Screening tests are designed to give an indication of possible dyslexic difficulties. Where the test indicates a moderate or high probability of dyslexic difficulties, the best course of action is to follow up with a full diagnostic assessment. This would determine the precise nature of dyslexic and related difficulties.
Tips for parents
- At the intake evaluation, it is helpful if parents bring any previous assessments that have been completed by other professionals, such as Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational therapists, Optometrist, or from the school if your child has an IEP.
- To help testing run more smoothly, make sure parents or children get plenty of rest the night before, eat a meal with protein before coming to testing, and takes any medications as prescribed. Please feel free to bring any healthy snacks for the child.
- The testing process can be anxiety-provoking. Therefore, we take great care to provide the child with a comfortable environment and incorporate breaks into the testing process. This can include playing a short game, take a quick walk, or eat a snack to avoid fatigue.
- Preparing the child for testing will minimize anxiety and encourage cooperation: try to avoid using the word “test” as this tends to provoke anxiety in school-aged children, explain to your child that s/he will be meeting with a psychologist alone.
How much will testing costs?
Psychological testing involves administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests; it also requires the psychologist to prepare a written report and meet with parents to review the results. The cost of testing varies depending on the battery of tests required and will be determined during the intake evaluation. The payment for a full assessment will cover the total number of hours required by the psychologist(s) to complete the full evaluation process from testing time with the child to results review session with parents.
