As parents, nothing is more difficult than seeing our children struggle, whether it be at school, in relationships, or in any other area.
In our assessments, we strive to provide parents and children with insight into academic and social-emotional strengths and challenges, as well as recommendations to empower children to feel more successful in their lives.
Reasons to Pursue Testing
If your child is experiencing one or more of these challenges, it may be helpful to seek a consultation to determine whether psychoeducational testing would be helpful :
- Persistent difficulties in reading, writing, or math.
- Poor organizational skills.
- Inability to sustain attention.
- Easily distracted or impulsive.
- Difficulty remembering instructions or tasks.
- Forgetfulness about assignments or deadlines.
- Persistent behavioral issues.
- Difficulty managing time effectively.
- Signs of anxiety, depression, or excessive worry.
- Emotional outbursts or mood swings.
- Delayed speech or language development.
- Difficulty expressing thoughts verbally or in writing.
- Difficulty understanding social cues.
- Challenges in making and maintaining friendships.
- Expressing frustration with school tasks.
- Low self-esteem related to academic performance.
- Difficulty with phonemic awareness and decoding words.
About Our Assessments
Each evaluation varies based the unique needs of the child, however, our psycho-educational assessments most often include the following components:
Intelligence
The intellectual profile provides a helpful framework for understanding how they learn. Measures of problem solving illustrate the student's verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills. Measures of information processing indicate how effectively a student can multitask or perform under time constraints.
Academic Achievement
To understand an individual's academic skills, we utilize a neuropsychology framework which aims to understand both the "what" (i.e. dyslexic, dyscalculia, dysgraphia) and "why" of academic difficulties. This information allows for intervention and supports to be tailored to the unique needs of each student.
Cognitive Domains
Understanding the nuances of attention, executive functioning, memory, and language skills in odder to determine how these areas may impact learning. Where relevant, this data may inform diagnosis and/or referrals for additional testing by allied professionals.
Social-Emotional Functioning
Assessing the role of emotional or social challenges which may overlap with academic challenges. Where indicated, more comprehensive assessment may be conducted to determine the relevance of autism spectrum disorder.
Schedule a consultation to see if your child would benefit from psychoeducational testing
Possible Diagnoses from Psychoeducational Testing
While not all testing may have an official diagnosis, the following are the most common diagnoses that can be found after a psychoeducational evaluation:
- Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- Intellectual Giftedness
- Language Disorders
- Executive Functioning Deficits
- Memory Difficulties
What the Testing process Looks Like
A comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation is comprised of these four parts:
1
Intake Session
In the initial (virtual) intake interview, lasting 60-90 minutes, the parents (and child when applicable) will meet with Dr. Katibian to discuss presenting concerns along with your child's developmental history. Based on this information a collaborative decision is made regarding whether testing is most appropriate, or else if alternative interventions may be warranted.
2
Testing Sessions
Your child will meet with Dr. Katibian for 2-3 in-person sessions. Depending on the specific presenting concerns testing may include measures of intelligence and problem solving, information processing, attention and executive functioning, and social-emotional functioning.
3
Report and Recommendations
The parents will receive a thorough report with all the scores and findings, and if relevant, diagnosis. It will also include recommendations for intervention and support or accommodations.
4
Feedback Session
Dr. Katibian will meet with parents ( and child if necessary) to review the report and recommendations. This is an opportunity for parents to share any questions or feedback regarding the report, as well as to talk through the recommendations offered. When helpful, the option to meet with the school support team directly is available as well.
For more information about our testing services, please see our FAQ page.