Psychoeducational “Learning” Assessments
&
Neuropsychological Assessments
conducted by/under the supervision of a Board Certified Neuropsychologist are the “Standard of Care” for Accurately Diagnosing the Problem and Planning Treatment/Interventions for Developmental and Learning Disabilities
ADD/ADHD (attention & executive function problems)
DYSLEXIA (reading problems)
DYSCALCULIA (math problems)
DYSGRAPHIA (writing problems)
My child is struggling in school. I’m not sure if she has a learning problem or maybe ADHD; I don’t know, maybe both! Another parent told me that maybe she has a “sensory processing disorder.” Someone else said that it could be an “auditory processing problem.” I saw on a website that “vision therapy” cures dyslexia, and on another one a neurologic chiropractor says that he can cure attention problems. I talked to someone who said they could fix my child’s problems with special brain exercises that cost about $10,000. She’s getting something called Tier I help at school, but things are getting worse. I’m so confused…what do I do?
The above vignette is a very common call to the office. It is incredibly challenging for parents to figure out what kinds of evaluations and what kinds of services/interventions/treatments that their child needs. Below, you’ll find some information that might be helpful, as well as several links to reputable organizations that can help you to be an informed consumer and get your child the appropriate diagnostic and treatment services.
School-based evaluations and those done at tutoring centers can be a solid start to figuring out what’s happening with a struggling student, but these evaluations are not diagnostic and they do not provide all of the critical information needed about the underlying neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses of struggling students.
Some parents will spend extraordinary amounts of money on “testing” and interventions at centers that promote amazing outcomes with lots of “neuro” and “brain” jargon on their websites and promotional materials. While this is enticing to parents who are willing to do anything for their kids, there are little if any solid research/outcome studies in peer-reviewed journals supporting these programs.
Parents need to be informed consumers about what science says about the assessment and treatment of developmental and learning disabilities (ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia).
Check out these links for helpful information:
The Role of Neuropsychologists in Assessment of Learning Problems http://www.nanonline.org/docs/PAIC/PDFs/NANcld.pdf
Understanding Learning and Attention Issues https://www.ncld.org/understanding-learning-and-attention-issues
Treatments and What to Know about Therapies- Understood.org https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches
The Evaluation Process for Learning Disabilities - Understood.org https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/evaluation-basics/the-evaluation-process-what-to-expect
What Works - National Center for Education Evaluation https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
OUR MISSION
We are dedicated to providing the the highest quality developmental, learning, and neuropsychological assessments for children. The nature and scope of your child’s assessment is determined on an individual basis. The goal is to determine your child’s pattern of individual strengths and weaknesses and develop an educational and therapeutic “game plan” that provides the best chance for success.