ADHD Assessments

You may have noticed that your child struggles to pay attention, is constantly losing things, needs reminders to complete daily tasks, talks excessively, acts without thinking, or has excessive energy. They may also have difficulty sustaining friendships or display big emotional outbursts over seemingly minor things. You may have brought these concerns to the attention of your family physician, who may provide a diagnosis or refer you to a pediatrician for further assessment. Or, you may have wondered whether you should see a physician or a psychologist to get your child assessed for ADHD. Many times, for the least complex cases, seeing a family physician or pediatrician may be sufficient and provide an accurate diagnosis. But many times, an assessment from a physician is not comprehensive enough to make an accurate diagnosis. For example, your child might get diagnosed with ADHD, yet you feel something else is missing, like ADHD does not fully explain all of your child’s difficulties. Other times, your physician will say your child does not have ADHD, yet you still wonder if ADHD is a possible explanation for the difficulties you observe. Or sometimes, your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, but you want to be certain this is an accurate diagnosis before starting medication. These are just some of the reasons you may seek out an ADHD assessment from a child psychologist.

There are many reasons why a child may present with inattentive or hyperactive behaviours, and it is not always due to ADHD. Having a comprehensive ADHD assessment completed by a psychologist can help rule out alternative explanations and give you a better understanding of your child’s needs. Additionally, waiting for a pediatrician to make a formal diagnosis can take many months, but an assessment by a psychologist can often happen much quicker. You will also get a more thorough understanding of your child’s needs, along with specific recommendations tailored to your child. The report provided by Dr. Lisa can also be used to access supports and funding that your child may be eligible for depending on their diagnosis.

Signs your child might benefit from an ADHD assessment:

Why Choose Dr. Lisa?

Dr. Lisa is a doctoral-level clinical psychologist who believes in offering comprehensive assessments so you get an accurate understanding of what is going on for your child. Being a doctoral-level clinical psychologist means that Dr. Lisa has extensive training in assessment and diagnostic clarification of a variety of mental health disorders, not just learning disorders. Dr. Lisa is not only skilled at assessing learning disorders, but investigating other potential diagnoses or explanations that may explain your child’s difficulties. Many behaviours may look like one thing, but are really being caused by something else. For example, difficulties with inattention may be a result of ADHD, but they may also be due to other concerns such as lower cognitive functioning, anxiety, or learning disorders. This is why Dr. Lisa believes in, and specializes in, comprehensive assessments.

Investment

ADHD assessments include cognitive testing and start at $2500. If there are additional specific learning concerns, investment starts at $3500. Rates vary depending on the scope and nature of the assessment. Please book a free consultation phone call to discuss costs of your child’s assessment.