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How do I know what type of evaluation my child may need?
We would be happy to discuss your concerns for your child over the telephone in order to determine whether an evaluation
is warranted and, if so, what kind we would recommend for your child. In many cases, your child's teacher, therapist and/or
other professional may refer you to the CEN with a specific assessment in mind. Regardless, please feel free
to contact us with any questions you might have.
What are the goals of the intake session of an evaluation?
The
intake session is designed to lay the foundations for the assessment process. It is a time for a child's parents to meet the
clinician who will be conducting the evaluation, and to voice their concerns and reasons for requesting an assessment. Time
will be spent reviewing the child's history (e.g., medical, developmental, educational) and discussing his or her current
functioning both in and out of school. Parents are encouraged to ask questions, share their perspective, and relay any other
information that they feel would be important for the clinician to know about their son or daughter before meeting them. In
so doing, the intake session serves to have both parents and the clinician feel that they are working towards the same,
clearly defined objectives.
What can I
expect the testing session(s) to be like?
The
nature of the testing sessions varies depending on the age of the child, his or her challenges, and the type of assessment
requested. For a neuropsychological evaluation, children are usually tested over two 2-hour sessions, which typically
take place on different days so as to enable us to have two "snapshots" of the child, and in recognition of the impact
of fatigue and anxiety on performance. In the middle of each session, the child is given a 10 to 15 minute break,
when they can either remain in the room with the clinician, or join their parent downstairs in the lobby. Additional, shorter
breaks (the child would remain in the testing room) are offered as needed, were the clinician to deem it necessary in order
to best tap into the child's full potential. Given the CEN's efforts to tailor the assessment process to the needs
of the child, there are times when the full two hours per session will not be necessary, or when an extra testing session
will need to be scheduled. The goal is to ensure that as comprehensive and representative portrait of the child's functioning
is obtained as possible, in answer to the referral question(s). For a
cognitive and/or academic assessment or a screening, testing typically takes place in a single session although, again, this
format may be modified (e.g., scheduling an additional session) depending on the needs of the child and family.
Can
I remain in the room with my child while he or she is being tested?
As noted earlier, the CEN strives to tailor an evaluation to a child's individual needs, and therefore we
remain flexible in our approach to the testing sessions. In general, we encourage that the child be evaluated on their own.
In our experience, having the parent in the room can be a source of distraction and/or a source of stress, as the child remains
particularly conscious that their performance (both successes and failures) is being watched. In such instances, their
performance tends to suffer. That being said, we also recognise that, especially for younger children, being assessed
by a stranger can initially feel very anxiety-provoking, and while we do our best to make the child feel welcomed and at ease,
having their parent in the room for a portion (if not all) of the evaluation becomes critical in order to soothe them
and have them perform at their best.
Do I have to remain on the premises while my child is being tested?
At the CEN, we recognise how tight schedules can be and how little time there is in one's day to accomplish
errands or simply take a break. As such, you are not required to stay on site at our office while your child is being tested.
We, however, do require you to leave your cell phone number with us, so that you can be easily reached were we or your child
to need you during the session. If your child is young, we do encourage you to remain on site at least initially, for the
added reassurance this provides him or her.
How should I prepare my child for an evaluation?
The
CEN prides itself in presenting a friendly, cheerful and non-threatening environment for children who come to see
us, as without that emphasis, we risk not being able to tap into a child's best performance. In general, we defer to you as
parents as to how you wish to prepare your child for his or her evaluation, given that you know them best. In our experience,
younger children have responded well when being told that they are going to see someone who has toys and will play
games with them. Some children have been reassured by the idea that they are going to see a teacher and be her "helper", so
that she can figure out what games children their age may find easy or hard to do. For older children, we advise
telling them that they will spend time with someone who will do different activities with them (e.g., verbal, visual,
written/drawing) that will serve to identify how they learn and what their strengths and weaknesses are. We encourage that
emphasis be directed away from the child and placed on those who work with them; in other words, have the child see this
process as something that will offer greater understanding, insight and ideas to their teachers etc., so that they as
students can be better supported and attain the success they deserve. Overall, we are happy to follow your lead
in this and will do all we can to ensure that the evaluation process is a positive experience for both you and your child.
What happens at a feedback meeting?
The goal of
the feedback session is to have the clinician meet with a child's parents to review and explain the evaluation findings, discuss
their implications and recommendations for intervention, and allow ample time for questions to be asked and answered. The
CEN adopts a "show and tell" approach, in describing and showing parents some of the testing activities that their child was
required to tackle (both those which they may have excelled at and those which may have caused them to struggle).
In so doing, it is our experience that the evaluation process and a child's performance is made to feel more tangible
to parents. Parents are welcome to invite others (e.g., a teacher, therapist, relative) to join them in the
feedback meeting if they wish.
When can I expect to receive a written report of my child's
evaluation?
The
CEN's goal is to deliver written reports within a month of the feedback meeting. If a specific deadline or date for which
you will require the report falls before that time frame, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will do
our best to try to accommodate your needs. Evaluation reports are posted directly to you, and can also be emailed and/or
faxed to you upon request. Moreover, with your written permission, we would be happy to send copies of the report to any teachers,
therapists or other professionals involved in your child's care.
What if my
child is sick or I need to reschedule an appointment?
At the CEN, our goal is to work in your child's best interest.
If they are sick, or overtired, or simply "out of sorts" due to one of any number of reasons, it is unlikely that they
will be able to perform at their full potential, thus generating test findings that are not accurately representative of their
profile. Given this, we recommend that in such instances you call our office so that we can reschedule your child's appointment. Similarly,
we appreciate that unexpected family demands and circumstances can arise that add considerable stress to your week and
throw plans into upheaval despite careful organisation and back-up options. Again, we encourage you to call our office
to set up an alternative day and/or time for your appointment. We will do our best to accommodate your schedule with
minimal delay.
Are follow
up services offered by the CEN after an evaluation?
Continuity of care is central to the CEN's service model.
As part of our evaluation process, we remain accessible for consultation as needed following the feedback session. For some
families, this may entail phoning in or emailing questions that have come up several months down the line. For others,
this may involve setting up an office visit half way through the year to review their child's progress and discuss educational
or intervention options. Often, children are followed via yearly re-evaluations which enable us to closely monitor their
gains and adjustment over time, gauge the effectiveness of their programming and interventions, and update recommendations.
Whatever the need or the reason follow up, we encourage families to use us as a resource and a support if we can be of assistance,
and have found this to be particularly rewarding work.
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