When should we receive a psychoeducational assessment?
At our practice, we recommend completing a psychoeducational assessment when students are experiencing significant challenges at school that gets in the path of their learning, interferes with their ability to perform to their full potential, or impacts their emotional well-being.
We provide psychoeducational assessments ranging from children to adults. Clients first reach out to us and often express feeling overwhelmed or confused by helping their children with their educational struggles. Parents will often watch their children grapple with academics for years and do not know why, leading to decreased confidence, acting out, and schoolwork avoidance altogether.
For many, however, the academic struggle may be because of a learning disorder like dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia. Psychoeducational testing is designed to stop the guessing game and identify the cause of unsatisfactory academic performance in children and teens.
What is a psychoeducational assessment?
Psychoeducational testing usually includes a comprehensive set of tests of a student’s cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional functioning. Tests are standardized such that students’ scores are compared on these core areas to other students of the same age and gender.
Students work individually with a therapist during the evaluation, but breaks are taken to facilitate and promote attention and mental stamina. Once testing is completed, parents/adults return for a feedback session when diagnoses and recommendations are reviewed. All of this information is presented in a formal report by the end of the assessment process.
We provide extensive psychoeducational assessments for individuals ages 8+. These comprehensive evaluations often meet the documentation guidelines for most schools and significant universities when you are seeking accommodations or other resources for your student. It consists of an assessment of the cognitive aspects of learning and academic skills. Our battery includes measures of intellectual, educational, emotional, and behavioral functioning.
Psychoeducational assessments can help determine appropriate academic placement for students such as special needs, emotionally handicapped, and gifted & talented. Secondly, to identify the cause of learning difficulties in school or the root of a student’s behavioral problem, to ascertain the best treatment option.
Given the comprehensive scope of psychoeducational testing, assessments allow a counselor to understand better a student’s learning profile and individual strengths and weaknesses. Assessments can identify and document learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, mood, and anxiety disorders, resulting in academic, occupational, social, or other functional impairment.
Psychoeducational testing is often necessary to accurately diagnose and define the particular challenges a person is facing. Pediatricians often request tests before prescribing medication for ADHD. Our testing can better understand strengths and weaknesses and accurate diagnosis, helping to inform appropriate educational placements, programming, interventions, and accommodations.
Call us at 214-952-2324 to discuss your specific needs, and we can craft a plan to answer your questions