Assessment
Assessments can be a great investment in your child’s educational future. Having data collected and presented by an expert regarding your child’s strengths and areas of improvement can help with understanding their needs and give them a better opportunity to have a more supported and informed educational experience.
Assessment services are tailored to each individual’s needs. Not all evaluations look the same as each individual and their needs or concerns are different. Assessments can provide essential data for determining if there is a disability present and/or if there are services and accommodations required. Assessments are critical for getting a student access to services through an IEP or 504 plan. They may also be required at the post-secondary level to obtain approval for accommodations on assessments such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and other professional credentialing exams. Assessment data may also be required in order to obtain workplace accommodations dependent on your needs. Additionally, assessments can also be useful in identifying any difficulties that may be interfering with success in school, college, on the job, in the community, and/or at home with friends and family.
Types of assessments
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Cognitive testing involves assessing strengths and weaknesses in different areas of cognition such as verbal reasoning, problem solving skills, short-term memory, rote and novel information processing. Cognitive assessments typically produce an IQ score, which can provide insight into one’s strengths and challenges related to intellect, as well as support criteria for possible eligibility of services.
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Academic skills testing is used to identify strengths and weaknesses across academic areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. Any weaknesses or deficits identified may support eligibility for a learning disability. Some areas of learning disabilities are commonly known as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.
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Common symptoms of ADHD can be assessed and observed quantifiably as performance related to executive functioning such as organization skills, task initiation/completion, the ability to successfully follow multi-step directions, attention, and focus, etc.
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Cognitive and Academic testing for significantly above average performance related to intellect and academic achievement. A “gifted” student may require more challenging or rigorous educational experiences.
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Many schools require an evaluation of school readiness skills including cognitive assessment, early academic skills, and functional/behavioral observation in order to admit children to kindergarten who do not meet the state age limit for kindergarten enrollment.
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Assessing for behaviors and/or emotional experiences related to depression, anxiety, and other related mental health disorders.
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Assessing for delays in developmental milestones for young children ages 3 through 9 years.
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Assessments for signs and symptoms associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
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Some post-secondary programs require cognitive, academic, and/or social-emotional evaluations for accommodation eligibility.
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Applying for workplace accommodations is better supported by presenting data from evaluation results.