After having a consult call to make sure that my assessment service is the right fit, the young person will then meet me in person to begin testing. Before testing commences, I will explain to the young client the assessment process and go over informed consent and a discussion around confidentiality.

During the initial session, I will ask the young client questions about learning and school, and testing will begin. Testing is typically completed across one or two sessions.

Typically during the initial session, I will begin to interview the young person, asking questions, curiously, about their life, including childhood experiences and family background, social relationships, school and work, leisure, and mental health functioning.

*For forensic assessments, I ask additional questions about criminal behaviours and the charge/offence currently before the court.

An interview with a caregiver or both caregivers will then take place. This includes asking questions and listening to the caregiver’s point of view about their child’s life, including early development, childhood experiences and family background, social relationships, school and work, leisure, and mental health functioning.

The young client and their caregivers will also be asked to complete questionnaires for additional information. Questionnaires can provide more in depth information about an individual’s emotional and behavioural functioning.

In addition, with the consent of the young client and/or their caregivers, I will collect information from external sources that would be helpful in getting to know the young person better. This could be teachers, counsellors, previous reports or records, among other service providers.

Once the information is gathered, I will produce an assessment report that incorporates all this information and summarizes what I have learned about the young person. I will provide the young person with a copy of the report.

*For forensic assessments, legal personnel (e.g., judge, lawyers) may be provided with a copy of the report.

Finally, I will provide a feedback session to the young person. This is where I share results of the assessment (including any mental health diagnoses, if relevant, and a treatment plan). In this session, the young person is free to ask any questions they might have about the assessment.