The first step to helping your child learn is to uncover the possible causes of his or her difficulties. Dr. Boe provides a complete psychoeducational assessment to address concerns about learning, development, and overall functioning (cognitively, academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally). Each assessment includes:
- A parent consultation to develop an individualized testing plan that will address parent and teacher/school concerns
- A comprehensive review of student records. Review of work samples and current levels of academic performance
- A complete developmental history of the child and interviews with parents/caregivers
- A classroom/school observation to assess the nature of the child’s difficulties in a real-world situation
- Gathering of teacher feedback/teacher interviews; if applicable, interviews with providers (therapists, doctors, tutors, etc.)
- Comprehensive cognitive testing to uncover the way the student learns best and areas of potential cognitive weakness
- Tests of information processing and all facets of memory to gain information about the strategies that will work best when teaching the child
- Social-emotional testing to assess situational factors that may be getting in the way of learning and overall functioning
- Assessment of attention and executive functioning
- Comprehensive academic testing to see how your child is performing academically when compared to same age peers
- A full psychoeducational report to provide to those who work with your child, including targeted treatment recommendations, accommodations, and modifications
- Parent feedback session to go over assessment results
- Depending on the age of the student, a student feedback session to go over testing results (that can be easily understood by the student) with an emphasis on strengths. The student will also be given a “toolbox” of strategies/tools that can be helpful/empowering in addressing any identified needs.
- If requested, a school-based meeting to educate and consult with teachers and support staff about how best to help the student succeed in school
- A separate recommended accommodation plan (for school) compliant under IDEA/ADA and most standardized testing boards
- A six-month follow-up consultation to monitor progress
The testing process is typically spread over 2-4 days with sessions lasting 2-3 hours. Dr. Boe will want to see your child during different times of the day (one session may be scheduled in the morning and another in the afternoon) to see how your child presents during different hours of the day.
You and your child do not need to do anything to prepare for the testing sessions. Ideally, your child will have had a full night of rest and eaten before his/her session. In your initial consultation, Dr. Boe will provide suggestions on how to explain to your child why s/he is being tested and what s/he can expect. Dr. Boe is confident that your child will find the entire experience as “pleasant” and will enjoy many aspects of the testing. S/he will leave with immediate feedback on things s/he did well and will most likely feel very positive about the experience.