At Love This Therapy, we believe everyone deserves to understand how their brain works and to feel good about it! Whether it’s your child who’s struggling in school or you’ve always felt like your brain dances to its own rhythm, a psychoeducational assessment can be a powerful step toward clarity, confidence, and support. Psychoeducational assessments can specifically look for three different types of neurodevelopmental disorders: intellectual developmental disorder (also known as intellectual disability), specific learning disorder (also known as learning disability), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

But these assessments aren’t just about labels or diagnoses, they’re about getting to know yourself or your child better, identifying strengths, and finding the right tools to succeed. Furthermore, in British Columbia, a psychoeducational assessment from a psychologist is necessary for students to receive an Individual Education Plan (IEP) at school, college or university for academic concerns.  Let’s walk through what a psychoeducational assessment is, what it can uncover, and why it is so helpful for you and your child. 

What Is a Psychoeducational Assessment? 

Imagine having a personalized map that explains how you or your child thinks, learns, and processes the world. That’s essentially what a psychoeducational assessment offers. It’s a deep dive into how the brain is wired, what’s easy, what’s tricky, and how to make school (and life!) a little less frustrating and a lot more empowering. 

A psychoeducational assessment must be conducted by a registered psychologist and looks at several major areas of cognitive abilities: intellectual ability, academic skills, memory, executive functioning, and visuo-motor integration. Psychoeducational assessments are commonly recommended for children who are having a tough time in school, but adults can benefit too—especially if they’ve always felt like they’re working twice as hard to stay afloat. Different clinics may offer different levels of psychoeducational assessments, ranging from more basic to fully comprehensive. At Love This Therapy, our model of assessment focuses on offering fully comprehensive assessments looking at all areas of cognitive processing, not just the basic model only covering intelligence and academic functioning. 

What Does It Look At? 

Each psychoeducational assessment explores four key areas: 

1. Intellectual Abilities or Cognitive Functioning 

We use standardized tools like the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) or WAIS-IV for adults. These tests look at all kinds of brainy things—like verbal reasoning, working memory, visual processing and fluid reasoning, and processing speed (how fast you can learn and use new information). It also enables you to learn your child’s or your own full-scale IQ score, for a general sense of intellectual functioning. 

This part helps us figure out if a person’s difficulties might be related to an intellectual disability, or whether their learning style is simply unique and just needs the right support. This portion of the assessment also allows identification of children who are gifted, or who have superior intellectual abilities in one or multiple areas. 

2. Academic Achievement (Reading, Writing, Math) 

Using tools like the WIAT-III, we look at how someone performs in core academic areas. This helps us identify specific learning disorders which are more commonly known as: 

• Dyslexia – trouble with reading and comprehension 

• Dysgraphia – difficulties with writing and expressing ideas on paper 

• Dyscalculia – challenges with math and number concepts 

Many incredibly bright people live with learning disorders—they’re just wired differently! When we spot these patterns, we can recommend strategies and accommodations to make learning smoother. 

We also aim to give a more comprehensive look at academic functioning at Love This Therapy, which is why we also include these additional areas of academic achievement in all of our psychoeducational assessments: 

– Phonological Processing (for reading) 

– Orthographic Processing (for spelling) 

– Oral Language abilities 

– Listening Comprehension 

– Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary 

– Fluency skills for reading, writing and math 

3. Attention, Concentration and Executive Functioning (EF) 

Does your child have a hard time focusing? Are they constantly losing things, forgetting instructions, or bouncing from task to task like a pinball? Or perhaps this sounds familiar to you? 

At Love This Therapy, our comprehensive assessment service explores symptoms of Executive Dysfunction as well as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) using clinical interviews, behavioural questionnaires, and in-person EF-based tasks. This helps us understand areas like: 

• Focus and concentration 

• Impulse control 

• Planning and organizing 

• Verbal and written fluency 

• Cognitive Flexibility (switching mindsets) 

Getting an ADHD diagnosis can be life changing. It doesn’t mean something’s “wrong”—it means your brain has its own operating system, and now we’ve got the manual! 

4. Memory 

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine if a child (or yourself) is struggling with attention and executive functioning, or whether these behaviours are actually indicating an underlying memory issue. That’s why at Love This Therapy; all of our psychoeducational assessments include comprehensive memory testing in the following areas: 

• Short term memory (immediate recall) 

• Long term memory (delayed recall) 

• Visual memory 

• Verbal memory 

• Working memory  

• Primary memory 

5. Visuo-Motor Integration 

Visuo-motor integration, often referred to as hand-eye coordination, involves interpreting what we see and responding with appropriate movements, encompassing both fine and gross motor skills. This skill is crucial for various daily activities, academic tasks (like reading and writing), and sports, as it enables us to plan, execute, and monitor motor tasks. Sometimes, a student’s academic difficulties may not be due to a neurodevelopmental disorder, but actually a deficit in fine or gross motor skills. That’s why at Love This Therapy, we always include this area in our psychoedcuational assessments to see whether your child’s difficulties are psychological, or physical. Sometimes struggles in writing or math may actually be due to deficits in visuo-motor integration.  

What’s the Process Like? 

We get it— “assessment” can sound a little intimidating. But at Love This Therapy, we do everything we can to make the process feel comfortable for you. 

Here’s how it works: 

1. Let’s Chat First 

We start with an intake session where we get to learn about you and your child (please note that the intake session is for parents only). We’ll ask about academic history,  behavioural symptoms, and a comprehensive history of physical health and development, as well as other mental health concerns. This is your chance to share what you’ve noticed, what you’re worried about, and what you hope to learn. 

2. Testing Time 

Next comes the one-on-one testing. This is usually in two-hour time blocks and is done over three or four sessions. Kids often enjoy this part—it feels like a series of puzzles, quizzes, and games. 

Our psychologist is an expert at putting people at ease and working at a comfortable but effective pace. Whether we’re working with a shy 6-year-old or a curious adult, we aim to make it a positive and engaging experience. 

3. (Behind the Scenes) Scoring and Report Writing 

After the testing sessions are complete, your psychologist begins the detailed work of scoring, analyzing, and interpreting the results. This involves reviewing all the information collected—from test scores and behavioural observations to questionnaires and intake notes. 

This process takes time and care. Your psychologist will thoughtfully write a comprehensive report that outlines key strengths, areas of difficulty, and any relevant diagnoses. 

4. Your Personalized Report 

Once the data is analyzed, we schedule a feedback session to review the results, diagnosis (if applicable), and detailed recommendations. You’ll receive a comprehensive written report that can be shared with schools or other professionals. 

Why a Diagnosis Can Be Beneficial  

Let’s clear something up: getting a diagnosis doesn’t put someone in a box. If anything, it opens the box. 

A proper diagnosis: 

• Is necessary for children to receive an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and extra support in school 

• Is necessary for academic accommodations in college or university 

• Can explain and help inform treatment for “disruptive” or “defiant” behaviour, which may really just be a sign of underlying neurodevelopmental difficulties 

• Explains challenges that might have felt confusing or discouraging 

• Builds confidence (“I just learn differently!”) 

• Unlocks support, like classroom accommodations or workplace modifications 

• Guides effective treatment, including therapy, tutoring, or medication 

• Empowers you or your child to advocate for what you need 

Research suggests that early identification of learning differences leads to better academic outcomes and stronger emotional well-being (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014). For example, kids with ADHD who receive support have better grades, fewer behavioral issues, and stronger self-esteem over time (DuPaul & Stoner, 2014). Children with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders such as learning disorders and ADHD are at significantly increased risk for academic difficulties, high-school drop-out, failure to complete college or university programs, mental health issues, behavioural issues, failure to succeed in future workplaces, and substance use issues in adolescence.  

The Power of Understanding 

Beyond labels and plans, what these assessments really offer is understanding. For a child, it might be the first time someone sees and celebrates how their brain works. For a parent, it’s a huge relief to finally have answers—and a way forward. 

Adults often say they wish they’d done this years ago. After a lifetime of wondering “Why do I struggle with this when others don’t?” they finally get clarity. And with that clarity comes self-compassion, empowerment, and the chance to thrive on their own terms. 

We Offer Psychoeducational Assessments at Love This Therapy 

We believe every brain deserves to be understood, supported, and celebrated. If something just isn’t clicking for your child at school—or for you at work or in life—we’re here to help. Our compassionate, experienced psychologist offers psychoeducational assessments in a warm and welcoming environment right here at Love This Therapy. 

Take a deeper look at the assessment process by clicking on the links below: 

ADHD Psychoeducational Assessments 

LD & ID Psychoeducational Assessments 

If you would like to be added to our waitlist or have any questions regarding assessments, feel free to reach out! You can contact us at 604-229-4887 or info@lovethistherapy.com.  

References 

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 

Barkley, R. A. (2015). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). The Guilford Press. 

Cortiella, C., & Horowitz, S. H. (2014). The state of learning disabilities: Facts, trends and emerging issues (3rd ed.). National Center for Learning Disabilities. https://www.ncld.org/research/state-of-learning-disabilities/ 

DuPaul, G. J., & Stoner, G. (2014). ADHD in the schools: Assessment and intervention strategies (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press. 

Wechsler, D. (2014). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Pearson. 

Wechsler, D. (2009). Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Third Edition (WIAT-III). Pearson.