Summer is a great time to schedule Psycho-Educational Testing for your child or teen to set them up for success when school starts.
- Avoid school-year chaos.
- Give time to implement accommodations before classes begin.
- Reduce stress on your child (no missed assignments or tests).
Psycho-Educational testing provides a comprehensive view of the child or teen to enable parents, teachers, and other professionals to understand and support them in the best ways possible. Testing also helps determine if a student is eligible for accommodations or special education services which can mean the difference of graduating high school or not! Most students appreciate learning about themselves and how their brain works as they engage in the assessment process.
What Happens During Testing?
- 2-5 hours of one-on-one assessments (IQ, memory, processing speed).
- Parent/teacher input via surveys on focus, behavior, and emotions.
- No stress for your child—psychologists make it engaging!
Psycho-Educational testing consists of standardized tests administered to the student and will take approximately 2-5 hours to administer. During this time, the psychologist will engage with the student to learn about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The psychologist will also interview parents, teachers and other relevant providers to gain insight into the child/teen’s functioning. Parents and teachers may also complete relevant tests and measures that assess attention, executive functions, and emotional regulation.
Information collected during the evaluation is documented in a Psycho-Educational report. Parents are asked to review the report and a feedback session with the psychologist is scheduled. Based on the child/teen’s unique learning profile, recommendations for school-based interventions such as extended time, executive function supports, or special education will be discussed. Community based interventions may also be considered such as individual therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, or neurofeedback.
Psycho-Educational Testing includes assessment of the following
Cognition is typically assessed using standardized intelligence or “IQ” tests. These tests provide information about the student’s verbal skills, visual-spatial skills, reasoning, and problem solving ability. Working memory and processing speed are also assessed. Qualitative information gathered during test administration provides insight into the child/teen’s communication style, attitude towards novel or challenging tasks, and ability to regulate attention and focus.
Executive functions are sometimes described as the “command and control center” of the brain. The executive functions include impulse control, attention, and the ability to plan, organize, sequence, and manage time. They also play a crucial role in emotional regulation. Students with executive function deficits often feel overwhelmed when faced with the demands of juggling school, extracurricular activities, and peer or family relationships. Often these hidden struggles contribute to anxiety, depression, and lowered self-esteem. Executive functions are assessed through observations, interviews, and standardized measures.
Achievement is evaluated through individually administered standardized tests in the broad areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. Students are engaged in tasks that include writing sentences, spelling, calculating math problems, and reading comprehension. Additional tests are given if there are concerns about specific learning challenges.
Social, emotional, and behavioral issues such as anxiety, depression, attention deficits, impulsivity, and neurodevelopmental differences are discussed as part of the child/teen’s developmental history. These can impact the student’s well-being and their ability to engage at school, participate in activities, socialize with peers, and function within their family.
Would Psycho-Educational testing benefit your child/teen?
- Your child/teen struggles with academic engagement or performance and/or engages in homework refusal. Teachers may report they are fidgety, struggling to pay attention, acting like the “class clown,” or not completing work.
- There are concerns that your child/teen may have learning difficulties with reading, writing, and/or math that have not been addressed.
- It is time to renew or revise the 504 or Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Evaluations conducted by schools tend to be cursory and often do not address how developmental, social, or emotional issues impact the student. School evaluations typically do not provide diagnoses which may prevent the child from receiving all of the supports and accommodations to which they are entitled.
- Your child/teen may exhibit signs of anxiety, nervousness, depression or excessive moodiness. The may lack self-confidence or express a low sense of self-worth.
- Your child/teen “holds it together” at school but then seems exhausted or “falls apart” when they get home. They struggle to complete homework and to engage in family life.
- The child/teen has struggled socially; they have experienced bullying, have trouble picking up on social nuances, or seem overly vulnerable to negative peer pressure.
- The child/teen has engaged in excessive gaming or other screen activities that interfere with homework or other tasks. Reasonable limits on screen activities may trigger push-back or tantrums.
How testing helps your child succeed
- Eligibility for IEPs/504 Plans – Ensures accommodations (extra time, modified assignments, etc.).
- Personalized Learning Strategies – Teachers can tailor instruction.
- Boosts Self-Esteem – Kids understand why they struggle and how to overcome it.
Next Steps: Schedule Summer Testing Now
- Beat the back-to-school rush – Slots fill fast!
- Get answers before the new year – No more guessing.
- Set your child up for success – Knowledge = power.
Contact me today to secure your child’s summer assessment slot!
If you have these or other concerns about your student, or you are on a waitlist for an assessment, don’t hesitate to contact me, or call me directly at (828) 777-4422. I provide a free 30-minute consultation to help you decide if psycho-educational testing or another type of evaluation could be beneficial for your child/teen.