It is always difficult to be a parent in a meeting with teachers and administrators and to hear your child is struggling in school. You want everything to go smoothly at school and when it doesn’t it can be gut wrenching. Does it get anymore personal then your child? And as parents probably one of the biggest fears we all experience is somehow we have failed. It is not about passing or failing in your parenting skills, it is purely about how your child learns at each crucial developmental stage.
When it comes to academic struggles such as learning how to read it is the way a child’s brain develops and their unique learning profile that determines how they learn. So when a child demonstrates they are having difficulty learning a skill, building long-term memory and/or maintaining their focus and attention in school the first step is to share that information with their family. If available the school’s education psychologist, reading specialist (if applicable) and principal will be working closely with the homeroom teacher and make up the school’s learning team to assist and support the student. Once the issue is identified, a comprehensive learning plan is developed for the student. Initially accommodations, specific learning strategies and set developmental benchmarks will be put into place both for the classroom and for home as needed. Usually the team will set a specific amount of time to see how the student responds and then meet again to discuss observations and next steps. The accommodations and timetable will depend upon the age of the student and the specific academic developmental skill that requires support and mastery. If the student does not demonstrate growth through measurable means, further educational testing will often be recommended. This testing, when done well, can be so instrumental in truly helping the child/teen. The bottom line for students who are struggling is that it is paramount to attain more detailed information on how they learn.
Who administers the evaluation?
A School Psychologist or an outside school licensed clinical psychologist are able to administer the educational evaluation. The evaluation usually takes three or more sittings for the student to complete: and, again it depends on what and how many exact tests are being administered.
Psycho-Educational Evaluations can be completed by psychologists in schools if they are available. If your child is at an independent school, they usually will offer recommendations of whom to work with as a family. Paying for an evaluation can be expensive. If helpful, ask administrators if they know of local universities who may provide evaluations for free or at a limited cost. Graduate students and masters level professionals work under professor supervision in the Educational Psychology Department when testing.
What kind of testing will be utilized?
The assessments usually start with an achievement test such the Woodcock Johnson Tests and then depending on the student’s age and learning profile the assessments would include testing on speech production, auditory processing, visual perception, fine-motor skills, sensory processing, handwriting and graphic skills. The psychologist will also have the student’s teachers and family complete a detailed learning profile in order to get a more comprehensive picture of the child as a student. I have also found it helpful for the psychologist to help the family prepare the student for the evaluation. They can provide precise language to use with their child on describing the experience and can help to limit any related stress or concerns ahead of time.
What to do with the information acquired?
Once the evaluation is complete, which usually requires at least six weeks, the parents will meet with the psychologist one-on-one to go over in-depth their child’s evaluation. This why it is so essential to find a qualified, well-experienced evaluator so you get the best and most informative evaluation possible. You do not want to hear about how great your child is. You know that and they are great – what you need is factual information on each of their neuro-developmental constructs. You are looking for a clear and definitive understanding on how they learn. Parents should be ready to listen closely and should not hesitate to ask questions. Ask for further information or descriptors if something is unclear for it is a lot of information to decipher and comprehend.
Next steps for the student?
Often the family can have the psychologist meet with the school if the testing was done outside of school. There may be an additional charge by your psychologist to come into the school. The entire team, with the family in attendance then determines best next steps for the student. This meeting is pivotal to share and create an individual educational learning plan (IEP) for you child. It is imperative the IEP is adjusted and re-evaluated each school year.
It is not an easy process and can be full of lots emotions for both child and family. But if your child is struggling in school, and more information is needed so they can experience success and feel good as a student, it is a true life line and essential. The adults need to put their wishes/expectations for their son or daughter to the side, this is about the child and their current needs. Each decision has to be made with the primary focus being on the child in the classroom available to learn.
Best,
Laine