However, when a child’s difficulty with attention, distractibility, impulsivity and need for movement gets in the way of school, friends, and day-to-day activities, then an attention assessment may be appropriate.
Attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity can result in:
- Defiant/acting out behaviour
- Daydreaming
- Too much focus on areas of interest
- Difficulty staying seated
- Anxiety/mood issues
- Dips in grades
- Difficulty with friends
- Forgetting belongings
- Putting off/avoiding homework/chores
What is involved?
- Interview with Caregivers
- Overview of the assessment process
- Psychologist listens to your family’s story
- Records Review
- You will be asked to bring all available report cards, previous assessments and other related documentation for the psychologist to look at
- Testing
- The psychologist will want to get to know your child one-on-one
- Short academic tests are given to see how your child reacts to challenging or boring activities
- Generally 1-2 sessions
- School Involvement
- The psychologist will gather information from your child’s teacher through:
- Questionnaires
- Interview
- Possible school observation
- The psychologist will gather information from your child’s teacher through:
- Diagnostic Decision
- The psychologist and pediatrician work with caregivers to determine the presence of attention diagnosis
- Report Writing
- The psychologist will look at all of the information and write a comprehensive report telling about your child’s strengths and needs. It will list and explain any diagnoses.
- Recommendations and suggestions will be given to support your child at home and school
- Meet with Parents
- The psychologist will talk with you about the results
- Suggestions for supporting your child at home and school will be discussed
- Caregivers have opportunities to ask questions