ADHD Assessment · Calgary
A proper ADHD assessment for kids and teens in Calgary — not a fifteen-minute screener. Includes rating scales from you, the teacher, and your child (ages 11+). Anxiety, executive function, and other contributing factors get looked at in the same process. About 5–7 hours of work, billed hourly — you only pay for what gets done.
How an ADHD assessment unfolds
An ADHD assessment looks at how your child functions across multiple settings — not just in one room with me. That's what makes the diagnosis meaningful, and what tells ADHD apart from the things that can look like it.
Phase 1
A 1-hour video call. You share what you've been noticing at home and what the school's been saying. We figure out whether ADHD is what fits — or whether something else might be underneath what you're seeing.
~1 hour · billed · video
Phase 2
About 2 hours of in-person testing, plus rating scales filled out separately by you, your child's teacher, and (for ages 11+) your child. That multi-setting input is what makes a real DSM-5 ADHD diagnosis possible.
~2 hours in person + rating scales
Phase 3
A 1-hour feedback call, then a written report with presentation type, contributing factors, and recommendations — including whether a paediatrician conversation about medication makes sense.
Feedback ~3–4 weeks after testing Report ~1 week later
Want the full walkthrough? See what to expect →
If any of this sounds familiar
You’re in the right place. The whole point of this assessment is to get past the conflicting opinions and into a real answer.
You've heard "he's just bouncy" since kindergarten. You're not sure anymore.
The teacher says one thing, the paediatrician says another, and you can't tell who's reading your child more accurately.
Or it took until grade 7 for anyone to actually ask the question — and now you're worried about everything you might have missed.
The work, in plain language
A real ADHD assessment isn't a quiz or a checklist. It's a structured look at how your child operates at home, at school, and in front of standardized tasks — because real ADHD has to show up across settings, not just in any single one.
It starts with a 1-hour video call. You tell me what you’ve been noticing at home, what the school’s been saying, what’s been ruled in or out, what medications or strategies have been tried. We look at any prior reports or IPPs you’ve gathered.
Then in-person testing — about 2 hours, in a single block or split if your child needs it. Alongside testing, you and the teacher fill out behavioral rating scales separately. For children ages 11+, your child fills out their own. That cross-setting input is what lets me tell ADHD apart from anxiety, executive function challenges, or “just had a tough year.”
Then a 1-hour feedback call to walk you through everything we found, and a written report about a week after that.
Standardized instruments used
WISC-V — cognitive context.
Conners-4 — behavioral rating scales (parent, teacher, and self-report for ages 11+).
Targeted screeners — anxiety, executive function, adaptive skills where indicated.
Tools chosen for the specific question. If the intake suggests something else is in play, we add the relevant scales — and I’ll tell you exactly which and why before testing starts.
Across one or two visits. Built around how a child can actually focus — no marathon days.
Something tactile and sweet within reach. A small thing that takes the pressure off.
Casual on purpose. Children relax faster when no one's performing authority.
When they need a few minutes to switch off, they switch off. Then we come back.
Want the full walkthrough of testing day, hour by hour? See what to expect →
The report
If ADHD criteria are met, the report names the presentation (inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, or combined), the severity, and the supporting evidence across every setting we looked at. If they’re not met — but something else is showing up — the report names that, too. Either way, you’ll know.
Recommendations cover accommodations the school can implement, strategies for home and homework, and where outside-school referrals make sense — including whether a paediatrician conversation about medication is a reasonable next step. The report supports that conversation; it doesn’t replace it.
Start the conversationBench Psychology · Calgary
What if it’s not ADHD?
Sometimes what looks like ADHD is anxiety, a learning difference in disguise, executive function gaps, or a hard year landing on a sensitive child. The same assessment process can tell which one it actually is. If a full psychoed would give you a better answer, I’ll tell you that — and we can talk about whether to expand the scope from there.
A diagnosis is a description, not a verdict.
Pricing
An ADHD assessment runs about 5–7 hours of work — intake, testing, scoring of rating scales from multiple sources, feedback, and the written report. We bill hourly at $240, and you only pay for what gets done. In the intake call, I’ll talk you through a real range scoped to your child’s specific situation.
Full pricing & FAQ$240/ hour
Billed hourly. About 5–7 hours total for an ADHD assessment.
The intake is the first hour of the assessment, billed at $240.
About Vanessa
“I’m Vanessa. I’m a registered psychologist in Alberta, and I built Bench because I wanted to do assessment work the way it should be done — patiently, in plain language, and in a setting that doesn’t make children feel like they’re being studied. My master’s at the University of Calgary was three years focused on one thing: assessment. Since 2022 I’ve worked with Calgary school boards and with families from every income tier. I wear hoodies to work. I work in two-hour blocks because that’s how a child actually sits. There’s candy on the desk.”
Vanessa Rankin, M.Ed., R. Psych. · More about Vanessa →
Frequently asked
The five questions that come up most often during ADHD intakes — covered here so you can read them on your own time before the call.
When you’re ready
An intake is a 1-hour video call. You tell me what you’ve been seeing, what other people have said, what’s been tried, what hasn’t worked. I’ll tell you whether a full ADHD assessment is the right fit, whether a broader psychoed makes more sense, or whether something else entirely is the better next step. You’ll leave with more clarity than you came in with.
The intake is the first hour of the assessment, billed at $240. A free 15-minute consult call or email is always an option first.
