When you have a child who needs an evaluation for learning disabilities or behavior issues, the process can be daunting. Below are four simple steps to help guide you through the evaluation process for your child. Step 1) Consult with the School Explain your concerns to your child’s teacher or principal. If it’s an academic issue, such as low reading performance, the school should be reaching out to you at parent-teacher conferences, as well as…
When you have a child who needs an evaluation for learning or behavior issues, the process can be daunting. As a child psychologist, I am often asked the question, “Where do I start?” While there are many pathways that an evaluation can take, the process does not have to be complex. Below are some simple steps to help guide you through the evaluation process. 1. Consult with the school. Explain your concerns to your child’s…
Parents frequently come to me for an evaluation because their child is struggling with math, and I’m tasked with determining the cause of those struggles. One potential cause of math difficulties is dyscalculia, a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in basic mathematical skills. In school-aged children, these impairments can be reflected in many ways, including challenges with math calculation, applied math skills (e.g., working with money or time), or math fluency. However, it…
If your child has been struggling with reading throughout school, you may have wondered if they have dyslexia. What’s also known as a specific learning disability in reading, dyslexia is a specific pattern of reading challenges involving poor spelling and word decoding, a slow reading rate and low comprehension. While more obvious indicators of possible dyslexia include letter and number reversals and switching the order of letters and words on the page, dyslexia can come…