Services for Children and Youth

• You (and your child, if applicable) will meet with the Psychologist and Graduate Student for a full discussion of the presenting concerns, strengths, and needs.

• This meeting typically takes about 1.5 hours.

• Please bring copies of past report cards and assessments to this appointment.

• We schedule 3 assessment sessions during which the graduate student meets with the person being assessed to look over all abilities and functioning, learning strengths and challenges, as well as social/emotional areas.

• In between sessions, the graduate student meets with the supervising psychologist to examine the findings in depth and to determine if additional assessments are needed.

• These sessions typically take 2 hours and parents/caregivers do not need to be present during the session.

• Approximately 2 weeks after the last assessment session, the psychologist and graduate student meet with the client (and their family, if applicable) to discuss the findings and to share any diagnoses that may be present.

• Recommendations are made for the next steps.

• This appointment typically takes 1.5 hours.

Psychological assessments are designed to help us understand a person’s unique strengths and needs in a variety of areas, including intellectual, academic, emotional, social, and behavioural functioning. If your loved one is struggling in any of these areas they may benefit from a full psychological assessment.

Our waitlist is currently closed, and we are not accepting referrals at this time.

Clients can refer themselves or be referred by a healthcare provider.

We accept referrals through our Electronic Referral System, located here or download our form here and email/fax/mail it to the Clinic.

For more information, please read our Description of Psychological Assessment Services

The Queen’s Psychology Clinic is offering a 14-week evidence-based social skills group for neurodiverse youth who are interested in learning skills to make and keep friends, and navigate social situations. The group is based on the PEERS Social Skills Training program. During each group session, teens will learn about and practice different social skills. Sessions focus on topics like having two-way conversations, appropriate use of humour, how to handle conflict, and how to organize successful get-togethers.

Who is this for? This program supports neurodiverse youth (13-17 years old) develop knowledge and skills to navigate social relationships and situations. The program was initially developed for teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (without a concurrent diagnosis of Intellectual Disability). Please note that since the group focuses on social skills training, it is not appropriate for youth who are currently in crisis due to difficulties with emotion regulation or other mental health concerns. If you have any questions about inclusion criteria for the program, please contact us.

When: September to December 2024; 1.5 hour sessions weekly for 12 weeks. Four separate parent sessions will be offered alongside the program.

Fees: $500 flat fee for the program. Coverage may be available through third-party healthcare plans and/or the Ontario Autism Program. There will be a limited number of reduced rate spaces available for clients in financial need; please indicate if you would like to be considered for one of these spaces on the referral form.

Referrals: Clients can self-refer, or be referred by a caregiver or healthcare provider. We are currently accepting referrals through our Electronic Referral System, (located here) or by fax (613-533-3282). We will schedule a telephone call with each person referred to the service so that we can provide more information about our program and determine together if our service is a good fit for the person’s current needs.

Many people are surprised to learn that there is no actual age of consent in Ontario to access treatment or psychological services. This means that a child of any age may access (or refuse to access) services if they have the capacity to understand:

• their needs,

• the information given to them

• the risks and benefits of accepting or refusing treatment.

We assume capacity at age 16 but a younger child (“mature minor") may be capable.

If there is reason to believe someone 16 or older does not have capacity to consent, we require a Substitute Decision Maker to consent on their behalf.

In all cases, however, it is important for the individual to be in agreement to participate in psychological services.

It is important that a child or youth has a confidential and safe space to explore their issues and to learn alternative ways to handle them. As such, children are provided with similar rights and limits to confidentiality when they are in therapy as adults are and specific details of what is happening in the sessions will not be shared with parents without the child’s consent. Parents do not have the right to access the child’s chart without the child’s permission.

However, we believe that it is important to foster a team approach with parents and are sensitive to the questions you may have and the emotions you may be experiencing as a parent. Therefore, we meet regularly with parents to provide updates on general progress, to discuss any concerns, and to troubleshoot with you. The child may or may not participate in the update sessions.