assessments
evidence-based. fast turn around time. actionable recommendations for parents and schools.
Limited assessment appointments available for 2025. Schedule your assessment today!
psychoeducational assessments
Psychoeducational assessments (or psycheds) are comprehensive evaluations to determine an individual's
learning style and provide concrete and actionable recommendations highlighting areas of intellectual and academic strengths and challenges.
Psychoeducational assessments can be the key to getting a student an Individualized Program Plan (IPP) which can assist a student in getting
support in the classroom and improve their overall well being. These assessments are helpful when children or teens have been struggling to keep up with their peers
at school, or when their teacher has shared concerns about a child's behaviour, or engagement in specific areas of school (for example, reading, writing,
or math).
Dr. Michelle Zepeda has expertise in conducting psychoeducational assessments for youth with complex medical conditions,
in close collaboration with their medical team, to discern the relation between medical history, intellectual ability and academic
achievement. Psychoeducational assessments can also be conducted for younger adults, and can be helpful to provide
recommendations and access resources for students leaving high school and transitioning to university/college.
2) questionnaires completed digitally by parents and teachers
3) report card review
4) in person testing and interview with the child/teen
5) report writing
6) feedback session
Additional consultation/feedback sessions with educational and/or medical staff can be added, as requested. Assessments may also include a school observational session.
Typically between 11-13 hours total
ADHD/attention assessment
Attention assessments are often helpful to determine what may be contributing to your concerns about your child or teen's ability to stay on task or focused.
Does your child or teen sometimes seem to daydream more than their peers and/or have their teachers shared concerns about their attention or behaviour in the classroom? Or, has your child's physician recommended
an ADHD assessment related to specific medical challenges? If so, a specialized attention assessment may help
identify whether your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and strategies for home and school to manage challenging symptoms.
2) questionnaires completed by parents and teachers
3) report card review
4) observational session and interview with child/teen
5) report writing
6) feedback session
At times, a full psychoeducational assessment is recommended instead of an attention assessment. In such cases, Dr. Michelle Zepeda will indicate this to the family. Additional consultation/feedback sessions with educational and/or medical staff can be added, as requested.
Typically between 6-8 hours total
giftedness assessment
Dr. Michelle Zepeda supports families navigating the admissions process for Westmount Charter Schools or the GATE programs (at Hillhurst School, Queen Elizabeth High School, Louis Riel School, and Henry Wise Wood High School) in Calgary, AB.
Both the Westmount Charter Schools and GATE programs require recent scores from an individually administered intelligence test indicating an IQ score at or above the 98th percentile,
or a standard score at or above 130 (* +/- 5 for Westmount Charter schools). Dr. Michelle Zepeda can test children and teens 6 years and above with the WISC-V,
carefully aligning with entrance criteria for these schools and programs. Testing is typically completed in one session, and there is a quick turnaround time for results.
Schedule your giftedness assessment today for Westmount Charter Schools or the GATE programs to meet fall deadlines!
2) report writing and feedback
If the results indicate that the student is not gifted, Dr. Michelle Zepeda can provide this feedback without providing a report or detailed feedback (if requested by family).
3 hours for testing (+ 2 hours if report/comprehensive feedback required)
mental health assessments
Mental health assessments are comprehensive mental health evaluations. These assessments are often sought for when children or teens have been going through a hard time, or have behavioural challenges. They are also helpful to support children who have always been a "worrier" or more "moody" than older children their age. Psychodiagnostic assessments clarify whether someone's symptoms meet specific diagnostic criteria for given mental health disorders. As a trained health child-focused psychologist (or, pediatric psychologist) Dr. Michelle Zepeda can also conduct psychodiagnostic assessments to determine whether a youth's health condition is impacting their mental health, or if their mental health is impacting their physical health. Psychodiagnostic assessments can inform treatment and intervention options.
2) questionnaires completed digitally
3) interview with child/teen
4) report writing
5) feedback session
Typically between 4-6 hours total
frequently asked questions
* Note that the fees for assessments are based on a rate of $235 per hour, as recommended by
the Psychologists' Association of Alberta.