Is your child struggling in school? Smart but scattered? Having trouble getting along with family members or peers? Is homework time a battle?

For some young people, a comprehensive assessment (also referred to as psychoeducational or neuropsychological assessments) can help family, friends, and school personnel to better understand a child’s unique learning, emotional, and cognitive profile. Depending on the wishes of the family, this can include a formal diagnosis (e.g., Specific Learning Disorder in Math). Registered Psychologists like Dr. Penner are empowered to provide official diagnoses, which is sometimes important for the purposes of funding or support.

Assessments can be used to help develop individualized education plans (IEPs) for young people in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school to ensure that their learning, social, and emotional needs are met and supported.

Assessments can help families access needed services (e.g., funding in school or the community) and always include recommendations tailored to each child’s specific neuropsychological and social-emotional profile. Following an assessment, parents are better able to understand their children and children are better able to understand themselves, which reduces conflict and frustration at home and in social and community settings.

Young people are referred for assessment for a wide variety of reasons, including difficulties managing the school environment, learning challenges, problems getting along at home, difficulties making or keeping friends, and many others.

Dr. Penner works closely with family and school teams to ensure that no stone is left unturned in terms of understanding a child’s strengths and weaknesses. She believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and assessments are geared toward this purpose.