Psychoeducational Assessments | Educational Testing for
Children & Teens Calgary
assessments and testing
Psychoeducational assessments and testing for children & teens
Gaining insight into how you learn, think, and thrive is an important step toward building confidence and momentum in school, work, and everyday life.
At Shelly Qualtieri & Associates, we offer caring, comprehensive psychoeducational assessments in Calgary to help children, teens, and adults better understand their strengths and challenges.
Whether you're navigating questions about ADHD, learning differences, or cognitive functioning, we take a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach—providing clear answers and practical tools to support your next steps forward.
Hey there, I’m Shelly Qualtieri—founder of Shelly Qualtieri & Associates.
Psychoeducational assessments are a huge part of what we do here at the practice. In fact, we’ve completed 183 psychoeducational assessments to date (that’s around 24 hours/week spent on assessments!). We know that you want answers, but most of all, you want to help your child (or yourself) learn what they need to thrive. That’s exactly what assessments can help with, whether it’s evidence for additional time needed for test-taking or expert recommendations for advanced programming for giftedness.
We have helped 183 families receive diagnoses and assistance for things like ADHD, autism, giftedness, learning disabilities, and anxiety. From start to finish, the psychoeducational process with us takes about 3-6 weeks. We know that timelines feel especially urgent when you or your child are on an academic calendar, so we’re proud to not have a waitlist. Your child can start the assessment process in 7-10 days. If possible, we recommend parents seek assessments in either Spring or Summer. Not only will the assessment process go faster in these slower seasons, but your child will be equipped to thrive in the upcoming school year instead of scrambling in the fall.
The best way you can prepare for a psychoeducational assessment is to provide plenty of documentation, whether that’s report cards, notes from parent-teaching meetings, or records from your child’s pediatrician. We’ll have plenty of questions and can administer an extensive battery of testing, but psychoeducational assessments do have a limitation: they don’t take place in your child’s usual environment. That’s why the more context we have, the better conclusions we can draw.
A quick note on diagnoses
A diagnosis can mean the world for your child. A dyslexia diagnosis can help your child receive the accommodations they need, and an expert’s recognition of giftedness can finally earn the attention of your school’s teachers and administrators. But one diagnosis can be tricky: ADHD. Google searches surrounding ADHD have increased by 120% in the last five years as more people have begun to understand and embrace their neurodivergence. We celebrate this empowering time in a child’s or adult’s life, but in our experience, 50% of kids with suspected ADHD actually have anxiety. Many children are misdiagnosed, especially at a young age since they struggle to communicate what they’re feeling and thinking until high school. We encourage parents to have an open mind and know that we’ll provide recommendations, resources, or therapy for whatever your child is facing, whether that’s anxiety, ADHD, autism, or something else entirely.
If you’d like to learn more about assessments with us, book a free consultation. We’re looking forward to meeting you!
Child Assessments Offered at Shelly Qualtieri & Associates
If you’re unsure which type of assessment is right for your child, please contact us for a free consultation.
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Time: approximately 8 hours
Cost: $1850 to $3850
Concerns: Giftedness
This assessment explores your child's thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities to help identify characteristics of giftedness. It does not include academic testing of reading, writing, or math.
The process includes a parent interview, one-on-one testing with your child, a feedback session to discuss their unique strengths and needs, and a written report. Some schools accept this assessment as part of the admissions process for gifted education programs.
Please book an initial intake session to determine whether this assessment is the best fit for your child's needs.
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Time: approximately 11 hours
Cost: $2550 to $4050
Concerns: Giftedness & Learning Disability
This assessment helps you better understand how your child learns by looking at both their thinking skills and academic abilities, including reading, writing, and math. It can help identify learning disabilities, explore whether your child may be gifted, or provide the testing required by some schools for gifted or specialized education programs.
The assessment includes a parent interview, one-on-one testing with your child, a feedback session to review the results and discuss your child's strengths and needs, and a comprehensive written report, including recommendations for an Individualized Program Plan (IPP), when appropriate.
Please book an initial intake session to determine whether this assessment is the best fit for your child's needs.
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Time: approximately 15 hours
Cost: $3550 to $5050
Concerns: ADHD, behavioral concerns, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, intellectual disability
A comprehensive psychoeducational assessment provides an in-depth understanding of your child's learning, thinking, emotional, behavioural, and social functioning. This is our most comprehensive assessment and can help identify concerns such as ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, anxiety, mood disorders, and behavioural challenges, while highlighting your child's unique strengths and support needs.
The assessment includes a detailed parent interview, questionnaires completed by parents, teachers, and other caregivers, one-on-one testing and observation of your child, a feedback session to review the results, and a comprehensive written report with personalized recommendations, including recommendations for an Individualized Program Plan (IPP), when appropriate.
Please book an initial intake session to determine whether this assessment is the best fit for your child's needs.
How to Get a Psychoeducational Assessment for Your Child
Many parents search for "Where can I get a psychoeducational assessment for my child?" If you're noticing academic difficulties or behavioral concerns, getting an evaluation is the first step. Assessments can be accessed through private psychologists, school referrals, or specialized learning centers. Our team provides expert evaluations tailored to your child's unique needs, with personalized recommendations to support their learning journey.
What Does a Psychoeducational Assessment Include?
Cognitive Testing: Measures problem-solving, memory, and processing speed.
Academic Testing: Evaluates reading, writing, math, and overall academic performance.
Behavioral & Emotional Screening: Identifies attention difficulties, anxiety, or other concerns.
Diagnosis & Recommendations: Provides actionable strategies for school and home support.
What We Assess For
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If your child is showing signs of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity, you may be wondering where to get ADHD testing in Calgary. Our assessments determine whether your child meets diagnostic criteria for ADHD or is experiencing other executive functioning challenges.
Signs your child may benefit from ADHD testing:
Difficulty focusing or following instructions
Struggles with organization and time management
Impulsivity or trouble staying seated in class
Frequent forgetfulness and inattention to detail
Emotional regulation challenges
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Some children work twice as hard as their classmates and still fall behind—not because of effort, but because of how their brain processes written language, numbers, or information. Assessment can identify learning disabilities in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and math (dyscalculia), and clarify the specific accommodations your child needs to learn on a level playing field.
Signs your child may benefit from learning disability testing:
Reading well below grade level, or avoiding reading altogether
Handwriting or written expression that doesn't match your child's verbal ability
Persistent difficulty with math facts or number sense
Homework taking dramatically longer than it should
A widening gap between how bright your child seems and how school is going
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Giftedness is easy to miss. It doesn't always look like top grades—it can look like boredom, perfectionism, frustration, or a child who has quietly checked out of a classroom that isn't moving fast enough for them.
Cognitive assessment can identify gifted-level ability and clarify what kind of programming your child needs to stay engaged.
Signs your child may benefit from gifted testing:
Learning new concepts far faster than the classroom is teaching them
Intense curiosity, deep interests, and questions that go well past their age
Boredom, restlessness, or resistance to school despite obvious ability
Vocabulary, reasoning, or humour that surprises adults
Perfectionism, or refusing to attempt work they might not do brilliantly
Strong opinions about fairness and a maturity that sets them apart from peers
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Calgary's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, offered through the Calgary Board of Education for students in grades 4 through 12, requires identification by a registered psychologist. GATE referrals generally call for both cognitive testing and current academic achievement results.
Our Comprehensive Academic Assessment is designed to provide the cognitive and academic results these types of applications ask for. Referrals are submitted through your child's current school, and placement decisions rest with the school board, but we'll make sure you have a clear, well-documented report to bring to that conversation.
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Anxiety, low mood, and behavioural challenges frequently sit alongside learning and attention difficulties, and sometimes look like them. A child who won't start an assignment may be anxious, may be stuck, or may be both. Our comprehensive assessment considers emotional and behavioural functioning alongside learning, so you get an explanation that accounts for the whole picture rather than one piece of it.
Signs worth exploring in an assessment:
Worry, stomach aches, or reluctance to go to school
Meltdowns or shutdowns around homework and tests
Withdrawal from friends, activities, or things they used to enjoy
Big emotional reactions that seem out of proportion to the trigger
Anger or defiance that shows up mainly in academic settings
A drop in mood or motivation that hasn't lifted on its own
Meet Our Assessment Team
Adrianna Rabeda-Kowalczak
Hi, I’m Adriana. I have specialized experience working with gifted individuals, people with ADHD, and twice-exceptional learners, as well as individuals suffering from anxiety, perfectionism, and depressive symptoms.
I use that clinical lens throughout the assessment process, so families leave understanding not only what the testing found, but why school has felt so hard. I offer services in Polish and English, and am Spanish-friendly.
Credentials: Registered Psychologist, MSc in Clinical Psychology
Assessments offered: Simple Cognitive - Giftedness Assessments for Children; Comprehensive Academic - Giftedness & Learning Disability Assessments for Children
Specialty areas: giftedness, ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, anxiety, perfectionism, mood disorders, and behavioural challenges.
Marizabel Forno
Hi, I’m Marizabel. As a sports psychologist, I have a particular understanding of performance struggles and how they can manifest in school settings.
This, combined with my training in clinical psychology, shapes how I read your child’s test results: with an eye on how they'll actually perform under pressure, whether that's a classroom, a competition, or at the kitchen table doing homework.
I also help adults understand whether ADHD may be on board for them—something that often comes with performance-related struggles that may feel difficult to understand.
Credentials: Registered Psychologist, Sports Psychologist
Assessments offered: Psychoeducational Assessments for Children & Youth, Adult ADHD Testing & Diagnostic Assessments
Specialty areas: Sports psychology, mental performance, adult ADHD, focus, confidence, mindset, athletes, parent consultation & academic support planning
FAQs about assessments
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We assess from age 6 onward. Around grade one is when reading, writing, and math demands begin, and results become stable enough to be meaningful. That said, the best time is usually when a concern appears. Waiting rarely helps, and an early assessment can prevent years of a child assuming they're the problem.
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Yes, our Comprehensive Psychoeducational Assessment can. It includes the behavioural, emotional, and caregiver-report components required for an ADHD diagnosis, completed by a registered psychologist. Our cognitive-only and academic assessments do not. If medication is something you'd like to explore afterward, that conversation happens with your child's physician.
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Yes, in our experience, assessments are often worth it. For most families, the value is in what doors the assessment can open: formal access to school accommodations and IPP support, teaching approaches matched to how your child actually learns, and an end to guessing. Results typically remain useful for several years.
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You'll have a feedback session to walk through the findings, plus a written report with specific recommendations. From there, we can support your family with therapy if that’s something you’d like to pursue.
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Many extended health benefit plans cover psychological services, though coverage amounts vary widely. We recommend checking your plan's annual maximum for psychology before booking.
Children and teens with ADHD face several key challenges that can impact their daily lives, including:
Difficulty with Focus and Attention: Maintaining attention in school, on homework, or during conversations can be difficult, leading to struggles with academic performance and following through on tasks.
Impulsivity and Hyperactivity: Impulsive behaviours such as interrupting others, making quick decisions without thinking, or being unable to sit still can create challenges in both social settings and structured environments like classrooms.
Time Management and Organization: Many children and teens with ADHD struggle with planning, prioritizing tasks, and managing time effectively, which can result in missed deadlines, forgetfulness, and disorganization.
Emotional Regulation: Managing emotions can be tough, leading to frustration, anger, or mood swings, which can affect relationships with peers, teachers, and family members.
Social Difficulties: Impulsivity and difficulty reading social cues can lead to challenges in forming and maintaining friendships, resulting in social isolation or misunderstandings with peers.
Low Self-Esteem: Due to academic struggles or negative feedback from others, children and teens with ADHD may develop feelings of inadequacy or frustration, which can further affect their confidence and motivation.
Difficulty with Transitions: Moving from one activity to another (e.g., transitioning from playtime to schoolwork) can be particularly challenging, leading to resistance and behavioural issues.
Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions: ADHD often coexists with conditions like anxiety, depression, or learning disabilities, which can further complicate daily functioning and require comprehensive support.
Addressing these challenges with a tailored approach can help children and teens with ADHD succeed in school, relationships, and daily life.
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