How do I know if my child needs to be evaluated?

The purpose of a psychological and/or psycho-educational evaluation is to provide a better understanding of a child’s intellectual, academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. In addition to answering questions about the above, evaluations are often helpful in solving “mysteries” about a child’s learning, emotional reactions, and behavior. A thorough evaluation provides a roadmap for making parenting and school decisions. Furthermore, better understanding the “why” of your child’s behavior often provides relief to parents, children, and teachers.

The components included in an evaluation are based on the goals of the evaluation and the questions to be answered. The typical components of an evaluation include an interview with parents; interview with the child; 3-4 ½ hours of testing with the child; learning, emotional, and behavior questionnaires completed by parents, child, and teachers; feedback session with parents; feedback session with child and parents (when appropriate); and a comprehensive written report with recommendations for parents and school. Additional testing may be recommended in complex situations.

Typical reasons that parents request an evaluation for their child include:

Is my child gifted? How Do I Know If My Child is Gifted?
I think my child is smart, but how smart is she?
If my child is so smart, how come he is not performing in school?
Why does my child have meltdowns so often?
Why is it so hard for my child to pay attention? Does he have ADHD?
Why is my child having so much trouble learning to read/ math/write?
Why does my child have such a difficult time making and keeping friends?
Why does my child worry so much?

Psycho-Educational Assessment:

Assesses an individual’s learning strengths and challenges. The process consists of gathering background information and developmental history; review of previous testing and school performance; intellectual, academic, and neuropsychological testing; scoring and interpretation; feedback to parents and child; and written report with recommendations.

Comprehensive Psychological Evaluation:

In addition to the above, clinical assessment of personality, mood, and social functioning.

More information on Gifted Assessment