TOTAL FUNDS RECEIVED TO DATE
$1,947,745
328
Assessments
292
Patients served
]
Program overview
More than 28% of children and youth with physical illnesses face mental health challenges. Without early assessment, intervention, and education, their mental health needs may not be met. To identify potential challenges early, SickKids has a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment program for patients whose conditions – from brain tumours to congenital heart disease – put them at elevated risk of brain and mental health challenges.
Neuropsychological assessments
In these in-depth assessments, a trained provider uses diverse approaches – from conversations with parents to on-site testing – to understand a young person’s current functioning in areas such as reading comprehension, memory, and motor skills. Next, clinicians recommend appropriate supports such as occupational therapy or speech therapy to aid continued development.
How Family of Support Funding Has Helped
Family of Support funds have helped to:
- Enable SickKids to perform around 80 such assessments each year;
- Accelerate access to these assessments – a key priority since they can help young people receive appropriate support during key developmental windows;
- Empower the SickKids clinic team to keep pace with ever-increasing demand for these highly personalized, resource-intensive assessments.