Are you wondering if your child needs a private educational assessment? If so, you’ve likely seen continued or increasing concerns with your child’s ability to focus, understand new concepts, retain new information, take tests or complete schoolwork. I know this can be a frustrating and potentially scary situation.
COVID-19 set a lot of students behind. This contributed to a backlog of families seeking educational assessments for their students. In order for schools to identify the students who just need support versus those who need special education services, school districts are implementing interventions. These interventions may delay students who need tailored help while getting the majority of students who just need a little assistance back on track.
The good news is you do have options. Outside of pursuing testing with a school psychologist, you can seek a comprehensive evaluation with an educational psychologist. Let’s look at how a private educational assessment works.
The Testing Process
Testing is a multi-level process that not only looks at the individual’s scores, but also identifies how they approach a task, problem-solve, and use strategies. It also reveals if the individual perseveres or gives up when challenged, where their attention fades, and more.
Prior to the assessment, we don’t know what specific challenges your child is facing. They may be struggling with executive functions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or another specific learning disability. By observing how your child tests and assisting them, I can get a better idea of what they will need long-term. This could include extra support, access to special school services, extra time on tests, or placement with a special education teacher.
This testing process can take several weeks depending on your availability. This is why I do not recommend putting off testing. I especially do not recommend waiting for your child’s public school to handle testing. If your child is not significantly behind their peers in one subject area, even if the reason they are getting by is because of tutoring, it’s unlikely they will be evaluated at all. The public school system evaluates for special education services. I evaluate for strengths, weaknesses, and learning disabilities (which may be used to prove a need for special education services or accommodations).
The Testing Space
My private practice, Compassionate Solutions, has the advantage of being located in a single-dwelling home (turned into an office). We’ve designed it to be much more comfortable than the typical school environment.
This comfortable setting is necessary for some students to be able to interact fully and reduce anxiety.
In addition to the benefit of offering a more inviting environment, doing an assessment through a private practice does not cut into class time. We work around your schedule, outside of class, to make sure that students do not fall further behind.
After the Educational Assessment
The results of the assessment are not just used to diagnose. While we might find evidence for a diagnosis like autism spectrum disorder, we would go over all of the results to gain a better understanding of your child’s learning strengths and weaknesses.
You then have the option of taking the results of the assessment to your child’s school to appeal for special educational services.Results do not automatically go on your student’s school records. You can choose to have them added.
I will be able to recommend ways to get your child’s learning back on track. This could come in the form of altering learning/studying strategies or working with an educational therapist, counselor, or tutor.
Thanks to my background as a school psychologist, I am well-versed in helping families get the help they need from their child’s school, including support services. Working with an IEP team can be overwhelming, but I can help you break down the jargon and advocate for your child.
Schedule an Assessment Today
Don’t wait to have your child assessed. By choosing to do a private educational evaluation, you’ll gain more insight into your child’s needs, abilities, and struggles and have a plan to get your child back on track.
Please contact me if you would like to talk about this further.
