We are big believers in completing an assessment as soon as your child exhibits signs such as:

• chronic headaches and/or stomach aches before and at school

• school avoidance and refusal

• unexpected academic underachievement

• reports from the school that your child is struggling, etc.

The traditional “wait to fail” model tells parents to wait until grade 3 to complete an assessment. The justification is to allow time for further cognitive development.

However, this model forces children to ram into unnecessary, and often distressing, obstacles for 3-5 years (or more) before supporting them.

By that age this lack of appropriate support often leads to a child developing secondary mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. This significantly impacts their ability to function or achieve academic success in a system that was not made with them in mind.

No. Your child does not need a referral from a doctor, school, or psychologist for this assessment.

In addition to the ISP, IPP and IFSP, the psycho-educational assessment will include:

• Diagnostic summary

• Recommended next steps

• Service options, such as:

  • Literacy and learning specialists

  • Assistive technology, accommodations, and funding

  • Mental health counseling

  • Career guidance

  • Academic coaching and accountability sessions

The type of help your child gets depends on the assessment results, your choices, and those of your child's school and division.

This report will help get everyone on the same page to better access the supports available.

The assessment duration varies, depending on your child's age.

Meetings: in-person or virtual

• Intake session: First meeting with parent(s)/caregiver(s) to discuss concerns.

• Assessment Sessions: Two to three meetings with your child to evaluate learning, behavior, mood, motivators, and barriers.

• Debrief Session: Final meeting with parent(s)/caregiver(s) to discuss findings and recommendations in the report.

The psycho-educational assessment is $3,150.

The combined psycho-educational/ASD assessment is $3600.

Many private or employer health plans offer coverage for psychology and assessment services.

• Reach out to your insurer to find out about assessment coverage.

• If your insurance won't cover the assessment you may claim it as a medical expense on your income tax.

We can discuss payment options during the consultation. Cost shouldn’t stop your child from getting help.

Avery assessments are completed privately so you are under no obligation to provide your child’s school with a copy of the report.

However, if you would like the school to provide accommodations for your child’s individual needs, you will likely need to provide the report to the school. The report will help your child’s school understand how to best support them.

The purpose of this assessment is to provide a custom care manual for your child. We encourage you to have honest, age-appropriate talks with them. Talk about the assessment's purpose: it helps adults, like parents and teachers, offer the right support.

Understood.org has excellent conversation starters to get the ball rolling.

The psycho-educational assessment is designed to provide documented advocacy for your child’s learning needs.

However, whether your child receives help and what type of help they receives depends on the results of the assessment and the decisions of the school and the school division.

• Shared or joint custody: Both parents must agree to an assessment for their child.

• Court documents: Parents or guardians need to provide court documents about custody arrangements to start the assessment.

• Proof of guardianship: A guardian must show proof of guardianship to begin the assessment for their child.