Complex assessment

Complex Assessment

Some children are anxious and struggling to read. A complex assessment is built for the overlap, so one question does not get answered at the expense of the other.

An adult and a small child colour a picture together with crayons at a round wooden table.
Children & teens Learning & mental health together Self, parent & teacher reports In person or virtual

When one question is not enough

One of the main objectives of a complex assessment is to identify any challenges the child may face, particularly concerning mental health, cognitive abilities, and academic achievements. For instance, it may reveal that a child is experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, alongside difficulties in learning or cognitive processing. This more intricate understanding helps develop targeted interventions, recommendations, learning/testing accommodations, and support strategies tailored to the child’s needs.

For a purely academic question a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment is the more direct route; for a purely emotional one, a mental health assessment.

What this assessment brings together

An expanded battery for layered needs: cognitive, academic and socio-emotional measures read against each other rather than in isolation.

Mental health

Anxiety, depression and behavioural presentation, measured alongside the learning and cognitive picture rather than separately from it.

Cognitive abilities

Reasoning, memory and processing, measured with standardized instruments.

Academic achievement

Where reading, writing and numeracy sit against standardized norms.

Multiple perspectives

Your child's self-report alongside parent and teacher reports, so the picture is not built from one setting or one observer.

How it works

What the process looks like

1

Clinical interview

We review the questionnaire you submitted and gather your child's developmental, medical, family, academic and social-emotional history. Report cards, Individual Education Plans and any previous assessments are read as part of this.

2

Testing

Our psychometrist administers standardized batteries across cognitive functioning, academic performance and socio-emotional development, and adds your child's self-reports plus parent and teacher reports for a rounded view of strengths and difficulties.

3

Analysis

Scoring and interpretation, report writing, summaries, recommendations and any warranted diagnoses by the psychologist.

4

Feedback session

We explain how to read the report and how the results may affect your child's learning, worldview and social interactions, with recommendations written for an effective Individual Education Plan.

5

Parent advocacy

A workshop and individual sessions with a parent advocate, included in the service: support for acting on a diagnosis rather than being left with a document.

The people behind your child's report

Testing is administered by a psychometrist and supervised, reviewed and signed by a psychologist.

Dr. Dillon Browne

Registered Psychologist

PhD, C.Psych.

Families, Individuals

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Dr. Sharon Verniero

Registered Psychologist

PhD, C.Psych.

Families, Individuals

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Karl Storbeck

School Psychologist

MPsy, C.Psych.

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Jovan Poposki

Psychometrist

MSc

Families, Individuals

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Jana Wessels

Psychometrist

BA (Hons), BA

Couples, Individuals

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Gillian M. Hay

Psychometrist

MSc

Individuals

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Nathan Pillai

Counsellor

MA, BA (Hons)

Couples, Families, Individuals

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Emma DeRaaf

Registered Psychotherapist

BA, MACP, RP

Individuals

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Good to know

Where & how
In person or Online.

Ask about an assessment

Prefer to write first? Tell us who the assessment is for and an Intake Specialist will get back to you.

This form is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline), or call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

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Take the first step

Ready when you are. We're here to listen.

Browse our registered therapists and reach out when you're ready. We'll usually reply within one business day.

CRPO, CPO or OCSWSSW registered No referral neededReceipts the same day

Start therapy

The fastest way in is a phone call: an Intake Specialist answers, and you do not have to explain everything.

(905) 319-1488

Often covered by benefit plans.

Send us a message

This form is not a crisis service. If you are in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline), or call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

When the phones are answered

Monday & Wednesday
8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday & Thursday
8:30 am – 7:00 pm
Friday
8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sunday
Closed