WHAT IS A PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT?
A Psychoeducational Assessment is a thorough individual assessment that involves gathering developmental, family, school, social/emotional, personality/temperament, and health histories and administering and interpreting norm-referenced tests. This information is then used to help formulate a profile of your child’s pattern of strengths, challenges, behaviours, and life circumstances so that specific suggestions and recommendations can be made to help your child reach his/her full unique potential. Generally children are referred for these assessments when they are having difficulties at school, or they are doing very well at school and may be getting bored.
The most important thing to remember when talking about the Psychoeducational Assessment is that it is the process of testing that provides the results. No single test can be used to diagnose. No single score can stand alone to indicate a specific strength or weakness. It is critical to remember that the assessment looks for a pattern of strengths and weaknesses that emerges across several tests.
THE ASSESSMENT WILL COVER 3 MAIN AREAS:
1) Intellectual / cognitive- how the child thinks – understanding the child’s thinking style, strengths and weaknesses
2) Educational – school type tests involving reading, writing, spelling and mathematics (a range of educational tests are used depending on ability)
3) Emotional – understanding the child’s temperament, feelings and concerns. Emotional concerns often underlie many learning difficulties and are important to understand and address.
The specialised tests and tasks will assess:
The specific aspects of Psychoeducational testing will depend on the presenting problem and additional tests are sometimes required.
WHY MIGHT A CHILD OR ADOLESCENT REQUIRE A PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT?
Generally children are referred for these assessments when they are having difficulties at school, or they are doing very well at school and may be getting bored. If a child is having difficulty, an assessment can identify whether this is because their cognitive or intellectual (brain) development is delayed or behind that of other children their age. Sometimes children have an uneven development of skills - for example, they may have well developed spatial skills (the sorts of skills used to put together puzzles or identify patterns that go together) but less developed verbal skills (such as giving the meaning of words). Unevenly developed skills can make learning difficult for children. Being aware of a child's strength (more developed skills) and weaknesses (less developed skills) means parents and teachers can give children information to learn at their level, and in a way they are more likely to understand.
COMMON ACADEMIC ISSUES INCLUDE:
• Early speech and language delays
• Poor performance in one specific area or subject
• Poor reading comprehension
• Difficulty remembering basic math facts
• Difficulty putting their thoughts into writing
• Poor spelling
• Difficulty remembering what he or she has studied
• Poor performance on tests despite the fact that they have studied
• Difficulty finishing work or tests in the allotted time
• Difficulty identifying what information is important when they read or study material
• Difficulty with long-term projects or follow-through
• Poor organization
• Poor attention in class/excessive daydreaming
Parents may have reservations about having their child evaluated. Common concerns include: fears of having their child labelled and anxiety about the stigma attached to certain diagnoses. There are times when parents may just need additional time to process the idea that their child may have a learning issue. The possibility of finding out that there is something “wrong” with your child can be a scary one. On the other hand, the benefits of having your child tested are enormous. Over time, children with some type of learning challenge frequently come to believe that they are “stupid” or that they just CAN’T learn. This can impact self-esteem, coping behaviors, and their relationships with friends and family. Many of these issues can be resolved if an assessment is conducted and an appropriate course of action is identified.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF AN ASSESSMENT?