Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluations
Intake
The intake session is your opportunity to share your concerns and help me understand your child's background. I will ask questions about your child's academic history, medical and developmental history, and social and emotional functioning. This is a time that you can communicate with me about your child's strengths and interests as well as your concerns.
In order to help the facilitate the intake process and ensure that I collect all the relevant information, I ask that you take the time to complete the Developmental History Questionnaire available in the forms section of the online portal. Also, please bring any of the following items:
· Recent report cards and progress reports
· Section 504 Plans, Individualized Education Plans, or other academic support plans
· Standardized testing results
· Copies of any prior psycho-educational assessments, academic testing, and speech/language or occupational therapy assessments
· Recent samples of schoolwork, particularly examples of unedited written work
· Contact information for any other providers from whom you would like us to gather additional background
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In addition to discussing your child's history, I will also provide you with rating forms for parents and teachers. Collecting information from teachers is also part of the assessment process, as your child's educators can give me more information about how he/she is functioning in the classroom setting. I ask that you choose one or two teachers who know your child well. Occasionally, it may be helpful to speak directly with teachers in order to gather more information, in which case I would ask you to sign a release authorizing me to do so. In order to protect your child's privacy, I will not contact or respond to communication from teachers without your consent.
Testing
A psycho-educational evaluation includes assessment of cognitive ability or IQ, academic achievement, memory, attention, and social/emotional functioning. I may also assess language, executive functioning, and other skills depending on the referral questions. The specific measures I give will be chosen after discussing your concerns, and the plan may change based on your child's performance in order to ensure that I fully explore all relevant factors.  The length of testing and number of sessions may vary depending on the age and needs of your child, but most students are able to complete the testing in two sessions on separate days. A typical testing day begins at 10:00 and can be expected to last until approximately 1:00 or 1:30, though the exact length can vary based on your child's pace.
Feedback
The feedback session is typically scheduled within two to three weeks of the second testing session, provided that all forms and materials have been received. My goal during this meeting is as follows: I want to clearly explain the results of the assessment and share the picture I have developed of your student, and I also want to leave parents with an understanding of how to move forward with supports and interventions.
Usually, only parents attend this meeting so that I can discuss the results and recommendations in a thorough and open way. However, I do understand that older students may be curious about the assessment results, and it is often advisable to share some of the information with students so that they can better understand their own learning and become good self-advocates. Some parents prefer to talk with their children themselves, while others express interest in having me share the results. When appropriate, I am available to schedule a second feedback session during which I meet with your student to discuss strengths, challenges, and recommendations.
Report
At the end of the process, I will provide you with a comprehensive written report in which I summarize the results and make recommendations tailored to your child. My goal is that my reports be clear, understandable, and useful in helping to communicate our findings and drive interventions both at home and in school.