Does Your Child Struggle with Learning?
Psycho-educational testing might help by Rebecca Ruffin Leffler
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enny,* a mother in Atlanta, noticed her fourth-grade daughter would struggle for hours on homework just to get a “B” in math. She approached the school, but the teachers weren’t alarmed because her daughter was making decent grades. When the situation didn’t improve during the school year, she sought an independent psycho-educational evaluation. Rebecca,* who lives in Sandy Springs, saw her seventh-grade daughter’s stress level increase. The anxiety didn’t seem to be caused by academics, an upcoming test or project, but over any change in routine. When her daughter couldn’t fall asleep until 2 a.m. because of worrying, a doctor recommended a psycho-educational evaluation. The process can be time-consuming and expensive, but both families are glad they took that step. What is a PsychoEducational Evaluation? Although the name sounds daunting, Dr. Caroline L. Sherrill, a psychologist at Behavioral Institute of Atlanta, explains, “The evaluation is a way to understand your child’s learning and processing strengths and weaknesses.” “It’s like flavors of ice cream,” she 80 Atlanta Parent January 2016
explains to the students she tests.”There are many flavors out there and none are wrong, just different. The same goes for how we learn. There isn’t a right or wrong way, just different.” The battery of tests is split into several parts. The cognitive section measures the student’s potential and includes an IQ test. The second area tests achievement – what
[ Focus on Education ]
has been learned in the classroom in reading, spelling, written language and math. Next, testing examines information processing skills, which is how children bring in information through the eyes and ears, and how they express it through the hands and mouth. Lastly, emotional and behavioral issues are examined. Gaps between potential and achievement might signify a learning disability or weakness. Although the majority of learning disabilities are verbal (meaning they are reading and language based such as Dyslexia), there is growing research about non-verbal learning disabilities, which tend to be more hidden. In addition to identifying any informationprocessing deficits, the evaluation can diagnose attention issues such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Signs That a Child Might Need Testing Although most learning issues are diagnosed in the elementary school years, some aren’t discovered until later. So how do you know if your child needs to be tested? Sherrill suggests parents look for any behavioral or emotional symptoms. A common manifestation is increased anxiety. She says, “It’s tricky because sometimes anxiety can be related to hormonal changes. But anxiety can also increase because the demands of school are becoming more and more difficult.” atlantaparent.com