Is your child ready for greater challenge at school? Our giftedness assessments identify advanced cognitive abilities and learning potential, providing insight that can help guide enrichment, gifted programs, and educational opportunities.
Some children show advanced curiosity, strong reasoning skills, or a need for greater challenge at school. A giftedness assessment (sometimes called gifted testing) helps determine whether a child demonstrates advanced cognitive abilities compared with peers.
Our team of licensed psychologists and educational specialists has expertise in identifying giftedness and advanced learning potential. We focus on highlighting strengths, providing clear insights, and helping families take practical steps to growth and success.
Dr. Hilary Scott-Row is a Licensed Clinical and School Psychologist who provides comprehensive assessments for children and adolescents. She is particularly passionate about supporting neurodivergent youth and helping families better understand their child’s unique learning, thinking, and emotional profiles.
At Springboard, Dr. Scott-Row approaches assessment as a collaborative process. She prioritizes building rapport with each child/teen, ensuring that they feel comfortable and understood. Dr. Scott-Row simultaneously works closely with parents to gather a full and meaningful picture of their child. Her work is both strengths-based and clinically rigorous, integrating careful evaluation with practical, individualized recommendations that families can implement with confidence.
Dr. Scott-Row brings experience across private practice, healthcare, and educational settings, allowing her to thoughtfully consider the many environments that shape youth development. She is committed to helping families leave the assessment process with clarity, direction, and a deeper understanding of their child.
Dr. Hierlihy provides medical treatment and care to Springboard assessment clients under the age of 25, applying the insights she gained in completing her pediatric residency at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She is passionate about helping children and adolescents achieve their full potential and believes firmly in our multidisciplinary approach to ADHD management: “All members of our team work together to understand how ADHD impacts client lives and wellbeing, as well as other mental health concerns that may be involved in its diagnosis. We tailor care to the individual, providing them with tools to confidently move forward.”
Dr. Paula Conforti is licensed to perform the controlled acts of diagnosis and psychotherapy. She obtained her Doctorate from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, where she researched suicidality, mental health literacy and early intervention/prevention. Her training has occurred exclusively at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about developing interventions that assist youth in mastering therapeutic principles through literary means to improve wellness and learning.
Paula has spent the last 22 years conducting assessments and providing intervention services to children and youth with various concerns. She is Registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario as a Psychological Associate and cross Registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. While Paula’s approach is client centred, modalities include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as utilization of the principals of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Positive Psychotherapy and ADHD coaching. She sees children and teens up to the age of 18.
Paula is the Director of Clinical Services at Springboard in Oakville and practices exclusively at this location. In her role, she oversees, through supervision and/or consultation, all services offered to children and youth by the Clinic.
Dr. Yasmin Kazemi studied medicine at McMaster University. She completed her Pediatric Residency at Queen’s University, where she developed a strong foundation in both clinical medicine and compassionate care. She now brings that expertise to Springboard, where she is recognized for blending medical excellence with a deep sensitivity to the needs of each child and family. Dr. Kazemi practices with a strong commitment to family-centered care, with a goal of understanding the whole child and family context.
A giftedness assessment measures cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, reasoning, and learning potential. It helps identify advanced intellectual strengths and how your child’s cognitive abilities may benefit from enrichment.
Yes. Some children are “twice-exceptional,” meaning they have advanced intellectual abilities alongside learning differences such as ADHD, dyslexia, or executive functioning challenges. Our assessments are designed to recognize both strengths and potential areas of need.
A giftedness assessment focuses specifically on identifying advanced intellectual abilities and determining whether your child may benefit from enrichment, acceleration, or gifted programming.
A psychoeducational assessment provides a more comprehensive understanding of your child’s cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, executive functioning, and potential learning differences (such as ADHD or dyslexia). This is often recommended if your child is struggling in school, feeling overwhelmed, or if you want a complete picture of both strengths and challenges.
If you’re unsure which option is the best fit, our team can help guide you.
Some children show strong curiosity, advanced reasoning skills, or learn new concepts very quickly. They may ask thoughtful questions, use an advanced vocabulary for their age, or become disengaged when schoolwork is not sufficiently challenging.
These behaviours can have many explanations, and giftedness can present in different ways. A giftedness assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of cognitive abilities to determine whether a child demonstrates advanced intellectual abilities compared with peers.
