Psychoeducational assessments can be used to guide educators in how your child learns and where they struggle. With final report cards on the way, you may be thinking your child could use more personalized attention to facilitate their strengths and accommodate their weaknesses. Instead of waiting until the next school year to arrange psychoeducational testing for your child, it’s better to act now and book your child’s psychoeducational assessment for spring or early summer. Here are 4 reasons why.

1. Psychoeducational assessments take time

Waiting until September to arrange a psychoeducational assessment, means you may not actually obtain the results until the school year is well under way. Although getting a private assessment is much faster than the waitlists at public schools, keep in mind that the from the initial consultation, to testing, report writing, and feedback session, a psychoeducational assessment can still take at least one or two months to complete. With most parents waiting until the fall, booking your child’s assessment in September or October can take longer than expected. This is especially true with limited flexibility throughout the week that accompanies the school year, often restricting you to Saturdays when booking appointments. Booking your child’s psychoeducational assessment in the spring or summer can dramatically shorten your wait time, and ensures you will receive the results before heading into the next school year.

2. You will have time to practice at home recommendations

Many of the recommendations included in the psychoeducational assessment report are for you to begin implementing at home. Receiving the report in time for summer means you have time to start working on these recommendations before the beginning of the next school year. Back to school time can be overwhelming; starting these recommendations early can prevent adding to this stress.

3. The school needs time to implement accommodations and recommendations 

The completed psychoeducational report will outline recommendations and accommodations for your child’s school to put into action in order to facilitate their learning. Once you have received these recommendations, a written request to the school must be submitted, who will first refer your child to the Ontario Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IRPC) to determine whether your child is considered exceptional. This is partly done through review of the psychoeducational assessment. If your child is determined to be exceptional, their school will begin to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

By starting the school year with the psychoeducational report already completed, it will make it much easier to quickly arrange a meeting with IPRC, and review the IEP developed for your child if they are determined to be exceptional.

 4. You can start the next school year with a new approach 

Arranging for your child to receive a psychoeducational assessment in the spring or summer means we can review their final report card from the previous academic year to get a good sense of their current academic achievement. Being able to reflect on the past year also means you can start the new school year with a solid comprehension of your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and allows you to approach the school year with a plan for success.