Depending on the evaluation results, psychoeducational reports are commonly used to:

• Provide information that will allow educational planning teams to determine essential accommodations and services for the student in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504.
• Apply for accommodations on exams including college entrance exams (e.g., SAT & ACT) and graduate school exams (e.g., GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.).
• Provide documentation that the student is gifted so that he or she can apply to certain magnet schools and Gifted and Talented programs.
• Identify learning strengths and difficulties in order to apply appropriate interventions and instructional methods that promote learning strengths while minimizing learning difficulties; pinpoint specific areas for enrichment or intervention/tutoring.
• Serve as an independent educational evaluation (IEE) to provide an outside perspective and help settle differences between the school system and parents.

After the testing is completed, you will receive a thorough report with the assessment findings. Reports vary in length based on the type of evaluation and referral question, with comprehensive psycho-educational reports at times exceeding 20 pages. Comprehensive psycho-educational reports include the following components: 

• Reason for referral
• Background information: This is a detailed component that includes information about the student's health and developmental history, family background, educational history, social-emotional/behavioral history, and any previous evaluations or interventions.
• A list of the current assessment measures, including tests, rating scales, interviews, observations, etc.
• Observations: Observations of the student's behavior during testing will be documented here, along with the potential effect of those behaviors on test scores. If any observations were conducted in the educational setting, they will be described here also, along with any specific data gathered during those observations.
• Test Results: This section comprises the majority of the report. A description of each test and your child's scores will be described here, as well as an interpretation of the scores. This includes the students specific strengths and needs, as well as real-life implications given their performance.
• Summary and diagnoses: This section provides an integrated summary of each section with the main findings. Any diagnoses from the DSM-V will be listed here and/or relevant Ed Code considerations will be included in this section. 
• Recommendations: Based on the assessment results and testing scores, detailed recommendations will be made. These are broken down into recommendations for home and recommendations for school. I strive to provide tangible and concrete suggestions that can be implemented to help your student in the identified areas of concern and that focus on the student's strengths.
• Charts: All test scores will be included in chart format at the end of the report, along with descriptive classifications (e.g., average, below average, above average, etc.)

Parents have the right to request a free psychoeducational assessment from their child's public school district. However, school districts have their own procedures in place for determining whether or not a request for assessment is appropriate at the time it is made. Often, schools will only move forward with assessing the most at-risk students, those who are significantly struggling academically, or those who have made limited progress despite being provided intervention. If your request for assessment is approved, once an assessment plan is provided and signed, the school district will have 60 calendar days (not including school breaks that exceed 5 days) to determine special education eligibility. Up to 30 additional days may be taken to develop an individualized education plan and offer services. School-based psycho-educational assessments primarily serve the function of identifying special education eligibility. They do not diagnose learning or psychological disorders with the DSM-V, and they may or may not have subsequent recommendations based on the assessment findings.

Cognitive Canvas Psychology’s psycho-educational assessments are used to identify the student’s cognitive and processing abilities, academic ability, and social-emotional/behavioral functioning. They clearly identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses in these areas, diagnose psychological disorders related to learning or education, and provide clear and tangible recommendations on how to best support the student. We look into specific learning disorders such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia, which is not done by a school psychologist. Because school psychologists often have large caseloads, their assessments may not be as thorough as what we provide. Our goal is to assess any student who desires to obtain more information on their current level of functioning, so that they can reach their maximum potential within the educational setting. We complete this process in a very thorough and timely manner. Please contact us if you need further clarification on the benefits of our psycho-educational evaluations and whether or not our services are the best route for you at this time.

Following an initial consultation, testing sessions are scheduled and completed in a manner that best meets your availability. We conduct our testing sessions by appointment 7 days/week, in 2-3 hour blocks. For a comprehensive psycho-educational assessment, typically 3 sessions are required but may vary depending on how quickly the examinee moves through the items and number of breaks provided. These sessions can be scheduled over 3 consecutive days if desired. The report should be finalized and a feedback session scheduled within 10-15 business days from the completion of assessments, rating scales, and observations (if applicable).

We assess learners as young as age 4 (Pre-K) through adulthood. We do not have a set age-limit for adults, as long as they are enrolled in some form of academic program and/or class or if they are being impacted in a vocational setting. For counseling and teletherapy, our specialty is working with children and adolescents, and young adults (i.e., college age). 

We are available for testing and counseling sessions by appointment 7-days per week, including evenings and weekends. For evaluations, testing session will be scheduled during the initial consultation. We are committed to working with you and your availability. Unlike a school district, we can also schedule testing sessions during school breaks, such as spring break, winter break, over the summer, and even on some holiday weekends.

Our office is located in Simi Valley, and it is our preference to conduct assessments in that setting, given that it is optimal for limiting distractions and accommodating for both the evaluator and the client. The office has multiple indoor and outdoor waiting areas for parents, and refreshments and restrooms are readily available, as well as nearby dining options for food. However, we are willing to travel to school sites or alternative office locations for evaluations & IEP meetings, as appropriate. Any school-site visits would need to be coordinated and approved with your child’s school. Alternative office locations and/or in-home testing may be considered on a case-by-case basis.   Teletherapy services are available for all of California!

The No Surprises Act was created to give individuals predictability with how much they will be charged for healthcare services prior to their appointment, and to protect individuals from receiving unexpected bills.  If you are a self-paying client, you have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" of total cost prior to beginning services. If you receive a bill that is $400 or more than you estimate, your bill can be disputed.