Child Psychological Assessment
Does Your Child Need A Neuropsychological Assessment?
Is your child struggling to keep up in school? Has their teacher or pediatrician recommended they undergo psychoeducational testing or an assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or a learning disability? Are you eager to receive a treatment plan, information for an Individual Educational Plan (IEP), diagnosis, and referrals to best help your child?
If your child hasn’t been succeeding in class, you may suspect that something is wrong. Maybe you’ve tried tutors or other educational aids but, without a clear understanding of what the issue is, nothing has helped so far. When you’re unable to provide your child the support they need, it can cause a sense of helplessness and concern about their academic future.
Perhaps you’ve noticed the emotional impact your child’s challenges with learning are having on them. The frustration they experience in school might lead to embarrassment, anger, or cause your child to become socially withdrawn. Their insecurity about learning could impact their self-esteem or maybe they overcompensate by acting out or being the class clown.
You May Have Put Off Receiving A Psychological Assessment For Your Child
Perhaps you’ve held off moving forward with a psychological assessment for your child because you’re overwhelmed or afraid of discovering a developmental setback, mental health issue, or learning disability. For things to improve with your child, you may need to take the proper measures to ensure they have the accommodation they need.
Fortunately, obtaining a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation for your child can help untangle their symptoms and offer you solid answers. The results of psychoeducational testing provide you with you a clear understanding of what treatments are available to help your child as well as what accommodations are available for them at school.
A Multitude Of Factors Can Impact Our Children’s Academic Performance
According to research conducted in 2013, “Up to 10 percent of the population is affected by specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia (a difficulty comprehending arithmetic).” And according to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately “17 percent of children ages 3–17 are diagnosed with a developmental disability, including ASD and ADHD,” among others.
In addition to learning and developmental disabilities, the prevalence of anxiety and depression in children doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic. To confuse matters, these psychological disorders may also affect our children’s academic performance but are often mistaken for other learning and development disabilities.
Not All Schools Are Equipped To Notice When Our Children Struggle
Unfortunately, a school’s ability to detect when our child may have a neurological, developmental, psychological, or learning disability is hit and miss. Well-funded schools might have an outstanding support team in place to help children get diagnosed early, while other schools lack the resources to intervene on our child’s behalf. Since we can’t necessarily expect school involvement, as parents we need to be proactive in helping support our children.
If a child believes that their diagnosis is what defines them, they may conclude they are “dumb” and give up on learning. It’s up to us to show them they also have many strengths—their weakness doesn’t have to limit them. Once they understand what their challenge is and that there are resources available to help them, positive change is possible.
The value of a comprehensive neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluation is not just the diagnosis but the treatment plan that will be crafted to help your child succeed. Knowing what therapy and medication will be helpful as well as the accommodations their school can make to improve learning will be a turning point for your child.
Obtaining A Psychological Assessment For Your Child Provides A Clear Path Forward
As a parent, you want to know how to help your child live a more content life. When they face challenges at school that impact their self-esteem that go beyond what you’re able to help them with, it can be overwhelming and worrying. You need to understand what’s wrong and how to help.
As a clinical neuropsychologist, Dr. Val’s job is to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses and determine if they qualify for a diagnosis. Neuropsychological evaluations look at academic, memory, processing, IQ, as well as social, emotional, and psychological functioning to determine a diagnosis, such as anxiety, learning disabilities, ADHD, or Autism. However, the most important question Dr. Val wants to answer for you is what action you can take to remedy the problem. The earlier an evaluation is administered, the higher the likelihood your child will have a beneficial outcome.
An Overview Of The Evaluation Process
The initial intake process includes a full evaluation, questionnaires to be filled out by parents and teachers, and a school observation if appropriate. Once the initial questionnaires and intake forms are completed and returned, the next two to three appointments will be conducted with your child to undergo the appropriate psychoeducational evaluations and assessments. Each appointment lasts approximately two hours.
Once all assessments are completed, Dr. Val will schedule a follow-up appointment to review the results with you. At this time, you will receive a 15–20-page report that includes detailed information about the diagnosis or conclusions, as well as an IEP, an accommodation, and a remediation report.
The evaluations Dr. Val conducts are customized based on the presenting concerns of your child. Her assessment process casts a wide net before going deep into one specific issue to ensure every possibility is considered, pinpointing the issues your child is having to garner the correct diagnosis. For example, if it’s suspected your child has dyslexia, she may recommend a visual processing evaluation to determine if the issue goes beyond a learning disability.
In addition to providing you with a thorough explanation of your child’s diagnosis, Dr. Val will provide you with an accommodation report that outlines what your child requires in the classroom to be successful, such as a desk in the front row, a calculator, or extra time on tests. If your child is in high school and will soon be applying to college, this report will be appropriate for them to submit to the College Board for standardized testing.
The report will provide you with information that can be submitted to your child’s school. Additionally, the remediation report will help you determine what resources—such as referrals for medication, tutoring, and therapy—will be the most beneficial for your child.
Having the data you need to make informed decisions helps you chart a course of success for your child. Focusing on their strengths instead of their weaker areas will help your child rebuild their confidence and realize they don’t have to be defined by their disability.
But You May Wonder Whether A Psychological Assessment Is Right For Your Child …
I don’t want my child to be labeled with a diagnosis after they undergo a pediatric psychiatric or psychological evaluation.
Once you receive your child’s psychological assessment, it’s entirely up to you how you use the results and who you share the assessment with. But knowing specifically what is going on with your child will help them immeasurably. You can obtain help with school accommodations and know where to go for beneficial treatment. Facing the reality of the situation is a good thing—after testing, many clients may learn their child has a gifted IQ that they hadn’t previously realized.
Aren’t psychoeducational evaluations and assessment tests expensive?
When you consider how an early diagnosis impacts the success of your child long-term, obtaining a psychological assessment for your child is an investment in their future. The good news is that insurance usually covers a portion of the expense of psychological testing for children. We have a dedicated person in our office who can help you with all insurance-related issues. Rather than wasting time and money trying to help your child without identifying the underlying issue, a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation is money well-spent.
Won’t a psychological assessment for my child be time-consuming?
When compared to ongoing therapy, psychological testing for children can be performed in a relatively short amount of time. The whole process usually takes 2-3 weeks depending on how often the child needs to be seen, and how soon all questionnaires are completed by you and your child’s teachers. We can provide you with a doctor’s note if it’s needed for an excused absence at school.
Your Child Deserves All The Support They Need To Thrive
The benefit of understanding how to help your child sooner than later will serve them well throughout their life. If you would like to find out more about the psychological testing for children offered, please contact us today.
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