Psychoeducational Evaluation
There are many benefits to a psychoeducational evaluation. It is a powerful tool to assist in determining a student’s strengths and weaknesses and helping parents with educational planning. The evaluation often pinpoints for parents whether the child’s academic skills are on target. An evaluation can further assist parents in determining the best academic environment for their child, as well as to identify possible remediations, tools, and/or accommodations which may be beneficial for their child. A comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation entails interviews with parents to obtain a complete medical, developmental and school history. Several hours of individual one-to-one testing are required to complete the evaluation which entails thorough examination of cognitive strengths and weaknesses, memory, attention, processing speed, visual spatial abilities and graphomotor skills as well as complete academic assessment. Following the testing, a conference is scheduled with the family to review all findings and then write a complete narrative report of findings and recommendations. I am also available for school consultation and observation.
When students have had an IEP, or 504 Accommodation plan, or have received accommodations in private school, a re-evaluation before college is recommended to up-date testing and continue eligibility for services and accommodations in college and again before registering for tests for professional schools such as the LSAT, MCAT, GRE, etc. I provide these updates.
Individual Psychoeducational Remediation
Realizing that your child is struggling in school is very disheartening. I listen to parents, teachers, and most importantly to kids to make plans to put your child back on the road to self confidence and success in school. My individual remediation sessions with children are based on research tested methods designed to insure mastery for your child at every step in a nurturing and enriching environment. I also assist students with organization and strategy building activities so that what they gain in sessions is transferable to the classroom. In addition, my ongoing coordination with parents, classroom teachers, psychologists, pediatricians, and others for continuity of care is important. My broad range of expertise and experience means that I am able to tailor an individualized plan for each student in order to maximize success.
School Searches and Selection
Choosing the best educational setting for your child is often extremely challenging. So many factors have to be weighed that it can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to consider you child’s individual academic, social and emotional needs, but you also have to be able to evaluate the school’s capacity to meet those needs in a positive and effective manner. I am frequently called upon to assist in this process. When a family is planning a major move, I have explored potential school options and even travelled to the proposed city or town for an onsite observation and evaluation. Sometimes, a family living locally simply needs to make a school change and needs knowledgeable, objective assessment of the choices available. Whatever the issue, I am uniquely situated to provide guidance in these matters.