The Benefits of a Psychological Evaluation for Your Child

A psychological evaluation is a series of tests designed to form a hypothesis about a child’s behavior, personality, and abilities.  In order for an evaluation to be considered valid, a licensed child psychologist must administer and interpret testing.  Child psychologists are qualified to work with children and families to build successful action plans.  Staff at The Assessment Center at Solterra Academy are particularly experienced in the field of special education, and collaborate directly with school districts to inform academic strategies.  

A good psych evaluation will take into account the child’s holistic wellness– not just their performance on traditional exams.  Rather than bombard a child with one-size-fits-all tests for academic achievement, psychologists study a variety of qualities: communication skills, memory, nonverbal reasoning, attention, emotional development, emotional well-being, anxiety levels, organization skills, and more, in addition to traditional mathematics and reading abilities.  Psychologists consider the child’s living situation and school experience.  Do they feel stressed at home?  Do they have proper outlets to deal with fear or frustration?  Do they feel safe at school?  The evaluation gives your child the opportunity to voice their own concerns in a nurturing, supportive environment.

Psychologists listen to parents as well throughout the evaluation process.  The evaluation notes any obstacles the child may face at home or among their peers.  Psychologists aim to educate and encourage parents, connecting you and your family to a refined index of local resources.  

When you and your child walk into a psychological evaluation, you can expect:

• Bringing your child’s glasses or hearing aid, recent report cards and assessments of any kind, and (if you have one) your child’s current IEP, or Individual Education Plan.
• Filling out a parent/guardian questionnaire before your appointment.  Psychologists use the questionnaire to collect data about your child’s social, medical, and academic history, as well as any other sources for documentation.
• Interviewing with psychologists.  Parents speak with evaluators about their child’s unique set of strengths and weaknesses, as well as any questions or concerns they may have about their child’s development.
• Testing your child.  Psychologists perform a number of evaluations to measure a variety of functions.  
• Meeting with psychologists to discuss results and recommendations.  The Assessment Center’s staff are particularly qualified to propose academic strategies, whether through your child’s current school district or an outplacement.
• Scheduling feedback sessions.  At our Assessment Center, we have the ability to offer feedback sessions on the same day as assessments.  Depending on their age, the child may also be included in this part of the evaluation.
• A written report outlining the assessment results and recommendations.  A copy of the report can be sent to other members of your child’s support team, including doctors, therapists, schools, and placement committees.
  
  

Psychological evaluations allow parents to better inform their academic and behavioral intervention strategies.  At Solterra Academy’s Assessment Center, staff come from decades of experience working directly with school districts to develop effective education plans.  Whether your child needs expanded support in their current school or a referral to an outplacement learning institution, or even simple access to therapeutic resources, we equip every parent/guardian with a brand-new toolkit.