- An assessment helps you understand the best ways for you to learn and how your ability to learn is influenced by your Learning Disability, ADHD or associated disorder.
- Assessment findings not only clarify learning difficulties, but they also help to explain why these areas are a challenge and provide recommendations for approaches to learning that can be effective at the postsecondary level.
- If you have not ever had a psychological assessment, or it has been a long time since you were last assessed, then it is probably time to have an assessment completed as an adult.
- An up‐to‐date adult assessment considers adult career goals, life factors that can impact an adult student’s ability to cope, and the student’s responsibility for learning within a college/university program. Adult assessments are important for developing self‐awareness and they can help students become self‐advocates for the supports and accommodations that they may require.
About Assessments
The “Why?”, “When?”, “How?”, and other important information that you need to know about assessments.
- Before classes start, contact the Accessibility/Disability Office at your college/university to ask about having your assessment done early. NOARC sees students for assessment as soon as they have been accepted into a college or university. This means students can have their assessment completed during the summer months. However, assessments are completed all year long.
- After your assessment is completed you may be eligible for services and accommodations and you will have a better idea of what might work best for you. Staff in Accessibility/Disability services at your college or university can help you use this information to develop learning strategies that build on your learning strengths.
- NOARC assessment services are available for students with suspected or previously documented Learning Disabilities, ADHD and associated disorders who have been accepted into or are attending any of the 11 colleges and universities in northern Ontario:
- Algoma University
- Canadore College
- Cambrian College
- Confederation College
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- Nipissing University
- Northern College
- Sault College
- Collège Boréal
- Université de Hearst
- You can find out more about the assessment process by making an appointment with an Accessibility/Disability Advisor at your college/university campus.
- Accessibility/Disability staff discuss each student’s needs and concerns, review or request background documents and determine if an assessment is necessary or likely to be of assistance. Accessibility/Disability staff also help students review options for funding the assessment.
- Students will be seen in a convenient location, most typically their home campus.
- Assessments are conducted by one of NOARC/CÉRNO’s psychological practitioners all of whom are registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
- A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment as offered by NOARC/CÉRNO may take between 6 and 10 hours of a student’s time and require several appointments. Information is collected from three major sources: interviews and questionnaires, reports (educational, medical,), and standardized testing tools.
- Results and recommendations from the assessment become part of a written report provided to the student and explained in the final, “feedback” session by the psychological practitioner.
- Your personal information and assessment results will not be released to anyone without your permission and full knowledge.
- The costs of an assessment will not be a barrier to students. A number of funding options are available including: Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD), Extended Health Care (EHC), Student Health Insurance, Band Funding, Personal Monies, and NOARC funding.
- Please contact your campus’ Accessibility/Disability office for help in determining the funding options that work for you.
- For more information, see Funding for Your Assessment
Please see the information on Preparing for Your Assessment.
