What is it?

A psycho-educational assessment provides parents, teachers, and allied professionals with specific information about a student’s strengths, challenges and unique learning needs. We can test students as young as five all the way up to adulthood. You’re never to old (or young!) to benefit from knowing how to best meet your individual learning needs.

Throughout the testing, students are screened for giftedness as well as a variety of learning (or related) disabilities. Included is a consultation on specific academic and behavioral recommendations. An important outcome of each assessment is a list of strategies and resources for helping students reach their true potential. The assessment includes a variety of interviews, questionnaires for the student, parents and teachers, as well as a series of testing activities. The exact nature and type of questionnaires and testing activities are determined based upon information gathered from parents and teachers.

Elements of a Psycho-educational Assessment

Cognitive Abilities

A standardized test of intelligence is used to provide an overall estimate of a student’s thinking and reasoning skills related to their levels of verbal comprehension, perceptual (or visual) reasoning, working memory, and processing speed and fluid reasoning.

Memory Functioning

A standardized test of both verbal and visual memory provides a detailed analysis of working memory.

Academic Abilities

A series of academic testing activities provide a profile of a student’s academic strengths and challenges. They provide both grade-specific and age-specific evaluations for the following areas:

  • Reading speed, comprehension, sight word vocabulary, and word decoding skills
  • Phonological processing
  • Numerical operations and mathematical reasoning skills
  • Spelling, sentence development, and written expression skills
  • Oral language development, listening comprehension, and receptive vocabulary skills

Career Testing

A career assessment can also be included for secondary students and it may assist with course planning and post-secondary school selection. The CAI takes your workplace interests and compares them with other individuals currently in one of the 111 careers in their database. The instrument helps those seeking to attend post-secondary school and those not seeking to attend post-secondary school find a career geared toward their interests.

Grapho-Motor and Visual⁠-⁠Motor Integration Abilities

A standardized test of grapho-motor and visual-integration provides information related to a student’s fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, copying speed, and printing/handwriting.

Attentional, Executive and Behavioural Functioning Abilities

A variety of self, parent and teacher questionnaires provide information on a student’s attentional, psychological, and behavioral functioning.

Socio-Emotional Functioning

A variety of self, parent and teacher questionnaires provide information on a student’s socio-emotional functioning and mental wellbeing.

Looking to book an assessment?

We have three locations to serve you. Explore the locations under the “Who we are” tab to learn more.

Due to an influx of booking requests, expect up to one week of wait time following your submission to be contacted by a clinic representative.

Book here for the Downtown Victoria (Parkside) location

Book here for the Sidney location

Book here for the Westshore Location

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an assessment take?

A psycho-educational assessment consists of a series of appointments.  The first appointment is the intake meeting with the parents and the child and is 90 minutes. The two testing appointments are about 3-4 hours and are with the student and a psychometrist. The psychometrist works under the direction of registered psychologists to administer the tests.  The final appointment  to go over results is ~50 minutes long, and is typically 5 weeks after the final testing session.

At the final appointment you receive a copy of the report and the findings and recommendations will be discusses.

Is the cost covered by benefits?

Most benefits plans will offer psychological services. We recommend that you contact your insurer to find out what, and how much, is covered. We will provide you with an itemized invoice at the end of the assessment to provide to your extended medical insurance coverage.

Are there funding sources to help me pay for an assessment?

If your child has Indigenous ancestry they may be able to apply for funding through Jordan’s Principle. 

You may be able to access a grant through Variety BC to fund an assessment.

How much does an assessment cost?

Child and teen assessments require 4 appointments, intake, two testing dates, and a share report date. The cost of an assessment is $3500.

Adult assessments require 4 appointments. Intake, two testing dates, and a share report date. The cost of an adult assessment is $3250.

**PLEASE NOTE THE FULL COST OF THE ASSESSMENT IS DUE AT THE FIRST APPOINTMENT.**

How far in advance are you booking?

Our three locations vary in their booking times. The Parkside location typically has the longest wait times. Wait times range from 1 month to around 7 months out. Note, it is rare that clients cancel these appointments. As such, our cancellation list is currently at capacity and it is unlikely that we are able to move appointments earlier. Our sincere apologies.