Educational and Gifted Assessment
Nancy Bergeron, R.Psych.
The school year has just ended. However, it’s the perfect time to shed some light on a sometimes confusing topic: Educational and Gifted assessments. The following will help you gain an understanding as to why some children need educational or gifted assessments while others do not.
An educational assessment is used to help identify areas in which students excel or need support. Assessments offer one way to understand the learning needs and abilities of students who are underachieving or capable of learning more than expected by the standard curriculum for their grade. Formal assessments provide objective measures of a child’s performance relative to their peers and help identify their unique strengths and limitations. These assessments may be used diagnostically to identify intellectual, learning, emotional and behavioural concerns affecting a child’s ability to succeed in school. They may also provide support for applications to gifted programs for students who may benefit from advanced learning opportunities.
Signs your child may benefit from an educational assessment may include:
Indicating less interest in learning
Complaining about or avoiding school
Saying the work is too difficult or too easy
Struggling to focus or being disruptive in class
Straining to organize or complete assignments
Expressing sadness or worries about school
Disengaging from class, learning, or their peers
Lagging behind peers in reading, writing, or math skills
If your child is showing signs they are not reaching their potential, an assessment can provide valuable information about our child’s abilities. Specific recommendations can help you understand how to improve your child’s learning experiences, reduce barriers to your child’s potential, and provide guidance through the next several school years. Information gathered in the assessment may also help identify learning disorders, such as ADHD, dyslexia, or dysgraphia. An assessment may also recognize emotional concerns, such as depression and/or anxiety, that may be affecting your child’s ability to learn.
How is an educational assessment used?
Educational assessments may be used when parents or teachers believe a student’s abilities are not fully recognized within their current academic program. A formal assessment may provide information to help your child qualify for gifted (GATE Program) or talented programs. Gifted and talented programs typically determine which tests are required for entry into their program. These tests provide scores that describe your child’s performance relative to other students and indicate whether your child can maintain their program’s standards. Your child’s assessing psychologist may determine if other tests are necessary and will ensure that these provide information about the intellectual, academic, creative or leadership qualities each school’s programs may require.
At the end of the assessment process, the psychologist will arrange a feedback session to inform you of the assessment’s overall findings. The psychologist will discuss recommendations, a plan for helping your child move forward, and provide copies of the formal written report. You may choose to share this confidential report with your child’s school to help teachers understand our child’s learning profile, adjust their teaching methods, and/or create an Individual Program Plan (IPP). Based on the confidential written report, your child’s school may be eligible to apply to modify their curriculum, access funding for extra supports, or approve academic accommodations for school and provincial exams. University students also benefit from formal assessment to allow for academic accommodations.
How to book an gifted or educational assessment
Waitlists are long and limited through the school boards, but as a private clinic, we are booking assessments with little to no wait. Viewpoint’s cost for a Gifted Assessment starts at $500 and a full Educational Assessment at $1900. Your child does not need a referral for an educational assessment. If you have any questions or would like a complimentary consultation to see if your child would benefit from an assessment, please feel free to email us or call 403-283-8773.