|
A
comprehensive evaluation is the necessary first step in
figuring out why your child learns differently and
what to do about it. If you don’t figure out the cause of a
your child’s learning difficulties, how can you successfully
treat them? Dr. Capanna-Hodge will make thorough
recommendations for home and school. She will show you how
to access academic support in a positive, solution-focused
manner.
Assessment Frequently Asked
Questions
Why should I seek your help?
What is psychoeducational testing?
What is the
purpose for performing psychoeducational assessments?
What areas or problems do you
typically evaluate?
What age children do you evaluate?
Aren't these the
same things for which my child was evaluated in school?
What tests are given?
How is testing done?
How long does it take to evaluate my
child?
How can I prepare my child for
testing?
What kind of
information will you need from me prior to testing?
What are your fees?
After the evaluation is complete, how
will you help?
What other
educational consultation services do you offer?
Why should high school students have a new psychoeducational
evaluation before college?
Do I have to tell a college that I have a disability before
I am accepted?
How can I contact you?
Why should I seek your help?
The most obvious reasoning is of course
that your child is not successful in school and needs an
evaluation to determine if there is something interfering
with their ability to learn. There are many other reasons
why a child should be evaluated, including:
-
My child
was evaluated by the school and was not identified to
receive special services and is still not doing well
-
You feel
that your child is bright yet not doing as well you
think they should in school
-
Your
instincts tell you that your child is much more capable
-
Displays
processing delays
-
Spends an
excessive amount of time completing their homework
-
Struggles
with attention and concentration
-
Think they
might be gifted
-
They work
very hard yet are always just below grade level
-
Does
poorly on the state mastery tests
-
Struggles
with reading
-
Displays
weak writing or reading comprehension skills
-
Your child
hates school
Other reasons to seek support:
-
The school
district refused to evaluate your child.
-
You feel
that the local school district might have made a mistake
in the evaluation.
-
You are
concerned that the school is not doing everything they
can for your child.
-
Are you
wondering if the school district made the correct
interpretations involving your child's testing data
-
The
modifications, accommodations, or recommendations made
at the IEP or 504 meeting don’t seem to be meeting your
child’s needs.
-
You felt that there were
too many terms or procedures that you didn't understand
at the meeting.
-
You didn’t feel listened
to at the meeting are not sure your child’s needs are
being met.
What is psychoeducational testing?
When the psychological and educational testing are included
in an overall assessment of a person it is called a
Psychoeducational assessment. Psychoeducational assessments
help document the information processing dysfunctions found
with LD and ADHD that significantly negatively impact on
academic achievement.
When
documenting LD and/or AD/HD psychological testing measures a
person's relative cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Most
often this is measured with an intelligence test, which
provides a measure of overall potential. Such testing
provides information to clarifying certain aspects of a
person's cognitive ability.
In addition to the overall IQ, intelligence tests also help
us to understand how one thinks. It provides us information
about memory, speed of processing, visual-spatial skills and
so on. Psychological tests of intelligence break cognitive
abilities down into very specific areas. Using these
specific areas, or subtests, the psychologist can learn more
about a person's abilities by measuring specific types of
information processing. Psycho-Educational testing shows
different types of behaviors that result from the brain's
processing. A comparison of the different types of brain
processing helps the psychologist understand the nature of a
person's learning. It also helps the psychologist know when
a learning disability and/or ADHD may be present. Testing of
educational achievement clarifies how brain processing of
information impacts on school learning. Educational tests
measure what has been learned in school or from daily life.
Psychoeducational Assessment involves measurement and
evaluation of:
-
Thinking abilities
-
Intelligence
-
Language skills
-
Auditory processing
-
Achievement and Aptitude
-
Visio-Spatial skills
-
Visual-Motor Integration
-
Mental control (attention,
concentration, mental flexibility, problem solving,
planning, multi-tasking and persistence)
-
Executive functioning and
attention
-
Planning & Organization
-
Speed of thought and movement
-
Memory
-
Reasoning abilities
-
Personality
-
Mood
-
Style and ability in relating to
others
-
Behaviors and emotions
-
Reading, writing, and math skills
What is the purpose for performing psychoeducational
assessments?
-
Get a
clearer picture of the problem behaviors or learning
issues
-
Identify
the source of one’s learning, attentional, or behavioral
difficulties
-
Determine
a diagnosis
-
Find out
overall strengths and weaknesses
-
Ascertain
a person’s overall ability to learn
-
It
establishes a baseline for measuring a child’s
educational progress.
-
Provide
treatment recommendations and develop an action plan
-
It can
help determine what strategies may be most effective in
helping a child learn.
-
Develop
short and long term goals and objectives
-
Assist in
determining the best course of action(s) and program(s)
-
Used
determine whether a child has a disability under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and
qualifies for special education and related services or
should receive accommodations under 504 disability law.
-
It
provides information that can help parents and the
school develop an appropriate IEP for a child.
What areas or problems do you typically evaluate?
I provide evaluations to address the
following areas of concern:
-
Learning problems and disabilities
-
Reading problems and disabilities
-
Attentional difficulties
-
Nonverbal learning difficulties
-
Behavioral concerns
- Social
skill deficits
-
Emotional and personality functioning
What age children do you evaluate?
Age three and up, as well as adults.
Aren't these the same things for which my child was
evaluated in school?
It depends. The intent of an
evaluation within a school is usually to determine whether
or not a child is eligible to receive special services
within the school system. Schools may not always determine
why your child is not learning. The intent here is to
find out why there is a problem. Once we determine why a
problem exists, we are able to create treatment plans
tailored to the exact and specific needs.
What tests are given?
Depending upon the student’s difficulties,
Dr. Capanna-Hodge may administer a combination of cognitive
and educational tests, rating scales, or questionnaires.
Standardized tests are the most appropriate, and are
typically the only kinds of tests given to determine a
student’s functional levels. Sometimes curriculum-based
assessment of a child’s academic skills may also be
appropriate (i.e., having a student read from their own text
book). An observation, client interview and detailed history
and an analysis of prior educational, medical, and/or
psychological records are also part of the evaluation.
How is testing done?
A comprehensive
psychological evaluation begins with a clinical interview,
and then includes any number of psychological tests
depending on the nature of the questions posed about the
client. Testing is conducted on an individual, one-to-one
basis in a controlled environment over a number of
appointments. Since the examiner is in a controlled testing
situation, monitoring the examinee’s level of effort,
behavior and so forth is much easier. Individually
administered tests provide more valid estimates of the
individual’s skills as compared to group-administered tests.
How long does it take to evaluate my child?
Comprehensive
testing takes about 9 to 15 hours. For some children, it may
be even longer. The majority of testing is fun. Tasks are
brief and that helps to keep the testing interesting for
most kids. Testing sessions last from two to three hours
with plenty of breaks and snacks. Testing should be
scheduled on days and times that are optimal for your child.
How can I prepare my child for testing?
Preparing your child for psychoeducational
testing can reduce anxiety and encourage cooperation through
the upcoming battery of tests. Reassure your child that the
reason for testing is to understand why school is a struggle
despite hard work and attempts to do well. Also, explain
that figuring out one’s strengths and weaknesses will help
us understand how they learn best. Explain that the tests
will contain a variety of questions, puzzles, drawings,
stories, and games. Most importantly, offer the child hope
in that the evaluation should show adults how best to help.
I always explain to children that the teachers need help to
teach you in way that you learn best. Be open and honest as
much as possible.
What kind of information will you need from me prior to
testing?
I strongly
believe in a holistic, integrative approach to evaluation.
That means that I try to leave no stone unturned. Your
child’s academic records, previous testing, standardized
test scores, medical information, developmental and social
history, schoolwork samples, and etc. are all part of a
thorough evaluation.
What are your fees?
Dr. Capanna-Hodge can speak to you directly
about her fees for assessment and consultation. Many clients
obtain out of network insurance benefits for her services.
After the evaluation is complete, how will you help?
Most importantly, I will thoroughly go
over your child’s test results and help you to understand
how your child learns. I will provide you with both a
comprehensive report and many detailed recommendations for
home, school, and curriculum.
I help people clarify problems,
solve them and coach parents in applying solutions in the
real world. With that information,
I will teach you how to be your
child’s own best advocate in order to obtain programs and
services for your child in a positive manner. If needed, I
can help you access school support, attend school meetings,
find tutors, and so on. My support does not end with the
evaluation. Families often have me review goals, attend
school meetings, or seek phone or email support throughout
their child’s academic career.
What other Educational Consultation Services do you offer?
-
Consultation to organize and implement an educational
plan to meet your child’s needs
-
Assessment
and testing
-
Advocacy
-
Making
sure your child has appropriate access to school
services and programs
-
Referrals
to tutors and therapists specializing in working with
challenged learners
-
Public and
private primary, elementary, and high school selection
assistance
-
Performing
a thorough review of your child’s school records to make
sure that the records are current, accurate, and
understood by you.
-
Working
with you so you gain a clear and comprehensive picture
of your child’s learning challenges, school issues, or
disabilities.
-
ADHD assessment and
consultation to improve effectiveness in task and
activity management
-
Performing classroom
observations to assess the learning environment for your
child.
-
Forming a
plan with you for IEP or 504 team discussion,
documentation and implementation.
-
Helping parents prepare
for multidisciplinary conferences, eligibility team
meetings, IEP and Section 504 development meetings.
-
Attending school meetings
with parents.
-
Ongoing consultation and
support, as needed.
Why should high school students have a new psychoeducational
evaluation before college?
In order to access services at college under
504 Disability Law, students must have a current evaluation.
In addition, all universities have a learning center that
offer varying levels of support. In order to utilize a
university learning center, they always require a
current psychoeducational evaluation and other documentation
of a disability. This will allow students to have various
accommodations, for example: extra time on testing, proof
reading papers, ability to tape record classes, and etc.
Do I have to tell a college that I
have a disability before I am accepted?
No, you do not. It is important to contact
the college learning center before school starts even if you
don’t think your child will utilize it. This is a good idea
just in case your child needs support during their college
career.
How can I contact you?
Please call me or email me. I believe it is
important to give parents the time that they need to answer
their questions. If you don’t get me directly, please leave
me the best time to reach you.
|
