Your child has been struggling in school and at your most recent Parent-Teacher Conference you are asked to get a “psycho-educational assessment”. Or maybe the parent of one of your child’s friends has suggested getting him/her “tested” for a learning disability for accommodations. A psycho-educational assessment or comprehensive evaluation is designed to measure a child’s intellectual ability (IQ), cognitive processing abilities (logical reasoning, auditory processing, processing speed, short/long-term memory, attention and executive functioning), academic achievement or some combination thereof. It can also include social skill development, language development, and screen for various emotional or behavioral concerns. The resulting data can generally provide a snapshot of your child’s current strengths and weaknesses in order to emphasize the prior and remediate the later. These results are usually the first step in getting the student access to a range of timely interventions and support programs available to them through the public education system and/or if needed a diagnosis.

The psycho-educational assessment is an extensive process that includes interviews, questionnaires, input from parents, teachers and the student. This is then followed up with one-on-one testing sessions that can last up to two hours. Once the assessment is completed, it generally takes a week or so to analyze and consolidate all of the data and information gathered into a report that you and the school psychologist will review together. The report also generally includes referrals for other services, as needed, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy, or counseling. In some instances, there may be a need for a medical referral to address more serious mental health concerns.

How do I know if a psychoeducational assessment is needed?

Most children will experience points in time when they may struggle in school. This is completely normal. Not every child can be good at everything. Your child who loves to read everything he can get his/her hands on, may struggle understanding math concepts. It’s also normal to experience social/emotional struggles at some point or behavioral challenges. When it becomes a concern is when that struggle becomes extended over time or consistent despite efforts at remediation, classroom accommodations, or tutoring. This is generally when you should seek out a psycho-educational assessment. Additionally, if your child progressively develops a negative attitude or opposition towards school or refuses to go to school, develops disruptive behaviors in class, or generally appears to be behind his/her same-aged peers in socialization/behavioral skills you should consult a school psychologist (or other professional). 

These struggles may take years to present themselves, however there are some general periods of transition that tend to expose these struggles:

1. Kindergarten to 1st grade – children are more consistently exposed to basic academic concepts (decoding/reading, number sense, writing)
2. 2nd to 3rd – the transition from learning to read to reading to learn
3. 5th grade to 6th – transition from elementary to middle school adds a new peer dynamic in addition more academic demands
4. High school – as teens prepare for comprehensive exams, standardized tests (SAT, ACT) weaknesses in attention, reading fluency, and reading comprehension can be exposed

Just because your child was successful during their early years, does not mean that they are free of cognitive. social, or behavioral challenges. Do not make the mistake of judging these struggles as laziness or defiance. Make sure that you are communicating with your child about their school performance and daily challenges.These interactions will help you identify changes that may indicate beginning struggles. Once you make the decision to have your child evaluated by a professional, follow through and share the findings with his/her school to make sure they are getting all of the support and interventions they need to be successful.