CONNECTIONS

We do accept referrals from other professionals (e.g., family doctor, pediatrician, midwife, teacher, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, counsellor, etc.); however, this is not a requirement to access our services. You are welcome to self-refer. Please note that assessments to explore the possibility of Autism in children under age 6 require involvement with a pediatrician before the assessment can be conducted. Your pediatrician does not need to make a referral to our office; however, we are required to connect with them to obtain and review their visit note(s). We will provide you with the appropriate consent form to permit us to request this information.

Please email us at connectionsdevelopmentalclinic@gmail.com. We will follow-up with you to gather some additional information to ensure our services match your needs and your appointment(s) can be scheduled from there.

Please note that fees for psychological services are not covered by BC's health plan (MSP), though they are exempt from GST. Given that many extended health plans cover some of the costs for assessment and counselling services, you are encouraged to contact your insurance provider to ask them about your coverage details. Psychological service fees can be claimed as a tax deductible medical expense, so be sure to save your receipts! Fees vary depending on the service you are pursuing and are in line with provincial guidelines recommended by the British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA). The fee for a 50-minute counselling session is currently $200. Please see our Assessment Rates page (click link below) to learn more about our current assessment fees and be sure to connect with us if you have any questions.

If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, we respectfully ask that you notify us at least 24 hours (one full business day) prior to the date of your appointment. Given that appointments are in high demand and are held just for you, notifying us may allow us to offer that time to someone else who is waiting to access our services. If you miss your appointment without cancelling, this is considered a no-show, and a cancellation fee will be applied to your account. We understand that emergencies sometimes happen and will review these situations on a case-by case basis.

We recognize that illness can sometimes come on quickly (e.g., the middle of the night before the appointment), so please connect with us as soon as you can to discuss rescheduling. We do this to protect the health of our staff and other clients involved in our services, but also because we want to ensure optimal performance during the assessment so that our findings are valid and are a reflection of day-to-day functioning. Optimal health is also important for engagement in counselling. And besides...we all know that when you're feeling sick, you really just want to be in the comfort of home anyhow. Similarly, as parents of young children ourselves, in the event that your appointment needs to be cancelled due to our own unexpected absence, please know that we will do our very best to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible.

Yes. To ensure that our results are a valid reflection of your child's day-to-day functioning, it is important that your child continues to take their medication(s) as usual during the assessment. In addition, medication management is beyond the scope of practice for Psychologists and must only be done in consultation with an appropriate medical provider (e.g., Psychiatrist, Pediatrician, Family Doctor, etc.).

Although we cannot guarantee eligibility for government funding or family support services, as this is determined by the Children and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) office, private assessments identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) qualify for the same funding and services as those completed through the BC Autism Assessment Network (BCAAN, i.e., IHCAN) as long as they follow the Standards and Guidelines for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in British Columbia. Our clinic follows these standards. Please note that the Standards require that children age 6 years and younger have an assessment by a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and a comprehensive medical examination by a Pediatrician. The evaluations by the SLP and Pediatrician must be completed prior to our assessment. The primary differences between ASD assessments done privately and those done through BCAAN/IHCAN relate to cost and wait time. IHCAN assessments are covered through MSP and have lengthier wait times, whereas private assessments have shorter wait times and are paid for by families/individuals.

One of the primary reasons individuals and families seek out an assessment is to better understand recommended services, supports, and funding that may be helpful given the areas of need identified over the course of the assessment. Related to this, many families inquire about our ability to complete application forms such as the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), StudentAid BC Disability Programs, Autism Program - Justification for Equipment and Supplies, etc. Although there are some forms that can only be completed by a medical professional (i.e., your family doctor or pediatrician), for those that can be completed by a registered psychologist, we will complete them, upon request, related to assessments that have been conducted within our clinic. It is important to be aware that eligibility for various services and funding is based on need, not diagnosis. As a result, we are only able to complete forms when we have sufficient evidence to support the application. Please note, that given the amount of time required to complete the form(s) and related documentation, which often range from 30 minutes to 2 hours, there is a fee to complete them. As a result, we encourage families to first connect with their family doctor or pediatrician, as they are permitted to complete them, including sections that the psychologist would complete, and although there may be a fee at the physician's office as well, given that they are permitted to bill MSP for their time, the fee (if any) is often less. Also, given the long wait times to access psychological assessments in our region, we schedule completion of these forms based on the clinician's availability to ensure we can continue to provide timely access to assessments. We are dedicated to supporting and meeting the needs of all of our clients, even after an assessment has been completed, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. *Note that the above does not apply to completion of the MCFD Autism Programs Non-BCAAN (Private) Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder form. If your child (age 2 to 18) is assessed at our clinic and receives an Autism diagnosis, you will be provided with a completed copy of this form along with the final assessment report, at no additional cost to you.

We take the protection of your personal health information very seriously. It takes a great deal of courage to seek out assessment and counselling services and also to share your personal information and experiences with us. All of your information is kept private and confidential and can only be shared with your written consent. There are some circumstances, however, when we may be required to share information, even if you have not given us consent to do so. These limits of confidentiality will be reviewed with you during our first appointment and we encourage you to ask us any questions you may have related to maintaining your privacy.

At Connections, our assessments are completed for the purposes of diagnostic clarification and educational and support planning only. If you require an assessment for legal or medical reasons (e.g., parenting capacity, custody and access, motor vehicle accident, worker's compensation, etc.), we encourage you to seek out the services of a professional with specific training and experience in those assessments, as they are beyond our scope of practice.

Our services are available by appointment only and tend to be scheduled weeks or months ahead of time. Please connect with us and we will do our best to book you an appointment as soon as possible. If more immediate support is needed, Kids Help Phone offers free, confidential, and anonymous counselling and support services 24 hours a day at 1-800-668-6868. If you feel your child or teen is in crisis, the following may be helpful: Interior Crisis Line Network (24/7): 1-888-353-2273 KUU-US Indigenous Crisis Line (24/7): 1-800-588-8717 310 Mental Health Support (24/7): 310-6789 (no area code needed) 1-800-SUICIDE (24/7): 1-800-784-2433 In the event you feel your child or teen is in imminent danger, call 911 or go to the closest hospital emergency room.