When a student faces ongoing academic challenges in school, it can cause feelings such as inadequacy, anxiety, hopelessness, and apathy, which can lead to decreased motivation and/or behavior problems. The initial academic challenges may be compounded by these secondary challenges, which often require intervention to be able to effectively address the academic concerns. Conversely, a student who is struggling with social, emotional, or behavioral challenges, may see their academic functioning impacted. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation is important to correctly identify the underlying problem and address all factors that may be impeding a child’s progress.

If you believe your child is not accessing their education due to social or emotional functioning, a social-emotional assessment may be appropriate. Information gathered through the intake process will guide this determination.

Assessment may identify Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Giftedness, Twice Exceptional, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Autism. Areas of strength include cognitive processes, but also areas of creative, social, and vocational skill.

The entire evaluation process may take anywhere from 3-4 weeks from start to finish, depending on the areas and depth of evaluation, as every evaluation is tailored to meet each child’s unique profile. The typical evaluation process includes the following:

• Parent interview
• School observation
• Collection of school records
• Interviews and collection of data from current teachers
• Interview and testing with child
• Data analysis and report writing
• Meeting to review assessment results

To ensure all areas of need are identified and appropriately assessed, it is important to gather educational records and teacher data prior to the testing session with the child. The scheduling time for observations, accessibility of school records and teacher forms, and the child’s availability will all impact the timeframe in which the evaluation can be completed. Once the assessment is complete, the data is scored, analyzed, and integrated into a comprehensive report, which is then presented to parents.