Frequently Asked Questions
CORE CENTRE • QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Find clear answers about assessments, counselling and support services at Core Centre Psychological Services. Choose a category below to quickly find the information most relevant to your child, your family, or the service you are considering. Psychoeducational and Gifted Assessments are conducted in person at our Mississauga clinic.
Find clear answers about assessments, counselling and support services at Core Centre Psychological Services. Choose a category below to quickly find the information most relevant to your child, your family, or the service you are considering. Psychoeducational and Gifted Assessments are conducted in person at our Mississauga clinic.
How do I book an appointment?
Call Core Centre at 647.515.4357 or email info@corecentre.ca. If you are unsure which service to select, describe the main question or concern and the team can help clarify an appropriate starting point.
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
A doctor’s referral is not required to contact Core Centre or arrange an appointment. If you plan to submit fees to an insurer, confirm whether your specific benefit plan has any referral requirements.
Are psychoeducational assessments covered by insurance?
Many extended health benefit plans provide coverage for psychological services. Coverage varies, so families should check directly with their insurance provider regarding their individual plan.
Can psychological services be claimed as a medical expense?
Some eligible psychological services may qualify as medical expenses for tax purposes. Individual circumstances and current tax rules vary, so families should confirm eligibility with the Canada Revenue Agency or a qualified tax professional.
Will information I discuss with my psychologist be kept private?
Core Centre takes privacy and confidentiality seriously. Psychologists follow professional and legal requirements regarding personal health information. There are limited circumstances in which disclosure may be required or permitted by law; your psychologist can explain these limits.
Do you offer online appointments?
Eligible counselling, consultation and skills-support services may be offered online or in person. Psychoeducational Assessment and Gifted Assessment are conducted in person at the Mississauga clinic.
Where is Core Centre located?
Core Centre Psychological Services is located in Mississauga, Ontario, and provides in-person Psychoeducational and Gifted Assessments as well as eligible in-person and online support services.
Can parents contact Core Centre before deciding on a service?
Yes. If you are uncertain where to begin, contact Core Centre and explain the question, concern or goal you would like help addressing.
How long are support-service appointments?
Support-service sessions are generally about 60 minutes. The exact structure may vary according to the service and individual needs.
How many support sessions are usually recommended?
Many Core Centre support services are commonly structured around approximately 6–8 sessions, with the approach adjusted according to needs and progress.
Can parents be involved in a child’s support?
Parent involvement or guidance may be included when appropriate to the child’s age, needs, goals and the nature of the service.
What should I prepare before contacting Core Centre?
It is helpful to identify the main question or concern, the child’s age, relevant school or learning issues, and what you hope to understand or improve.
Does Core Centre work with schools?
Assessment reports and recommendations can be shared by families with schools and educational institutions. Individual schools determine their own processes, documentation requirements and decisions.
Are appointments individualized?
Yes. Assessment and support services are selected and structured according to the referral question, individual needs and professional judgment rather than using an identical approach for every family.
What if I am not sure which service to choose?
Contact Core Centre at 647.515.4357 or info@corecentre.ca and describe the main concern, question or goal. The team can help clarify the most relevant available service.
How can I contact Core Centre?
You can call 647.515.4357 or email info@corecentre.ca with questions about assessments, support services or booking.
How do I know if my child may benefit from a psychoeducational assessment?
An assessment may be helpful if your child is struggling academically, performing inconsistently, having difficulty with attention or organization, or if you believe they may have a learning disability or advanced abilities. It can help clarify your child’s strengths, learning needs and appropriate supports.
What can a psychoeducational assessment identify?
A psychoeducational assessment provides information about cognitive abilities, academic skills, learning patterns, attention and other areas relevant to school functioning. It can help identify learning disabilities and areas where additional support or accommodations may be beneficial.
My child is bright but struggles at school. Could an assessment help?
Yes. Some children have strong abilities but still experience difficulties with learning, attention, organization, processing information or demonstrating what they know. An assessment can help explain why there may be a difference between a child’s abilities and school performance.
Can an assessment identify a learning disability?
Yes. A psychoeducational assessment can examine reading, writing and mathematics skills together with cognitive and information-processing abilities to determine whether the findings support identification of a learning disability.
Can you assess attention difficulties?
Attention and executive-functioning concerns can be explored as part of a psychoeducational assessment when clinically appropriate to the educational referral question. Information from multiple sources may be considered to understand how attention is affecting learning and everyday school functioning. Core Centre does not provide a dedicated ADHD assessment/testing service.
Can a psychoeducational assessment help with an IEP or school accommodations?
Yes. Assessment findings can help identify a student’s learning needs and provide recommendations that families can share with the school when discussing appropriate programming, supports or accommodations. The school determines its own decisions and requirements.
Can an assessment be used for college or university accommodations?
Psychoeducational assessments can provide documentation of learning needs and recommendations that may support requests for academic accommodations. Requirements vary by institution, so students should confirm current documentation requirements directly with their college or university.
What happens during a psychoeducational assessment?
The process typically includes an initial consultation, review of relevant background information, individualized in-person testing, interpretation of results and a feedback meeting. Families receive a comprehensive report explaining the findings and recommendations.
How long does the assessment process take?
The timeline depends on the individual assessment and the information required. Core Centre offers short waiting times and works to provide families with results and recommendations as efficiently as possible.
What if I’m not sure whether my child needs an assessment?
Contact Core Centre to discuss your concerns about learning, giftedness, attention, school performance, behaviour or emotional wellbeing. The team can help clarify whether an assessment or another available support may be an appropriate next step.
Do you provide support after the assessment?
Yes. Depending on your child’s needs, recommendations may include school strategies, parent consultation or counselling. Core Centre also offers Wellbeing Counselling, Emotion Regulation, Social Skills, Study & Organizational Skills and Parenting Skills Consultation.
Where is the assessment completed?
Psychoeducational Assessment is conducted face-to-face at Core Centre’s Mississauga clinic.
Will we receive a written report?
Yes. Families receive a comprehensive written report explaining relevant findings and recommendations.
Are Core Centre psychoeducational reports accepted by schools?
Core Centre’s psychoeducational reports have been accepted by public and private school boards and academic institutions across North America. Each institution determines how it uses assessment information and what documentation it requires.
Do you provide autism assessments?
No. Core Centre does not provide a dedicated autism assessment/testing service.
Can an assessment help explain inconsistent school performance?
Yes. Assessment can help clarify why a student may perform strongly in some areas or situations while experiencing difficulty in others.
What information should families bring to an assessment?
Relevant school reports, previous assessments, educational records and other background information may be useful when available. Core Centre can advise what is appropriate for the individual referral.
Does the assessment look only at weaknesses?
No. An important part of psychoeducational assessment is understanding the student’s strengths as well as areas of need.
Can recommendations be individualized to my child?
Yes. Recommendations are developed in relation to the individual assessment findings, referral questions and the student’s learning profile.
Why is in-person testing important?
Core Centre conducts psychoeducational testing face-to-face so the psychologist can administer standardized measures directly and observe relevant aspects of the assessment process.
Can assessment results guide future educational planning?
Yes. Findings can provide useful information for families and educators when considering learning needs, supports and educational planning.
Can you assess my child for giftedness?
Yes. Core Centre provides Gifted Assessment to help understand a child’s cognitive strengths and determine whether their abilities may meet criteria used for gifted programming.
What is a Gifted Assessment?
A Gifted Assessment evaluates cognitive abilities to help families better understand a child’s intellectual strengths and whether the profile may be relevant to gifted educational programming.
Why might a family consider Gifted Assessment?
Families may consider assessment when a child demonstrates advanced reasoning, rapid learning, strong problem-solving abilities or other signs that raise questions about an advanced cognitive profile.
Is Gifted Assessment only about obtaining a score?
No. Scores are part of the assessment, but the broader purpose is to understand the child’s cognitive profile and provide meaningful information for families and educational planning.
Where is Gifted Assessment completed?
Core Centre conducts Gifted Assessment face-to-face at the Mississauga clinic.
Can Gifted Assessment be completed online?
No. Gifted Assessment is an in-person service.
What happens during Gifted Assessment?
The psychologist selects appropriate standardized measures, works directly with the child and interprets the pattern of results in the context of the referral question.
Will we receive a written report?
Yes. Families receive an explanation of the findings and a written report documenting the assessment results.
Does a gifted result guarantee placement in a gifted program?
No. School boards and individual programs establish their own identification, admission and documentation requirements. Families should confirm current criteria directly with the relevant school or program.
Can the report be shared with my child’s school?
Yes. Families may share the report with a school or educational institution. The receiving institution determines how it uses the information.
Does giftedness always look like high grades?
Not necessarily. Advanced cognitive ability and classroom achievement are related but not identical. Performance can also be influenced by motivation, learning needs, emotional factors, environment and other circumstances.
Can a gifted child also experience learning difficulties?
Yes. Strong cognitive abilities do not rule out learning or other educational challenges. When broader learning concerns exist, Core Centre can help clarify whether a psychoeducational assessment may be more appropriate.
What if I am unsure between Gifted and Psychoeducational Assessment?
Contact Core Centre with the questions you want the assessment to answer. The most appropriate service depends on whether the primary goal is understanding advanced cognitive ability or a broader learning and academic profile.
What happens after the assessment?
Families receive feedback and a report that can inform conversations about strengths, educational needs and possible next steps.
Does Core Centre offer further resources for gifted students?
Yes. Core Centre’s Academy of Excellence and giftedness resources provide additional information related to gifted development.
Can Gifted Assessment identify areas of particular cognitive strength?
Yes. The assessment provides information about the child’s cognitive profile and can highlight patterns of relative strength across the abilities measured.
Can gifted students have uneven ability profiles?
Yes. A child may show particularly strong abilities in some areas while having a different pattern in others. The assessment is interpreted as a profile rather than as a single number alone.
Can Gifted Assessment help with educational planning?
Assessment results can provide information families may use when discussing appropriate learning opportunities with schools or programs.
Should we confirm gifted-program requirements before testing?
Yes. If assessment is being pursued for a particular school or program, families should confirm that organization’s current criteria and documentation requirements directly.
What is Wellbeing Counselling?
Wellbeing Counselling provides individualized support for emotional wellbeing, coping, confidence and everyday challenges.
Who is Wellbeing Counselling for?
Core Centre generally supports children, teens and young adults ages 6–21.
What kinds of concerns can be discussed?
Sessions may address emotional challenges, coping with stress, confidence, adjustment, relationships and other everyday wellbeing concerns appropriate to the service.
Is counselling available online?
Yes. Wellbeing Counselling may be provided in person or online, depending on the individual situation and service arrangement.
How long is a session?
Sessions are generally about 60 minutes.
How many sessions are typical?
Support is commonly structured around approximately 6–8 sessions, with the approach individualized according to needs and progress.
Are parents involved?
Parent guidance or involvement may be included when appropriate to the young person’s age, needs and goals.
Is Wellbeing Counselling the same as an assessment?
No. Counselling is a support service. Psychoeducational and Gifted Assessments are separate in-person assessment services.
Does a child need a diagnosis to participate?
Not necessarily. The service focuses on the individual’s current needs and goals rather than requiring a particular diagnostic label.
How are goals established?
Goals are discussed in relation to the young person’s needs, concerns, strengths and desired changes.
Can counselling help build confidence?
Confidence and self-understanding may be appropriate areas of focus when they are relevant to the young person’s goals.
Can sessions address coping with school-related stress?
School-related pressures and coping may be discussed when they are affecting wellbeing and fit within the goals of counselling.
Is every session the same?
No. Support is individualized and can evolve as needs, progress and priorities become clearer.
How do we know if Wellbeing Counselling is the right service?
Contact Core Centre and describe the primary concern. If the need is mainly emotional support, coping or wellbeing rather than assessment, counselling may be an appropriate starting point.
What happens after the initial series of sessions?
Progress and needs can be reviewed. Recommendations about next steps depend on the individual situation.
Can wellbeing support change as a young person’s needs change?
Yes. Goals and strategies can be reviewed and adjusted as the young person makes progress or new priorities emerge.
What is emotion regulation support?
Emotion regulation support helps young people recognize emotions, understand responses and develop practical strategies for managing strong feelings.
Who is the service for?
The service generally supports children, teens and young adults ages 6–21.
Is the goal to stop difficult emotions?
No. Difficult emotions are a normal part of life. The goal is to strengthen awareness, coping, confidence and the ability to respond more effectively.
What skills may be developed?
Work may include identifying emotions, noticing triggers, understanding reactions, practising coping strategies and building greater independence in managing emotional situations.
Can it help with frustration?
Frustration and strong reactions may be appropriate areas to address when they are part of the young person’s emotion-regulation goals.
Can it help a child communicate feelings more clearly?
Developing language and awareness around emotions can be part of the work when appropriate.
Are sessions online or in person?
Emotion Regulation support may be offered in person or online.
How long is each session?
Sessions are generally about 60 minutes.
How many sessions are typical?
Support is commonly structured as approximately 6–8 sessions, adjusted according to individual needs and progress.
Are parents involved?
Parent guidance or participation may be included when appropriate to the child’s age and goals.
Does a child need a diagnosis?
No specific diagnosis is required simply to discuss whether this support service fits the child’s needs.
Is emotion regulation support counselling?
It is a focused support service aimed at developing emotional awareness and practical regulation strategies.
Can strategies be used at home or school?
The aim is to develop practical skills that can be applied in everyday situations. Specific recommendations depend on the individual.
How is progress reviewed?
Progress can be considered in relation to the goals established for the service, the young person’s experience and observations from relevant adults when appropriate.
How do we know whether to choose Emotion Regulation or Wellbeing Counselling?
Emotion Regulation is more specifically focused on understanding and managing strong emotions. Wellbeing Counselling may address a broader range of emotional and everyday concerns.
Can emotion regulation support help with identifying triggers?
Yes. Recognizing situations, thoughts or patterns associated with strong emotional responses can be part of developing greater awareness.
Can young people practise regulation strategies between sessions?
Yes. When appropriate, practical strategies can be applied between sessions so skills become more useful in everyday situations.
Can support focus on building independence?
Yes. A key goal can be helping young people increasingly recognize and manage emotional situations with greater confidence and independence.
What is Social Skills support?
Social Skills support helps young people strengthen practical understanding and confidence in everyday social communication and relationships.
Who is the service for?
It is generally available for children, teens and young adults ages 6–21.
What areas can be addressed?
Areas may include conversation, friendships, interpreting social cues, communication, boundaries and navigating everyday interactions.
Is the goal to make every child communicate the same way?
No. The goal is not to make everyone communicate identically. Support focuses on social understanding, flexibility, confidence and practical communication skills.
Can the service help with starting conversations?
Conversation initiation, maintaining exchanges and understanding how conversations develop may be addressed when relevant.
Can friendship skills be discussed?
Yes. Building, maintaining and navigating friendships may be part of the service.
Can boundaries be part of the work?
Yes. Understanding personal and interpersonal boundaries can be an important component of social development.
Can social cues be addressed?
Recognizing and interpreting verbal and non-verbal social information may be explored where appropriate.
Are sessions online or in person?
The service may be offered in person or online.
How long is a session?
Sessions are generally about 60 minutes.
How many sessions are typical?
Support is commonly organized around approximately 6–8 sessions and individualized according to needs.
Are parents involved?
Parent guidance may be included when useful for reinforcing strategies and supporting the young person.
Does my child need a diagnosis?
A specific diagnosis is not required simply to explore whether Social Skills support is appropriate.
How are social-skills goals chosen?
Goals are based on the young person’s needs, strengths, developmental level and the situations they want to navigate more confidently.
How do we know if this is the right service?
Contact Core Centre with examples of the social situations or communication challenges you would like help addressing.
Can Social Skills support address misunderstandings with peers?
Yes. When relevant, sessions can explore how misunderstandings develop and practise ways of interpreting and responding to social situations.
Can the service help with confidence in group situations?
Yes. Building confidence and flexibility in social situations may be an appropriate goal depending on the young person’s needs.
What is Study & Organizational Skills support?
It provides practical strategies for managing schoolwork, studying, planning, organization and increasing academic independence.
Who is the service designed for?
It generally supports students and young adults ages 6–21.
What areas can be addressed?
Support can focus on study habits, planning, priorities, time management, assignments, test preparation, procrastination, routines and independence.
Can it help with time management?
Yes. Students can work on estimating time, planning tasks, using schedules and creating more manageable routines.
Can it help with procrastination?
Yes. Support may explore why tasks are being delayed and develop practical strategies for starting, breaking down and completing work.
Can it help with test preparation?
Yes. Students may work on planning study time, organizing material and developing more effective preparation strategies.
Can it help with homework organization?
Yes. Assignment tracking, prioritizing tasks, planning work periods and developing consistent routines may be addressed.
Can students learn better study habits?
Yes. The service can help students identify study approaches that are more purposeful, organized and sustainable.
Does a student need a diagnosis?
No. This is a skills-support service and is not dependent on a particular diagnosis.
Is this the same as tutoring?
Not exactly. The primary focus is on learning processes, organization, study habits and independent academic-management skills rather than teaching a specific school subject.
Are sessions online or in person?
Study & Organizational Skills support may be provided in person or online.
How long is each session?
Sessions are generally about 60 minutes.
How many sessions are typical?
The service is commonly structured as approximately 6–8 sessions, with strategies adapted to the student’s needs.
Are parents involved?
Parent guidance may be included where appropriate, particularly when routines and strategies need support at home.
What is the overall goal?
The goal is to help students become more organized, strategic and increasingly independent in managing their learning responsibilities.
Can students develop a system for tracking assignments and deadlines?
Yes. Practical systems for recording, prioritizing and monitoring school responsibilities can be developed and adjusted to the student’s needs.
What is Parenting Skills Consultation?
It is practical consultation for parents who want support with communication, expectations, cooperation, challenging behaviour, routines, consistency and encouraging age-appropriate independence.
Who participates in the consultation?
The service is designed primarily to support parents. The exact format depends on the family’s needs and the goals established for consultation.
Is parent consultation about blaming parents?
No. Effective consultation is not about blaming parents or children. It focuses on understanding patterns, clarifying goals and developing practical strategies.
What kinds of parenting concerns can be discussed?
Topics may include limits and expectations, cooperation, resistance or defiance, communication, routines, consistency, independence and recurring family challenges.
Can consultation address resistance or power struggles?
Yes. Consultation may address ways to understand recurring patterns and reduce unproductive power struggles.
Can it help with setting limits?
Yes. Parents may work on establishing clearer, developmentally appropriate expectations and following through more consistently.
Can it help improve cooperation?
Strategies for communication, expectations, routines and responding to resistance may be explored to support greater cooperation.
Can routines be addressed?
Yes. Morning, homework, evening and other family routines may be discussed when they are relevant to the family’s goals.
Can consultation support independence?
Yes. Encouraging age-appropriate responsibility and independence can be an important focus.
Is Parenting Skills Consultation available online?
Yes. Consultation may be offered online or in person.
How long is a session?
Sessions are generally about 60 minutes.
How many sessions are typical?
Parenting Skills Consultation is commonly structured as approximately 6–8 sessions, adjusted according to the family’s needs.
Does my child need a diagnosis?
No specific diagnosis is required simply to explore whether Parenting Skills Consultation may be helpful.
Can both parents participate?
Where appropriate and practical, parent participation can be discussed with Core Centre as part of arranging the service.
How do we know whether consultation is helping?
Progress can be reviewed against the practical goals established at the beginning, such as clearer routines, more consistent responses, improved communication or reduced conflict.
Can consultation help parents respond more consistently?
Yes. Parents can explore practical ways to make expectations and responses clearer and more consistent.
Can we discuss communication during conflict?
Yes. Consultation may address ways of communicating more effectively when emotions are high or recurring disagreements develop.
Can parenting strategies change as a child becomes more independent?
Yes. Expectations, responsibilities and parent involvement can be adjusted as children and teens develop greater independence.
Not Sure Which Service Is Right?
Not Sure What Your Child Needs?
Start with a consultation. We can discuss your concerns and help clarify whether a Psychoeducational Assessment, Gifted Assessment, parent consultation, counselling or another available support may be the most appropriate next step.
647.515.4357 • info@corecentre.ca