Who is the person that administers ADHD/Learning Disability assessments? Charlene Rumble—Psychoeducational Consultant When assessing for ADHD and Learning Disabilities, psychologists rely on psychometrists, the people who administer testing components on their behalf. As the term “psychometrist” isn’t a part of the common vernacular, this can sound scary or unnerving. More so when we barely know what the assessment itself is or involves. With a master’s degree in Developmental Psychology (MA) from the University of Guelph and having been a psychometrist at Artemis for 24 years, Psychoeducational Consultant Charlene Rumble gives insight and quells the mystery around this profession.
Psychometrists are an integral part of the assessment process. They spend the assessment sessions with the client and administer the in-person tests. Prior to the assessment, clients are often nervous and unsure of what to expect. The psychometrists will try to alleviate these worries by answering any questions about the process and reassuring the clients. The focus is not on “testing” but rather on completing a variety of activities that examine how the client learns best and what things will help them to succeed to their potential. We all learn differently and have different strengths. Clients are told that there will be various activities and that many will become more difficult as they work through them. However, they are not expected to be able to do everything. The activities are meant to become more difficult, and they will get to items that they are not able to do. This is part of the process to determine an individual’s strengths and challenges. During the assessment, most of the activities are interactive between the psychometrist and the client. The psychometrist may have the client put blocks together, ask them questions, have them remember stories or write sentences. Clients can have snacks or take breaks whenever needed, as the assessment sessions are flexible to the client's needs. Psychometrists will try to monitor these needs. The assessment is usually completed in two half-day sessions. However, in some cases, especially for younger children, the psychometrist will suggest that the length of the sessions be decreased and the number of sessions be increased. The assessment can be very long and tiring for clients, and some clients struggle to work for long periods of time. After the clients complete the assessment activities, the psychometrists provide the psychologists with the scores from the standardized tests. They also offer a detailed account of what was observed throughout the assessment regarding behaviour, effort, and focus. The materials then move on to the psychologist for diagnostics and report writing.
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