Assessment Services
Diagnostic Clarity
Begin provides skilled diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders, which may be important for accessing individualized programming and accommodations.
Giftedness Screening
Giftedness refers to exceptional abilities to think, reason, and learn relative to same-age peers. A gifted evaluation involves identifying your child or teen's intellectual potential and academic skills, particularly to inform academic programming and/or application to a specialized education setting (e.g., Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), Congregated Gifted program). Identifying giftedness, and ensuring appropriate learning enrichment, is an important step toward ensuring your child has the space and resources to reach their fullest potential.
Learning Disability (LD)
As described by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC), Learning Disability (LD) refers to a number of disorders resulting from impairments in one or more processes related to thinking, perceiving, remembering, and/or learning, including, but not limited to: oral language processing, visual-spatial processing, processing speed, memory and attention, and executive functions, such as planning and organization. At its core, a Learning Disability means your child or teen demonstrates an ability to think and reason that is generally comparable to those of other children their age, but they struggle to apply cognitive processes to acquire, organize, or understand verbal or non-verbal information, which affects their academic achievement in reading, writing, and/or math.
Specific Learning Disorder (SLD)
According to the DSM-V-TR, if your child or teen experiences significant struggles in reading, writing, and/or mathematics, they may meet diagnostic criteria for Specific Learning Disorder (SLD). Unlike a Learning Disability profile (which requires at least average thinking and reasoning), the diagnosis of SLD is for a broader range of children who have difficulties learning and applying academic skills (e.g., word decoding, reading comprehension,, math problem solving), despite receiving targeted intervention. Dyslexia (pattern of difficulties with word recognition, decoding, and spelling) and Dyscalculia (pattern of difficulties processing numerical information, arithmetic facts, and accurate or fluent calculations) may also be identified.
Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD)
Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD), formerly known as Intellectual Disability, is a disorder with onset during the developmental period. IDD includes deficits in both intellectual abilities (e.g., reasoning, problem-solving, judgement, and academic learning) and day-to-day living skills (adaptive functioning) in conceptual, social, and practical domains. Without ongoing support, the adaptive deficits limit functioning in on or more activities of daily life, such as communication, social participation, and independent living, across multiple environments, such as home, school, work, and community.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
If your child or teen struggles with attention and focus, remembering instructions, completing tasks, and/or demonstrate hyperactive and/or impulsive behaviours, they may meet criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD often feel isolated and alone, especially if their challenges affect their academic success and/or interpersonal relationships, so timely identification and intervention is important.
Diagnostic Clarity
In addition to understanding your child or teen's learning strengths and needs, we offer skilled diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders.