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Requesting psychological assessment - PAS

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  • Requesting psychological assessment - PAS

    Hello, I am looking for some information on what the process would be to request that an assessment be done of my child, and possibly ex wife. I am experiencing a bona fide case of PAS, there is no question of this, and the "reintegration" process with my son is going no where after almost a year. He is fearful of me and is barely recognizable due to the garbage my ex wife is feeding him. Should I ask my lawyer to request such an assessment of both my son and ex wife? I've read some case law wereby the father successfully fought and won custody/access due to PAS. The case law shows that there was an assessment done and a report was given to the the court which clearly reinforced what the father had been saying all along...PAS.

    What would be the course of action for me at this point? Thanks

    GDGM

  • #2
    Have you had the OCL involved? I went through an assessment, my ex has documented mental health issues. I know in the report for the court, the social worker requested that he have a mental health assessment.

    mominont

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    • #3
      Actually I don't live in Ontario and I believe things are done differently from Province to Province. My ex has a long history of mental health issues as well and is a loose cannon to say the least. She continues to manipulate our child and the result is that after being involved in an active reintegration process, facillitated by a court ordered mediator/child psychologist, I am still barely seeing my child...sometimes 3-4 weeks go by without contact. I know with absolute certainty that this is a case of PAS, but now I just need to prove it. I am very confidant that some sort of assessment would show very clearly that my ex is unstable and that my child is being manipulated to fear me. At what point does my lawyer approach the court or ex's lawyer to try to get such an assessment done? Do I first have to prove that I have reason to believe that PAS is occuring? Or is it something that would be granted upon request? I'm a little confused as to the process for going about such a thing.

      THanks for your reply,

      GDGM

      Comment


      • #4
        IN our case we had a motion, presented our supporting evidence for PAS, judge realized there was serious conflicting evidence and request for an assessment was ordered by the court.

        Unfortunately we did not get access during the assessment process as the court, (being the family law system, we know how that goes), ordered status quo arrangements until assessment was done. We failed to argue the status quo thinking mom would allow access, but we were wrong, she went against the previous order of access.

        We were again naive and waited until the assessment was complete to seek resumed access. Courts didn’t like dad out of picture for so long despite our explanation of not wanting to force the child into access, IE that it would further cause emotional trauma to the child.

        Anyway, seek a motion and in the motion ask for the assessment based on your evidence. Be sure to clearly explain your position for access during the assessment, and provide a parenting plan, the courts really like parenting plans, wish we knew this before.

        If you have a lawyer I don't know why this wasn't suggested?

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        • #5
          I'm seeing my lawyer next week actually. I just wanted to know what it is exactly that I'm looking for so that I know what to ask for, or at least understand what she may suggest.

          Regarding evidence, what kind of evidence would suffice? What kind of evidence did you have to present?

          Thanks!

          Comment


          • #6
            Pas

            We had a tape recording of the mom calling, “your daughter wants to tell you something”.
            She put the daughter on the phone, she clearly sounded forced and emotional, then the phone was yanked before dad could speak, Mom said, “I thought you should hear it from the horses mouth”.

            No child centered parent would condone this behaviour much less make a call allowing the child to do this even “IF” the child asked.

            We had email with conflicting information, clearly implying that mom and/or grandparents were trying to keep child from dad.
            We had grandparents in court no less saying, “He should just disappear and leave our daughter and grand daughter alone”.

            Things like that, which clearly plants a seed of speculation as to intent of the behaviour on the part of the parent or any person, caring for the child(ren).
            Here is something I found on PAS, that explains it a little better.

            Essentially the child is being or has been programmed to view the other parent, usually the father, as both an aggressor against the child’s mother in that he is “trying to take” the child from their mother and as an abusive father, sometimes convincing the child of abuse or neglect that simply did not or is not occurring. There are some symptoms that a child exhibits when they are the victim, or unwitting accomplice to a parent’s attempts at alienation.
            Symptoms that the child exhibits include:
            • The child has a campaign of denigration against the alienated parent.
            • The child has absurd or unrealistic complaints or accusations against the target parent. In essence, the child is looking for any negative to grasp onto and elevates each negative to the level of abuse.
            • The child shows no ambivalence in their animosity toward the target parent.
            • The child feels and believes that all of the emotion that is directed against the target parent is their own and that no one else had any influence on their feelings in this regard.
            • Reflexive support of the alienating parent. In any situation the alienating parent can do no wrong and any attempt or perceived attempt to refute or deny this is evidence that the target parent is victimizing the alienating parent.
            • The presence of borrowed scenarios. The use of what are obviously not the child’s own experiences to bolster the negative image of the target parent, such as quoting experiences that the child was too young to remember or was not present for or that did not even occur.
            The extended family can also exhibit many of these symptoms as they become programmed by the alienating parent as well.
            Symptoms that the alienating parent can exhibit include the following:
            • Giving the child choices involving visitation when there are no real choices. The alienating parent may let the child believe that they have an active choice in whether or when they may visit the other parent when in fact the parent or courts have already decided on the visitation situation. The result is usually that the child blames the non-residential parent and that parent ends up victimized no matter what the outcome.
            • Telling the child ‘everything’ about the divorce and custody situation under the guise of “being honest” with the child. This is destructive and painful for the child and the ‘honest’ representation of the proceedings invariably favor the alienator and show the target parent as the aggressor.
            • Refusing to allow the child to transport belongings to the other parent’s residence.
            • Refusing or resisting allowing the target parent access to the child’s school or medical records or schedules of extra-curricular activities.
            • Blaming the target parent for the divorce, the alienating parent’s financial position, changes in lifestyle or lack of romantic life.
            • Refusing to be flexible with visitation.
            • Forcing the child to choose between one parent and the other. Essentially asking the child to abandon the target parent.
            • Questioning whether or not to change the child’s name or suggesting that a step-parent adopt the child.
            • Having secret or special signs with the child. Secret words or words with special meanings are very destructive and reinforce alienation.
            • Using the child to spy or keep secrets from the alienated parent.
            • Setting up temptations that interfere with the target parent’s visitation.
            • Reacting with hurt or sadness at the child’s having a good time with the target parent, as though the child has betrayed the alienating parent.
            • Asking the child about their other parent’s personal life. This can cause considerable tension and conflict within the child.
            • Physically or psychologically “rescuing” the child when there is no threat to their safety, thereby reinforcing the alienation by portraying the other parent as a danger.
            http://www.sfla.co.uk/passymptoms.htm

            Comment


            • #7
              This is a bit of a late reply but a good resource to anyone popping in later..

              Gimour Psychologic Services has 5 professionals that provide psychological assessments. You can contact them for more information on the process.

              Or you could visit www.ottawa-psychologists.org for a full listing of Ottawa psychologists.

              Comment


              • #8
                Can we kill this spammer...I think we got it in the last 7 same Posts

                Comment

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