Assessment
Intellectual Giftedness
Research has indicated that parents – not teachers – are best at identifying traits associated with giftedness, especially in young children. The Ontario Ministry of Education defines intellectual giftedness as follows: “An unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated”.
As part of the identification process, most Boards of Education in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) utilize the 98th percentile as the threshold for granting an intellectual exceptionality of intellectual giftedness, as measured by Full Scale IQ or General Ability Index (GAI) results on the WISC-IV, WPPSI-IV or SB-5 cognitive tests.
As part of our assessment process for intellectual giftedness, Greenoaks utilizes unique tools to assess parent perceptions of their children’s aptitudes and traits, as well as surveying student learning styles with respect to self-direction, self-monitoring skills, and applied motivation. Boys and girls who are intellectually gifted often exhibit vastly different learning profiles. Greenoaks also includes an age-appropriate survey of language arts and math skills in our gifted evaluations.
Learning Disabilities
A learning disability (LD) is often suspected in a child or adolescent whose academic achievement at school lags behind expectations for perceived mental abilities.
Our extensive assessment experience has shown that LD profiles, including dyslexia, are often linked to word-retrieval problems, and difficulties with working memory, phonological awareness, and processing speed, as well as underdeveloped verbal and visual memory.
Our recommendations are carefully formulated to allow students to address their learning challenges and receive appropriate accommodations at school and special education support (if warranted). In addition, we provide students and their families with resource materials to optimize their learning development up to and including their post-secondary years.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex and challenging issue that requires careful evaluation. Intellectual giftedness, learning disabilities, and mood disorders (anxiety and depression) can often mimic signs of ADHD. Academic underachievement or inconsistent performance in learning endeavours are often correlates of ADHD.
Children with ADHD may exhibit physical restlessness, an impulsive cognitive tempo and response style, and difficulties with focus to task and persistence at academic work of a challenging nature. Greenoaks utilizes well-normed parent and teacher rating scales, computer testing of vigilance, and assessment observations to investigate attentional concerns.
Autism
Children who exhibit symptoms that may be suggestive of conditions related to Autism require careful and detailed psychological evaluation. The assessment of children who may fall on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continuum needs to carefully survey their cognitive-intellectual, behavioural, information processing and sensory profiles.
Our company has extensive experience in working with children with unique profiles that include Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, and Hyperlexia. In the past few years, Greenoaks has carried out several hundred assessments of Autistic children in our contract work with ErinoakKids Centre for Treatment and Development – Autism Intervention Services.
Special Needs
Greenoaks has extensive experience and well-respected expertise in the assessment of children with developmental disorders. We have worked with children with * Mild to Moderate Developmental Disabilities * Cerebral Palsy * Down Syndrome * Muscular Dystrophy * Fragile X Syndrome * Noonan Syndrome * Spina Bifida * Turner Syndrome * Prader-Willi Syndrome, and * Williams Syndrome.
Parents have been highly appreciative of our home-based services in working with their children with special needs. We are confident that this personalized approach has allowed us to obtain reliable and useful results.