About Assessments

It can be difficult having a learning disability (LD) and attending college or university as the postsecondary learning environment poses a number of challenges that were not part of high school. For example, lengthy lists of required reading, long lectures, extensive written assignments, and several exams to prepare for and write.  As a postsecondary student, you are responsible for staying organized and on top of your work load.  An assessment may help you meet the demands of a college or university course of study.

Why get an assessment?

An assessment helps you understand the best ways for you to learn and how your ability to learn is impacted by your LD. Assessment findings not only clarify learning difficulties, but help to explain why these areas are a challenge. As part of an assessment, recommendations are given for approaches to learning that can be effective at the postsecondary level. 

If you haven’t had a psychological assessment, or if it has been a long time since you were last assessed, then it is probably time to have an assessment completed as an adult.  Staff in disability services at your college or university will help you use the assessment information to develop learning strategies that build on your learning strengths.

How to get started?

Referrals are initiated by making an appointment with a Disability Advisor located in the disability offices on post-secondary campuses. Disability staff discuss each student’s needs and concerns, reviews or requests background documents and determines if an assessment is necessary or likely to be of assistance.  Staff also help students compile the information needed to support a referral and review with students options for funding the assessment.

What is involved in an assessment?

Students will be seen in a convenient location, most typically their home campus. Assessments are conducted by one of NOARC/CÉRNO's psychological practitioners all of whom are registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.  A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment as offered by NOARC/CÉRNO  may take between 6 and 10 hours and require several appointments during which information is collected from three major sources: interviews and questionnaires, reports (educational, medical, etc.), and standardized testing tools.  Many different aspects of learning are looked at including:  thinking and reasoning abilities, attention and motivation, memory, visual-motor integration, and academic skills such as reading, writing, language and math skills.  Results and recommendations from the assessment are part of a written report provided by the psychological practitioner and explained in the final, “feedback” session.

Are assessment results are confidential?

Your personal information and assessment results will not be released to anyone without your permission and full knowledge.

Who pays?

Costs will not be a barrier to students. The staff in disability services at your college or university will review how costs may be covered.