Assessments

There are many reasons why a psycho-educational assessment is sought, here are some of the more common reasons:

• Why is this student having difficulty learning?
• Does this student have a learning disability?
• What is the best way this student learns?
• What can I do as the teacher to support their learning?
• Is my child gifted?
• Is my child eligible for  funding?
• Does my child have Dyslexia, Dyscalculia or Dysgraphia?
• Does my child have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
• Does my child have a diagnosable psychological condition?
• Is this student experiencing any social-emotional-behavioural difficulties that could be impacting on their learning? or developing friendships?
• Would this student benefit from counselling or therapy?
• Should this student be kept from going up to the next year level?
• Is thispre-schooler child ready to go to school next year?

Psychological testing is a positive step toward understanding learning differences, cognitive or emotional disorders. And, studies show that early detection of underlying issues can lead to better outcomes in terms of intervention and treatment. However, the idea of getting your child psychologically tested can produce anxiety for many parents. Rest assured that you are in good hands with psychologists at DBT in Schools. We use evaluations tailored to fit each client’s specific needs. Our team works to ensure that our clients receive thorough preparation and individualized recommendations that will best suit their needs.

The tests we use allow us to assess a client’s abilities and overall functioning, including areas that need special attention and areas of great potential. The evaluation actually consists of multiple tests, designed to gather information to plan for developmental, educational, vocational, social or emotional needs, and to assess a client’s overall functioning and make recommendations.

Never underestimate that you are the expert on you and/or your child. While the examiner will focus on providing the best possible assessment, the information that you provide is equally important. You can best participate in the testing process by offering insight, honesty and your best effort throughout. Outlining specific concerns prior to testing will aid in the assessment process.

1. If the person getting the assessment takes medication, make sure that it has been taken according to instructions on the day of testing. If the medicine has not been taken as prescribed, please tell us.
2. If your (or your child’s) physical condition or emotional state is somehow compromised on the day of testing, please inform the examiner. For example: feeling under the weather; taking medication that would make one drowsy; a poor night’s sleep prior; a death in the family, etc. These types of things can affect performance on some of the tests used for psychological evaluations.
3. Get a good night’s sleep prior to testing. Being sleepy during testing can affect overall concentration on timed tasks in particular.
4. Eat well before testing. It is also fine to bring a snack if testing is going to last for a prolonged period of time.

Research suggests that between 10 – 16% of children and students have difficulties in academic skills which go beyond those normally addressed by the classroom teacher. There are various reasons why a student may be having learning difficulties, which DBT in School’s skilled psychological assessments can piece together, including such things as:

• • Developmental delay, (e.g., speech and language difficulties)
  • Emotional difficulties
  • Poor co-ordination (e.g., fine and gross motor skills)
  • Limited environmental experiences
  • Lack of appropriate educational opportunities
  • Interrupted schooling
  • Health issues

A ‘Learning Disability’ is a term generally used for learners with average or above intelligence who have developmental and academic skills that are significantly below expectation for their age and general ability. The Australian Learning Disability Association considers learning disabilities to be life-long conditions that result from nervous system dysfunction which can cause inaccurate processing of some types of information. Research suggests that approximately 2 – 4% of students have a learning disability. Learning disabilities are harder to remediate than learning difficulties.

Social-emotional-behavioural assessment is aimed at identifying the severity of any social, emotional or behavioural issues that a child/adolescent may have. This may include information about the persons adaptability, leadership qualities, study skills and interpersonal relationship skills. Not all psychologists include routine tests of this as part of a psychological assessment. Our philosophy at DBT in Schools is that it is a vital part of any assessment and intervention planning that should not be ignored. Social-emotional-behavioural assessment can:

•  provide screening for common problems of childhood which can interfere with learning. This can include internalising disorders such as Anxiety and Depression, and externalising disorders such as ADHD and conduct disorder.
• identify areas of strength that may be useful for helping the child reach their full potential and may be used to compensate for any identified weaknesses.

To measure social emotional functioning, parents and teachers (if appropriate) fill out questionnaires. This testing is conducted with no additional cost as part of a comprehensive psycho-educational assessment.

Many children may wonder why they are having these tests and if there is something wrong with them. Listen to your child’s concerns and feelings about the evaluation and answer your child’s questions as straightforwardly as possible. It is helpful to be reassuring to your child.

Most importantly, the goal in preparation is to help your child be as comfortable, relaxed and motivated as possible the day of testing. In explaining to your child why he/she is being tested:

• • Emphasize that the testing is not because the child has done something wrong.
  • Offer reassurance that the information gathered from the evaluation will help you and other people better understand his/her experiences, what kinds of things he/she has been having trouble with and what types of things he or she is really good or not so good at doing.
  • Explain that psychological testing is not unusual and lots of other children have participated in testing, too.
  • Explain that most children enjoy the testing as it involves doing things like puzzles, and using blocks.

Proper preparation will help your child do his/her best, allow for a pleasant testing experience and help the examiner gather the most reliable results possible.

Psychological reports are very time consuming to write requiring advanced technical knowledge and skills, and they are a necessary part of our discipline. Reports allow communication between interested parties, provide professional accountability and provide you with a record that may be useful at a later time. At DBT in Schools each psychological report is written by the psychologist for the individual child and is not simply a standard report generated by a computer.

DBT in School’s Psycho-educational reports, typically includes:

•  Clear statement of the referral question/s or concerns
• A list of assessment measures used
• relevant background information, including medical and educational history.
• observations made during the assessment session (e.g., level of attention or distractability), that contribute to understanding the referral question
• description of the testing methodologies used
• results of any tests and questionnaires completed, including easy to read graphs, for example showing how your child’s abilities compare with other children at the same age
• a discussion of the child’s cognitive/academic strengths and weaknesses, in easy to read language
• an interpretation of the results including answers to the referral questions
• suitable recommendations, which include teaching and learning strategies for home and school, as well as suggestions regarding interventions that may be appropriate
• Appendix which includes detailed information about the assessment results that may be useful for other professionals working with your child.