Focus, Learning and Memory Challenges During a Pandemic? How a Psychoeducational Assessment Can Help
Work Efficiency and Psychoeducational Assessments
After passing the one-year mark since the start of the pandemic, many of us are still adjusting to a changed work or study schedule. We’re beginning to miss the casual small talk between work tasks, the chatting during breaks in lectures, and even our commutes listening to morning radio are beginning to feel like a distant memory. For psychologists, we’re learning more about the unique impact that COVID-19-induced social isolation is having on society. There is certainly light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines continue to roll out, but just how long will it take for us to get back to our “pre-COVID” productivity? This blog post will highlight one assessment tool that can help identify causes of learning difficulties and/or barriers to efficiency, the Psychoeducational Assessment.
For some, working or learning from home means fewer distractions, less travel time, and easy access to pleasurable activities during breaks. For others, it means reduced focus, greater difficulty maintaining work efficiency, and finding that formerly simple tasks are feeling a little more overwhelming. The impact of a global pandemic is not something that psychologists have had an opportunity to study, until now; however, the impacts of prolonged isolation have certainly been investigated in other contexts and we know that our brain’s processing speed, working memory and general efficiency can certainly decline when we’re not exposed to the plethora of stimulation that bombards us as soon as we leave the comfort of our homes for a typical day in the “real world,” attending school or heading into the office.
At Waterloo Psychology Group, we frequently conduct psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessments examining a client’s cognitive and learning strengths and weaknesses to make recommendations to help maximize a person’s ability to function at a high level. When cognitive functioning falls within the expected range for an individual, we then assess that person’s work habits and how they structure their day to look for ways to improve productivity in their daily life. We also assess emotional functioning to determine whether mental health issues may account for a person’s functional difficulties. When certain diagnoses, such as ADHD or a learning disability, are present and identified through analysis of assessment results, recommendations can include access to academic or workplace accommodations, as well as therapeutic services designed to improve or compensate for any weaknesses in cognitive functioning. In this short information blog, we wanted to provide some clarification regarding the purpose of psychoeducational assessments to hopefully help those struggling to excel in their work and/or studies decide if an assessment is right for you.
What is a psychoeducational assessment?
A psychoeducational assessment may include a comprehensive evaluation of a person’s intellectual, developmental, social, and/or emotional development. Common goals of such assessments include identifying and diagnosing the following:
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Learning Disorders
Giftedness
Emotional disorders
We know that each person develops and learns differently. Our goal is to identify each person’s cognitive profile in order to maximize strengths and improve (or limit the impact of) any learning weaknesses.
A psychoeducational assessment provides specific information about the presence and nature of learning and/or behavioural deficits. Testing typically covers a range of cognitive domains including intelligence, learning, attention, memory, receptive and expressive language, visuo-perceptual abilities, executive functioning (e.g. inhibition, planning), and psychopathology.
The Process of a Psychoeducational Assessment
1. Initial intake interview: First, the psychologist will meet with the client (and often family/collaterals) and explain the purpose and aim of the assessment. The interview includes collecting information about the client’s psychological, health and developmental history; including the problems the client identifies him or herself.
2. Testing: Test selection is very important: if the test used is not psychometrically valid and reliable or if there is no normative data against which to compare a client’s performance, we cannot have as much confidence in the test’s ability to accurately measure the client’s functioning. Testing typically includes neurocognitive measures of general intellectual functioning, higher-order executive skills (e.g. planning, organizing, reasoning, problem-solving), attention, memory, learning, language, visuo-perceptual skills and academic achievement. Neurocognitive tests are supplemented by tests of emotional functioning, psychopathology, and personality.
3. Additional data collection: The psychologist will collect relevant information from other health professionals when available (e.g. report cards, Individual Education Plans, previous assessments, medical records). These can help shed more light on the learning pattern of the client as well as his/her past and present functional abilities.
4. Analysis and interpretation of the results: This may be one of the most complex parts of a psychoeducational assessment. After scoring the tests, the psychologist must thoroughly examine all the results in relation to the client’s functioning and history as well as in relation to the performance expected of his or her peers (i.e. the normal population, or persons of similar age and educational background).
5. Report writing: Following the interview, data collection, test administration and analysis, and formulation of an attentional disorder, learning disorder, behavioural disorder, and/or emotional disorder, the psychologist writes a comprehensive report that details the findings, diagnosis(es), recommendations for further assessment or treatment, as well as the effects of the client’s deficits and strengths on his or her life (e.g. ability to work, function at school, study or to lead an autonomous life). Because the report integrates information from a wide variety of sources, the psychoeducational assessment report often offers an extremely comprehensive view of the client’s condition.
6. Feedback: The psychologist provides feedback directly to the client (and family, if desired). Usually, the psychologist discusses the feedback with the client in person and will also give him or her a copy of the written report. Feedback covers test findings, diagnosis and any recommendations for further assessment or treatment, in addition to addressing any questions that the client may have about his or her condition or treatment needs. At times, the psychologist may also meet with the client’s school staff to review recommendations and diagnoses.
Importance of Comprehensive Assessment
Psychoeducational assessment can identify cognitive dysfunction even when underlying disorders may not be related to clearly-defined brain lesions (e.g. ADHD, learning disorders). Cognitive testing can provide many clients and their families with a comprehensive and detailed understanding of their condition in terms of their everyday functioning and provide the evidence required to support academic and/or vocational accommodations. Psychoeducational assessment can provide useful information about adaptive functioning. This includes such things as whether a client can improve performance in elementary school, high school, university/college, or on the job. Psychoeducational reports usually include detailed recommendations that can help the client optimize and improve daily functioning and academic achievement.
If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about psychoeducational assessments and whether one may be helpful in improving work or academic performance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Waterloo Psychology Group for help!