Neuropsychological Services

Neuropsychological Services:

Welcome to our neuropsychological services. We provide comprehensive, evidence-based assessment for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. Our assessments go beyond labels of a diagnosis and provide an understanding of the whole person. We welcome collaboration with you, your spouse, family members, and relevant treatment providers to ensure a thorough and tailored assessment. The aim of our assessments is to help you gain clarity about why you or a loved one is struggling and provide a clear path forward that will promote growth.

We are invested in helping people feel in control of their personal circumstances, whether they are seeking an assessment or therapy, to cope with life challenges associated with neuropsychological changes. Additionally, greater understanding of your brain health will help you become a more confident advocate of your needs and empower you and your loved ones to move forward and implement recommended treatments, accommodations, and services to attain your goals and improve your life.

Why have a neuropsychological assessment?

A neuropsychological assessment explores how your brain functions through evaluation of your attention, memory, and other thinking skills. This indirectly yields information about the structural and functional integrity of your brain.

It is valued as being sensitive and specific for diagnosing cognitive impairment, particularly in situations where changes are subtle and not evident on screening assessments or neuroimaging. Neuropsychological assessments are helpful with treatment planning for people experiencing difficulties with memory, attention, executive function, language or other aspects of cognition or behaviour. Because certain conditions can worsen or improve with time and treatment, neuropsychological assessment can be useful as a baseline measure of your brain’s functioning for future comparison of changes. It can also be used in predicting and enhancing social, educational, and vocational outcomes.

Common reasons for a neuropsychological assessment

  • To assist with diagnosis and clarification with respect to a pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses and/or the presence of cognitive impairment in association with:
    • Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease
    • Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as specific Learning Disorders and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (i.e., ADHD)
    • Neuropsychiatric conditions, such as Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, and Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
  • To evaluate current level of functioning and monitor recovery of function following injury to the brain due to:
    • Lack of oxygenation to the brain by near drowning, heart attack, or carbon monoxide poisoning
    • Stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)
    • Trauma incurred by a sports injury, fall, or accident
  • To measure cognitive effects in association with a medical condition, treatment for a medical condition, or an autoimmune disorder that may affect brain functioning, such as:
    • Cardiovascular disease, liver disease (e.g., Hepatitis), kidney disease, or diabetes.
    • Epilepsy
    • Brain cancer, or cancer treatment (e.g., chemofog)
    • HIV
    • Multiple sclerosis
  • As a comprehensive, baseline measure of brain health to compare to changes over time in association with:
    • Cardiovascular disease, liver disease (e.g., Hepatitis), kidney disease, or diabetes.
    • Normal aging
    • Mild Cognitive Impairment
    • Involvement in high risk activities or impact sports
    • Before and after a surgical intervention or medical treatment

What does a neuropsychological assessment involve?

A neuropsychological assessment evaluates multiple areas of functioning that have an impact on performance in activities of daily living, academics, occupational and social functioning. Assessment can be helpful by uncovering why problems exist through an examination of the following:

  • Academic skills

  • Auditory and visual processing

  • Concept formation and problem-solving

  • Language

  • Planning and organization

  • Processing speed

  • Behaviours, emotions, and personality

  • Attention

  • Intellectual functioning

  • Memory

  • Learning

  • Sensory perceptual and motor functions


These areas of functioning are assessed using paper and pencil tests, computer-administered tests, questionnaires and rating scales. Test results are examined in the context of a person’s developmental and medical history, and current physical, behavioural, and cognitive symptoms. Knowledge of brain-behaviour relationships, assessment tools, clinical interviews, and a large data base of statistical information about normal and abnormal functioning are combined to assess an individual’s cognitive abilities and emotional state, as well as recommend appropriate interventions.

Recommendations and accommodations

After completing an assessment, you will receive feedback and a report detailing our findings, recommendations, and in some cases, accommodations (e.g., documented cognitive or behavioural problems affecting school or work). We strive to ensure that our recommendations translate into helpful treatment plans with the aim of promoting your values and goals. Neuropsychological assessments offer recommendations by providing answers to important questions such as:

  • Does an individual experience cognitive impairment? And if so, what is the extent and how does that interfere with their activities of living, school and work?
  • Are symptoms more indicative of a Major Depressive Disorder or dementia?
  • How has an illness or injury affected a person’s memory and thinking abilities?
  • Is my loved one exhibiting signs of normal aging or the early stages of a dementia in association with Alzheimer’s disease?
  • Is an individual experiencing memory problems or having difficulty paying attention?
  • How has a person’s cognition improved/declined since their past assessment?
  • What strategies or treatments can be recommended to assist a person with cognitive and behavioural problems?
  • Can an individual live alone?
  • Is an individual able to make reasonable decisions about specific concerns (e.g., medical treatment, living arrangements, financial decisions)?
  • Is a driving assessment recommended?
  • Are there cognitive, emotional, or behavioural concerns that might affect the person’s ability to participate in treatment?
  • How can my loved one be assisted to improve their life in a care facility?

Accommodations for college and university involve comprehensive testing to identify strengths and areas of challenge of the whole student using various standardized measures. Specific measures target different areas of a student’s intellectual, cognitive, achievement, social-emotional, and behavioural functioning in order to identify appropriate and reasonable interventions and accommodations.

Some individuals reach out to us because of changes in their functioning at work and want to know if there are appropriate accommodations that will facilitate their optimal performance. Our recommendations and accommodations are tailored to help you succeed in your workplace.

Please contact us to find out more about our neuropsychology services.