHD costs $600.00. However, if your situation is more complex and I need to assess for other conditions that can affect attention and executive functioning, I may ask to see you again, which would add to the overall cost of the assessment. You won't be asked to pay until the assessment is completed.
Comprehensive Assessments
These assessments have four parts.
1. Intake Interview
In this interview you help me understand what has prompted you to seek an assessment and what your goals are for the assessment. I will ask you a series of questions about your current concerns, your psychological and medical history and relevant background in order to make sure I have a good understanding of your situation.
2. Individual Testing.
This is the longest part of the assessment for you. It is usually done on the same day as the interview, but may be carried over to a second day if there is too much to complete in one day. It may also be broken into shorter sessions if you are not able to manage a long appointment due to fatigue or pain, for example. Depending on the type of assessment you are seeking, it can take from 3-8 hours. I will select from a number of standardized measures of general intelligence, attention, memory, problem solving, visual skills, academic skills and executive functioning to create a battery of tests. I will also select relevant questionnaires and rating scales for you to complete. When relevant, I will ask your permission to interview someone who knows you well (usually by phone) so that I can learn more about what other people have observed about you.
3. Scoring the data, analysis and interpretation of the results, and writing the report.
This is the longest part of the assessment for me. I examine all the results in relation to your functioning and history as well as in relation to the performance expected of your peers (i.e. the normal population or persons with similar illness or injury). I rely on my theoretical knowledge and practical training as well as current scientific literature to confirm or reject a diagnosis, examine differential diagnoses, and identify, if present, the diagnosis that is most consistent with your subjective experience, your history and the neuropsychological test results. Then I write a report that details the findings, diagnosis, recommendations for further assessment or treatment, as well as the effects of your deficits and strengths on your life (e.g. ability to work, study or to lead an autonomous life). Because the report integrates information from a wide variety of sources, the neuropsychological report often offers an extremely comprehensive view of your condition.
4. Feedback / Informing Interview.
The last part of the assessment is an interview where we meet to discuss your results. At this meeting I will share my opinion about the nature of your current concerns, as well as my recommendations to help you move forward in your life. You can invite one or two people to join this interview if you want. After this interview, I will make the final additions to the report and send it to whoever has requested it (such as your lawyer, insurance company, your doctor, or yourself). I do my best to write reports that are easy to read, and are free from jargon. However, some reports are quite long and complicated, so you are welcome to contact me if you have more questions once you have read the report.
Comprehensive Assessments are not currently available at my practice
Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessments
These help you understand and formally document your medical condition. This may be used for legal cases, insurance disability applications, or rehabilitation (such as return to work planning after a brain injury). These assessments take up to two days of your time to complete. The cost starts at $4500.00 for a clinical assessment (such as for rehabilitation planning or pension decisions) but it may cost more depending on the complexity of your medical history and condition. Assessments that are intended to be used in court are significantly more involved as there are typically many documents to review and the reports address the referral questions in a manner that is complete and that will withstand the scrutiny of the courtroom. See this article for more information on neuropsychological assessments
Not currently offered
Comprehensive Psychological Assessments
These help you understand and formally document your mental health condition. This may be used for legal cases, insurance disability applications and/or treatment planning. These assessments take about four hours of your time to complete and we will meet again to discuss the report. They typically cost about $3500.00 but may cost more depending on the complexity of your psychological history and condition.
Not currently offered
Concussion Assessments
These help formally determine the severity of your recent concussion (within two months of injury), and to help you experience the fastest and most complete recovery. These brief assessments take two and a half hours of your time to complete and we will meet again to discuss the results once I’ve written the report. These assessments include a formal report for your physician and treating team, and typically cost $1500.00 (though it may be less, depending on your situation).
Not currently offered.
Brief Cognitive Screening Assessments
These help clarify specific concerns around cognitive difficulties such as memory problems. This may be used to guide rehabilitation planning, or to diagnose a condition such as age related mild cognitive impairment or early detection of dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease. We will meet to discuss the results and I will provide specific recommendations to help you maintain optimal functioning and plan for the future. My recommendations will be specific to you and your situation. These assessments include a brief report, and cost $600.00.
Not currently offered