If you’re wondering if a private educational assessment is what your child needs, 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’ve met with so many families who were on the list for an educational assessment before school closures began. If you are in this boats, I am sorry for the difficulties you’ve likely faced while your child has had to learn from home.
The bad news is your child will likely not be able to get an educational evaluation through their school any time soon because districts are so backed up. The good news is you do have options that will give you more insight into your child’s strengths and weakness and that will ensure your child’s learning momentum picks back up. Let’s look at your options for a private educational assessment.
In-Person Versus Virtual Private Assessment
In these times, virtual seems to be the logical way to go. Afterall, you’re minimizing human interaction, right? I would argue that in the case of an educational assessment, in-person is the more beneficial route. If your child is already struggling to do class and schoolwork on a computer, this might affect the outcomes of their assessment.
Additionally, prior to the assessment, we don’t know what specific challenges your child is facing. By observing how your child tests and assisting them, I can get a better idea of what they will need long term.
In some health circumstances, virtual testing is best for the student and the family. It’s better to do the assessment virtually, in these situations, than not at all.
In-Person with PPE Versus Minimal Protective Gear
Compassionate Solutions has the advantage of being located in a single-dwelling home (turned into an office). We can control the number of people coming in an out throughout the day, make sure that every visitor is feeling well and keep the office free of bacteria. This allows us to use minimal protective gear, usually just facemasks. This is necessary for some students to be able to do the assessment without feeling constricted or uncomfortable.
If our minimal usage of PPE seems like what your child needs or if you have more questions about the precautions we take in our office, please give me call. I am happy to discuss this with you.
After the Educational Assessment
If your child tested with their school, the results would determine if they should receive special education services. A team would then be put together to work on an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which lays out goals and objectives for meeting the student’s educational needs.
There are several key benefits to choosing a private assessment:
1. The results of the assessment are not just used to diagnose. We would go over the results to gain a better understanding of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
2. You can take the results of the assessment to your child’s school to appeal for special education services.
3. Results do not automatically go on your student’s academic record. You can choose to have them added.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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 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.
