Queensview Professional Services

Assessment

Psychoeducational Assessment: This refers to the assessment of children, adolescents and adults experiencing difficulties in school or at work because of learning, attentional, or emotional problems.

The objective of the assessment is to gain insight into an individual's learning difficulties, understand the barriers to learning resulting from the difficulties and provide recommendations designed to minimize weaknesses and optimize strengths.

Psychoeducational assessments include:

• preliminary and post-assessment interviews with clients
• intellectual, memory, attentional, and educational testing
• when necessary, the investigation of other psychological or emotional factors which may be impeding the client's ability to learn or function
• a detailed report outlining current levels of cognitive functioning, aptitudes and academic achievement as well as recommendations for a remedial action plan
• when requested, consultation with school staff to discuss the student's individual needs and to assist in selecting programs and appropriate educational strategies

Psychoeducational assessments are offered by Dr. Linda Spence, Dr. Jennifer Karp, Dr. Karima Lacene, Dr. Karyne Lavoie (French) and Dr Debra Luckow (English and French).

Assessment of Giftedness is offered by Dr. Linda Spence and Dr. Jennifer Karp.

Neuropsychological Assessment: This is an in-depth assessment of various aspects of brain functioning including attention,memory, language, visuo-spatial function and higher order thinking processes and behaviour. Neuropsychological assessments can be undertaken to assist in diagnosing conditions such as brain injury or Alzheimer's disease and other dementias or to evaluate strengths and weaknesses when the diagnosis is already known (for example after a stroke or in individuals with conditions such as multiple sclerosis).

Neuropsychological assessments typically include:

• preliminary and post-assessment interviews with the client and family
• testing of attention, memory, language, visuo-spatial, executive and other cognitive abilities
• when necessary, the assessment of other psychological or emotional functioning
• review of medical and other records
• a detailed report outlining current levels of cognitive functioning, diagnosis or opinions as appropriate and recommendations for optimizing functioning or other interventions which may be helpful

Neuropsychological assessment for adults and seniors is provided by Dr. Laura Rees, Dr. Lisa Sweet and Dr. Clarissa Bush.

Neuropsychological assessment for children and adolescents is provided by Dr. Peter Anderson, Dr. Clarissa Bush, Dr. Simone Kortstee and Dr. Karyne Lavoie (French only).

Capacity Assessment: Formal capacity assessments of a person's ability to make decisions regarding property or personal care may be required in order to apply for or remove guardianship or to activate a power of attorney. These assessments are mandated by the Substitute Decisions Act, must be carried out by a Designated Capacity Assessor and documented in a particular way. Opinions regarding capacity to give or revoke power or attorney, to make a will or to instruct a lawyer may also be helpful in certain situations.

Capacity assessments or opinions typically include:

• preliminary gathering of information about the situation and possible difficulties the person may be having with decision-making from family or others who are familiar with the situation
• an interview with the person
• review of any relevant records such as medical reports or financial documents
• preparation of a written report which is provided to the person and to the requestor or to the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee of Ontario in the case of a formal assessment required under the Substitute Decisions Act or to the person and/or the requestor in the case of an opinion.

Capacity assessment and opinions regarding capacity are provided by Dr. Clarissa Bush.

Speech-Language Pathology Assessment: Assessment for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children experiencing difficulty communicating because of delayed speech and/or language acquisition, social communication difficulties, or atypical speech and/or language development.

Speech-Language Pathology Assessments typically involve:

• Preliminary and post-assessment interview with the client and family/caregivers
• Assessment of overall communication, with detailed assessment of areas of concern (speech, receptive and expressive language, social communication, phonological awareness)
• A detailed report outlining current communication functioning, areas of strength and concern, and recommendations

Speech-language pathology assessment for children and adolescents is provided by Teresa Enright.

Intervention

Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy encompasses a range of techniques based on communication and behavior change designed to improve mental health. Most forms of psychotherapy use spoken conversation. Clients and their therapist discuss issues in an effort to discover underlying problems and to find constructive solutions. Psychotherapy has been shown to be an effective treatment of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, grief, chronic pain, and relationship problems, among many others. Moreover, psychotherapy has been shown to help people improve management and coping with acute and chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Common types of psychotherapeutic treatments which have been shown to be effective by clinical research include cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and systems therapy. Treatment can be offered on an individual, couple or family basis depending on the problem and whom it affects.

Often individuals will seek a therapist to consult about coping with problems associated with normal challenges in life, including dealing with problematic relationships, managing stress and meeting personal goals. Treatment of everyday problems, particularly in the absence of a mental health condition, is more often referred to as counseling.

Overall duration of treatment will vary depending on factors such as the nature of presenting issues and goals of intervention. Most often, clients and therapists meet weekly, but sessions may become more spread out toward the latter stages of treatment. Even after finishing treatment, it is not uncommon for clients to return for occasional "booster" sessions.

What to expect from the initial sessions (Adult): In terms of process, the practitioner will strive to understand the nature of presenting issues during the initial, assessment phase of treatment. The practitioner will typically ask for:

• description of the problem (for example, when did the problem start, what makes it better or worse, how does the problem affect work or social life),
• information about personal background (for example, details about experiences growing up, education and work history, marital status and interpersonal relationships) and
• medical history (for example, review of any past or present medical conditions, the use of medication, alcohol or drugs).

If the client is working with a psychologist or psychological associate, psychological tests may also be used to better define the issues the client is experiencing. The practitioner will then review his/her overall clinical impressions with the client and together they will establish therapeutic goals and outline a treatment plan.

What to expect from the initial sessions (Child and Adolescent): During the initial assessment phase of treatment, the practitioner will typically meet with the child/adolescent and their parents. This format may differ for older adolescents, where the practitioner may ask to meet with the client alone for the first session. The practitioner will usually ask for information about the child's presenting problem as well as background information including developmental history, school history, social functioning and medical history. Parents are often asked to complete psychological rating scales evaluating the child's behavior and social-emotional functioning. Parents play an important role in the psychological assessment of their child, given their degree of knowledge about the child's behavior in different contexts and settings. The child/adolescent may also be asked to complete self-report scales evaluating their psychological well-being. After the initial assessment phase, the parents and child/adolescent are provided with feedback, including areas that may be helpful to address. A treatment plan is then established based on mutually agreed upon goals.

Psychotherapy for adults is offered by Dr. Clarissa Bush, Joanne Doucette, Dr. Robin Hargadon, Dr Julie Marcil (French only), Michelle Sorensen, Dr. Lisa Sweet and Dr. Dan Taylor. Each of these professionals may treat different kinds of problems. Please refer to the "About Us" section of the web site to learn more about this.

Psychotherapy for children and adolescents is offered by Dr. Jennifer Karp.

Speech-Language Pathology: Speech-Language Pathology intervention for preschoolers and school-aged children may follow from an assessment completed at the clinic or elsewhere. Areas of concern identified during evaluation can be targeted to facilitate skill development, develop strategies to compensate for skill deficits, and/or develop modifications to the environment/interactions to support successful communication.

Intervention with toddlers and preschoolers is typically play-based, and involves parent-education to support communication development at home. With older children, the form of intervention depends on the child’s needs and the goals of therapy. Parents are welcomed, and encouraged, to observe therapy in order to learn strategies to practice at home. Particularly with young children, parents may be directly involved in intervention. Some children are better able to attend to intervention tasks when parents are not in the room. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

The duration of intervention varies depending on the goals of therapy and the needs of the child and family. Depending on the nature of the communication difficulty, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly sessions may be recommended. As children make gains in their communication skills, therapy appointments may be reduced in frequency.

Speech-Language Pathology assessment and intervention for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children is provided by Teresa Enright.