Psychological Assessment And Testing Toronto

Dr. O'Connor, a Toronto psychologist, offers Psychological Assessment and Testing  services to children, adolescents and  young adults. Her clients include  parents and families in Toronto and the surrounding area. She also provides Psychological Assessments and Testing to clients in the Simcoe/York Regions, including Alliston and Barrie. She takes referrals from educational personnel, physicians, pediatricians, personal injury and family lawyers, mental health professionals and organizations, as well as Children's Aid Societies. Dr. O’Connor's Psychological  Assessments increase understanding of the psychological concerns that surface in young people. They also reveal what is contributing to and maintaining these concerns, and lead to evidence based interventions to help.

Psychological Assessment And Testing Can Help

Dr. O'Connor's Psychological Assessment and Testing Services reflect her post doctoral training in School Neuropsychology, and integrate a brain/behavior focus to assess the young person's functioning, both strengths and weaknesses, across a range of neurocognitive domains. The assessment examines the young person's pattern of neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses, and how this pattern impacts on his or her learning, or his or her social, emotional and behavioral functioning. 

Areas assessed include intellectual and/or cognitive ability as well as the young person's  academic skill levels (e.g. math, reading, spelling and written language, and his or her functioning  across a range of neuropsychological domains). These include sensori-motor functioning, visual spatial skills, phonological/auditory processing, memory and learning, executive functions, attention, working memory and fluency, processing speed and cognitive efficiency. The  standardized measures in these domains assess the young person's problem solving skills, as well as non-verbal and verbal ability. Langage skills are also assessed, as are the young persons' academic functioning levels in reading, written language and math.

Dr. O'Connor's Psychological Assessment and Testing Services  also explore social, emotional and behavioral concerns. These too include a school neuropsychological focus, and assess issues related to emotional regulation  and impulse control problems, as well as anxiety, depression, attention problems, and  acting out behaviors, such as aggression, bullying, or defiance. Social skills may also be a focus of concern.

What Psychological Concerns Worry You?

Dr. O'Connor's Psychological Assessment and Testing services help get to "the root" of  the psychological concerns that present in young people, and point to evidence-based solutions to address them. Through her focus on school neuropsychology, and the in-depth comprehensive school neuropsychological assessments she provides, she is able to address a range of school neuropsychcological concerns that present in young people.

These include trauma related issues, such as a single acute traumatic event, for example, a motor vehicle accident. Or  more chronic, ongoing stressors such as bullying, abuse, maltreatment and attachment breaches, or community or domestic violence. Dr. O'Connor's assessments also address various learning problems, such as specific learning disabilities, or reading, written language and math disorders. Or acquired brain injuries (e.g., concussions or mild TBI). Dr. O'Connor's assessments also address numerous social, emotional and behavioral concerns such as anxiety, depression, and actimg out, aggressive behaviors and anger control problems.

Dr. O'Connor also provides assessments to children who are showing congenital brain injuries such as seizure disorders, or developmental risk factors  (e.g., prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs, environmental toxins, prematurity and low birth weight).  She also provides assessments to children with post traumatic stress disorder and/or complesx trauma who are showing behavioral and/or learning problems. 

How Does It Work?

Typically the young person attends two assessment sessions of about three hours each. The assessment results are scored. Then Dr. O'Connor reviews and interprets the assessment findings, and writes a comprehensive detailed report. Following her review and interpretation of the findings, and her completion of the report, she meets with the cient/s and provides a verbal and written report of the assessment findings. The written report provides a comprehensive summary of the assessment results and includes recommendations to address the issues of concern, and a diagnosis or diagnoses when appropriate. 

Dr. O'Connor gears her Psychological Assessment and Testing services to the specific needs of the young person. Not every child or youth who exhibits a problem needs an extensive evaluation. Her assessment and testing services zero in on the issues that are of particular concern  for the young person. Her psychological assessments become part of the solution, and lead to evidence based  Interventions to address the psychological concerns that present in the young person.

To learn more about Dr. O'Connor's psychological testing services, and her other services, click here

Dr. O'Connor runs her practice, in Toronto (Yonge & St.Clair). She also offers Psychological Assessment and Testing Services at her office in Barrie to clients in the Simcoe County and York Region areas. She provides assessment and testing services through the Lingyu International Psychology Centre.

Dr. O'Connor is the author of I Can Be Me-A Helping Book for Children from Troubled Families. This book includes a special focus on children of addicted family members. It is currently being updated to reflect the recent literature on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).