Learning Disability Assessment / Testing in Halifax, Nova ScotiaI provide comprehensive learning disability / learning disorder assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.
This includes official testing and diagnoses for dyslexia, reading disabilities, dyscalculia, and other academic issues. 
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What are learning disabilities / learning disorders?
Although there are several different learning disabilities each with their own unique features, they are typically diagnosed when a person's achievement in reading, math, or written expression is significantly below what you would expect given their age, education, and intelligence.
That is, there is a mismatch between what they are capable of...and what they are achieving in school, in university, at work, or elsewhere.
How are learning disabilities tested?
Given the description above, it is not surprising that a common method of diagnosing a learning disorder is to compare and contrast a person's level of intelligence (assessed via formal IQ testing) with their performance on standardized measures of academic achievement and their performance or difficulties in school, college, or university.
Additional cognitive testing, school grades, parent interviews, and teacher interviews also factor into the diagnosis.
Please see the Assessment FAQs page for more information on exactly what happens during a learning disorder assessment.
How common are learning disorders / disabilities?
Depending on the specific diagnosis and the criteria used to assess the condition, the prevalence rates of learning disorders typically range from 2% to 10%. In Canada, 8.4%% of students in public schools have a diagnosed learning disorder.
Of course, including the percentage of students with serious, but undiagnosed learning issues would only increase this number.
What are the common types of learning disorders / learning disabilities?
Reading Disorder / Dyslexia
One feature of a Reading Disorder includes reading achievement (as measured by standardized testing) that falls significantly below the level of reading proficiency expected by one's age, education, or intelligence.
The problem must also clearly interfere with the person's academic achievement or with activities that require reading.
Reading disorders may involve problems with reading fluency, speed, comprehension, word and letter recognition, phonetic decoding (sounding out words and parts of words), and retention of written material.
Note that "Dyslexia" is not technically a separate diagnosis from a Reading Disorder and various definitions are used to describe the condition. Typically though, dyslexia involves significant problems with spelling, phonetic processing, reading speed, and letter / word recognition.
Early signs of Dyslexia may include speech delays and letter reversals ("mirror writing"), while later signs can include difficulties recognizing rhyming words, problems counting syllables, difficulty combining individual sounds to make words, very poor spelling, and omitting letters when reading or writing (which often results in reading errors and leads to decreased comprehension).
Note that reading disorders are thought to be brain-based and are not "cured" in a traditional sense. However, with a proper assessment and diagnosis, specific strategies and techniques can be introduced by parents, teachers, and tutors which can dramatically improve reading ability and comprehension for both adults and children.
The problem must also clearly interfere with the person's academic achievement or with activities that require reading.
Reading disorders may involve problems with reading fluency, speed, comprehension, word and letter recognition, phonetic decoding (sounding out words and parts of words), and retention of written material.
Note that "Dyslexia" is not technically a separate diagnosis from a Reading Disorder and various definitions are used to describe the condition. Typically though, dyslexia involves significant problems with spelling, phonetic processing, reading speed, and letter / word recognition.
Early signs of Dyslexia may include speech delays and letter reversals ("mirror writing"), while later signs can include difficulties recognizing rhyming words, problems counting syllables, difficulty combining individual sounds to make words, very poor spelling, and omitting letters when reading or writing (which often results in reading errors and leads to decreased comprehension).
Note that reading disorders are thought to be brain-based and are not "cured" in a traditional sense. However, with a proper assessment and diagnosis, specific strategies and techniques can be introduced by parents, teachers, and tutors which can dramatically improve reading ability and comprehension for both adults and children.
Mathematics Disorder / Dyscalculia
Mathematics Disorder is diagnosed when one’s math ability (as measured by standardized tests) falls significantly below what is expected by age, education, or intelligence. Additionally, math ability must interfere with academic achievement or with activities of daily life.
Someone with Mathematics Disorder may have difficulty understanding or naming mathematical terms and concepts, may be unable to decode written problems into mathematical terms, may struggle to recognize numerical symbols and signs, may have difficulty following a sequence of mathematical steps, and may find memorizing mathematical facts (e.g., multiplication tables) much more challenging than most.
Mathematics Disorder is much less common than Reading Disorder, but nevertheless it is often estimated that 1% of school-age children meet the diagnostic criteria.
Mathematics Disorder is rarely diagnosed before age six or seven – mostly because children younger than this have not been exposed to sufficient mathematical instruction in school to indicate a potential problem.
Mathematics Disorder may also be less noticeable because of the greater emphasis on reading and writing in earlier grades. When Mathematics Disorder is combined with high intelligence, a problem with mathematical ability may not be recognized until fifth grade or later.
Obviously, the sooner that a problem is identified, the sooner steps can be taken (such an individualized learning plan) to make sure that the child or adult receives proper instruction.
Someone with Mathematics Disorder may have difficulty understanding or naming mathematical terms and concepts, may be unable to decode written problems into mathematical terms, may struggle to recognize numerical symbols and signs, may have difficulty following a sequence of mathematical steps, and may find memorizing mathematical facts (e.g., multiplication tables) much more challenging than most.
Mathematics Disorder is much less common than Reading Disorder, but nevertheless it is often estimated that 1% of school-age children meet the diagnostic criteria.
Mathematics Disorder is rarely diagnosed before age six or seven – mostly because children younger than this have not been exposed to sufficient mathematical instruction in school to indicate a potential problem.
Mathematics Disorder may also be less noticeable because of the greater emphasis on reading and writing in earlier grades. When Mathematics Disorder is combined with high intelligence, a problem with mathematical ability may not be recognized until fifth grade or later.
Obviously, the sooner that a problem is identified, the sooner steps can be taken (such an individualized learning plan) to make sure that the child or adult receives proper instruction.
Disorder of Written Expression / Dysgraphia
A Disorder of Written Expression is diagnosed when someone's writing skills (as measured by standardized testing) are significantly below what would be expected given the person’s age, education, intelligence, and / or education. The difficulties with writing also interfere with academic achievement or with activities that require writing skills.
People diagnosed with a writing disorder / dysgraphia have difficulty composing text, have frequent grammatical errors with sentences, often make spelling mistakes, have poor paragraph structure and organization, may have difficulty copying written material, and generally have very poor handwriting.
A Disorder of Written Expression is rarely diagnosed by itself. More often, it is seen in combination with other learning disorders - especially those related to reading.
Similar to Mathematics Disorder, writing disorders are rarely diagnosed prior to the second grade.
People diagnosed with a writing disorder / dysgraphia have difficulty composing text, have frequent grammatical errors with sentences, often make spelling mistakes, have poor paragraph structure and organization, may have difficulty copying written material, and generally have very poor handwriting.
A Disorder of Written Expression is rarely diagnosed by itself. More often, it is seen in combination with other learning disorders - especially those related to reading.
Similar to Mathematics Disorder, writing disorders are rarely diagnosed prior to the second grade.
My honest take on report cards and diagnosing learning disabilities...
Unfortunately, I suspect that there are many children, teens, and adults in Nova Scotia area who needlessly struggle with school, university, or work due to undiagnosed learning disorders.
I always believe that it is better to identify and recognize the challenges we face (so that we can actually do something about them).
I have lost count of the number of children and adolescents I have tested who have been pushed forward in school despite having significant academic problems that have not been brought to the attention of parents. In fact I have tested children in the sixth grade who literally could not read...and yet this was not reflected on their report cards!
As a parent myself, I understand the frustration parents feel when report cards here in Nova Scotia may just be copy and paste templates of what has been taught, but not how well it has been mastered by your child!
For example, see this article at Today's Parent describing how current report cards mostly contain vague, pre-written jargon rather than honest evaluations of a child's strengths and weaknesses. At best, you may see a few checkmarks with vague categories such as "is meeting expectations" or "is not yet meeting expectations".
Needless to say, this is not very helpful if you need to know how well your child is actually doing academically and how he or she compares to others in the same grade.
My guarantee...
Following a psycho-educational assessment with me or at my clinic:
- You will know your child's level of academic functioning via actual scores and rankings
- You will receive concrete measures of achievement on standardized tests of reading, writing, math, and oral expression
- You will receive percentile scores across multiple domains of intelligence
- You will know your child's specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses
- You will know how he or she compares to others academically and intellectually
- You will receive honest feedback and practical suggestions to actually help your child
**Note: I also provide adult evaluations for Learning Disorders and ADHD...and the same promises made above for children also apply to these assessments.**
Ready to book an appointment or need more information?
If you are worried that you or someone you care about may have a learning disorder, a psychoeducational assessment at our clinic is the first step to finding answers and getting the necessary help.
Make sure to read the Assessment FAQS page and remember that the cost of testing is often covered by health insurance plans.
Also, if would like to talk about your concerns or have any questions about an assessment before committing, I am happy to offer a free 30-minute in-person consultation with absolutely no obligations or commitments. Please note that you must specifically request the free 30-minute consultation if you are interested in this - otherwise we can proceed with the formal assessment.
To get started, just enter your information in the form below and I will be in touch asap.
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After you submit the form, I will definitely get back to you. However, my replies are often filtered into junk mail folders. To prevent this from happening, please check your spam folder if you don't receive a reply within 24 hours.