Do you or your child have trouble focusing in class? Do you have trouble remembering information the teacher has discussed? Do you find that your child struggles to track when assignments are due and turn them in? Do you or your child have significant anxiety around school? Assessment and Consultation can help to explain such difficulties and provide a direction for intervention to help alleviate or improve them.
Assessment
A psycho-educational evaluation is a set of assessment procedures to obtain information about a student’s learning, behavior, or mental health. This assessment provides information that guides the development of a plan for intervention to improve academic, emotional and behavioral functioning. I provide assessments to children, teens and adults.
What can be identified through a psycho-educational evaluation?
- Learning Style
- Areas of Need
- Areas of Strength
- Learning Disabilities
- Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder
- Intellectual Disability
- Autism
- Variety of mental health concerns
- Whether a student meets eligibility criteria for special education.
Effective and valid assessments are not based on standardized test scores alone. The RIOT model is used in all evaluations in order to obtain the most comprehensive, accurate picture of the client being assessed. RIOT is an acronym that stands for the following:
Record Review – The assessment may include the review of educational records, work samples, special education records, applicable medical records, psychological records and prior evaluations.
Interview – Parents, school service providers, teachers, private service providers and/or medical professionals may be interviewed as part of the evaluation. Additionally, it is important to interview the client being evaluated. Informal questionnaires may also be provided to parents, teacher and the client themselves to obtain additional information about the client.
Observe– Observation in the school environment is a critical piece of an informative assessment. School observations can provide information regarding attention, behavior, social skills, emotional state and processing. Behavioral observation done during the administration of standardized testing can provide insight about the validity of scores as well as attention, processing, emotional state, behavior and more.
Test – Standardized testing is a large part of the assessment process. This may include formalized testing in any of the following areas: intellectual ability, academic skills, memory and learning, processing, fine-motor skills, attention, social-emotional, adaptive skills and executive functioning. Testing is typically done in quiet, 1:1 environment to obtain the most accurate results.
All of the information is synthesized to generate a cohesive and accurate picture of the client’s functioning, strengths and areas of need. My evaluations are comprehensive and illuminating and provide a road map for planning effective interventions to address areas of need.
Consultation/Advocacy
Educational consultation can help to determine what you or your child may need in order to improve educational achievement, social functioning or behavioral issues. This includes resources in the community. My background as a school psychologist uniquely qualifies me to guide you in getting these supports for you or your child within the school system. I can also attend meetings to support you in advocating for yourself or your child.
