Psycho Educational Assessment of a child

[Serap]

My daughter is exhibiting classic symptoms of a learning disability. There is a 2 year waiting list with her school board to get her assessed, so we’ve decided to do it privately.

She is being assessed next week. Anyone know what to expect?

They will be creating an Individual Education Plan to give to her school.

She is 7 in grade 2.

 

[1ke]

There is a 2 year waiting list with her school board to get her assessed

If you are in the US, that is not in compliance with the IDEA. They have 60 days from request to evaluate.

idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalBrief,4,

idea.ed.gov/

She is being assessed next week. Anyone know what to expect?.

I suggest getting well acquainted with IDEA and your rights.

specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-parental-rights-in-special-education/

friendshipcircle.org/blog/2013/01/02/ten-comments-you-may-hear-at-iep-meetings-and-how-you-should-respond/

friendshipcircle.org/blog/2012/01/19/top-ten-most-ridiculous-comments-heard-at-an-iep-meeting/

dredf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IEP_Conversation_Stoppers.pdf

understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights

wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/advocacy_intro.htm

nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/CAAC/How_To_Advocate_For_Your_Child.htm

 

[1ke]

Oh, heck. I just saw you are in Canada. Sorry, can’t be of help there.

 

[Serap]

Oh, heck. I just saw you are in Canada. Sorry, can’t be of help there.

thanks for your post! unfortunately Canadian public school boards are failing kids with LD’s. By the time a kid gets evaluated, they are 9 or 10 years old.

 

[1ke]

thanks for your post! unfortunately Canadian public school boards are failing kids with LD’s. By the time a kid gets evaluated, they are 9 or 10 years old.

although the laws are different, maybe some of these links will give you an idea of what to expect, or questions to ask.

 

[kozlosap]

My daughter is exhibiting classic symptoms of a learning disability. There is a 2 year waiting list with her school board to get her assessed, so we’ve decided to do it privately.

She is being assessed next week. Anyone know what to expect?

They will be creating an Individual Education Plan to give to her school.

She is 7 in grade 2.

I was a Resource Specialist in a large California school district. I have a BA degree, a MA in Special Ed and three teaching credentials. My primary job was to complete the education portion of the pupil evaluation process, then work with the school psychologist, Teachers, parents and other staff to generate an IEP for the student. If you can afford it, find a private psychologist and have your daughter evaluated then present the results to the powers that be. You need to be very specific about the behaviors that you see at home. I would request, at the very least, that you are emailed all assignments that are due that week on Monday, that way you are not in the dark. Do not let the “professional” IEP team set up a program, especially behavioral, that you do not agree with. As the Parent, you know your child’s better than anyone and will know quickly which protocols will be effective, and which ones won’t. Unless it is absolutely necessary make sure she is receiving the majority of the curriculum in her regular classroom with the other students, not in a segregated setting.

Good luck! I’m praying that your little girl receives the help she deserves in the least restrictive environment with adults who are caring!

 

[Xantippe]

There’s a good book entitled Guns A’Blazing: How Parents of Children With Autism Can Work Together–Without a Shot Being Fired.

It’s by an American and it’s probably not specifically relevant to your child’s issues, but I think that you will find the overall philosophical approach very helpful.

 

[Xantippe]

My oldest had a similar evaluation done when she was almost 7 (probably). It’s just fun activities with a nice lady for several hours.

 

[petitfleur]

My oldest had a similar evaluation done when she was almost 7 (probably). It’s just fun activities with a nice lady for several hours.

Lol I remember being evaluated that way a long time ago!

 

[Serap]

I was a Resource Specialist in a large California school district. I have a BA degree, a MA in Special Ed and three teaching credentials. My primary job was to complete the education portion of the pupil evaluation process, then work with the school psychologist, Teachers, parents and other staff to generate an IEP for the student. If you can afford it, find a private psychologist and have your daughter evaluated then present the results to the powers that be. You need to be very specific about the behaviors that you see at home. I would request, at the very least, that you are emailed all assignments that are due that week on Monday, that way you are not in the dark. Do not let the “professional” IEP team set up a program, especially behavioral, that you do not agree with. As the Parent, you know your child’s better than anyone and will know quickly which protocols will be effective, and which ones won’t. Unless it is absolutely necessary make sure she is receiving the majority of the curriculum in her regular classroom with the other students, not in a segregated setting.

Good luck! I’m praying that your little girl receives the help she deserves in the least restrictive environment with adults who are caring!

Thanks, yes we are doing a private assessment with a registered psychologist recommended by my dd pediatrician. His name is William Ford out of Toronto. He is listed as one of the top 10 psychologists in my city.

He told us yesterday that he will be developing an IEP for my dd. He likened it to a clothes line that she can hang her schemas onto. He said that he will set up milestones for her and create a two year plan. After 2 years, my dd will be re-assessed to ensure that her IEP is viable and she is meeting targets.

Does this sound fair?

Each assessment is $2,500 CAD and I get about $1,200 covered by my private insurance.

I had to fill out a questionnare that was 4 pages long about my daughter. I also gave her report cards since grade 1 and school assignments in English and Math that the teacher photocopied for me.

I really hope and pray we are on the right track.

 

[Xantippe]

Thanks, yes we are doing a private assessment with a registered psychologist recommended by my dd pediatrician. His name is William Ford out of Toronto. He is listed as one of the top 10 psychologists in my city.

He told us yesterday that he will be developing an IEP for my dd. He likened it to a clothes line that she can hang her schemas onto. He said that he will set up milestones for her and create a two year plan. After 2 years, my dd will be re-assessed to ensure that her IEP is viable and she is meeting targets.

Does this sound fair?

How about reevaluate in a year? Two years is a long time to be going the wrong direction when you’re 7-9.

Each assessment is $2,500 CAD and I get about $1,200 covered by my private insurance.

**Ay, yay, yay, that’s expensive, but I suppose Toronto is expensive. We paid maybe $500 for our daughter’s psychological evaluation some years ago. Maybe what they’re doing for your daughter is more complicated, though.
**

I had to fill out a questionnare that was 4 pages long about my daughter. I also gave her report cards since grade 1 and school assignments in English and Math that the teacher photocopied for me.

I really hope and pray we are on the right track.

Best wishes!

 

[Serap]

Best wishes!

Thanks and God bless

 

[petitfleur]

I hope the best for you and your daughter!

 

[PaulinVA]

Serap, my youngest, who is a senior in high school, has had an IEP since she was three. Our county is very aggressive in finding kids with problems and getting them help. She’s now taking IB classes and getting As and Bs.

We found that there are certain rights parents (and the kids) have that no one tells you about. Kind teachers throughout the years have quietly told us about “magic words” to use at certain times - like, “We don’t agree with this IEP and want her to have x service”. Apparently, here, they use the IEP meeting to assign scarce resources instead of actually determine what the real need is. However, parents sorta have a right to demand services. Go figure.

So, make nice with the teachers (LD teachers are awesome anyway) and ask them go to bat for you. If needed, ask hard questions - “If I don’t agree with this plan, what are my rights of appeal?”

 

[Xantippe]

Serap, my youngest, who is a senior in high school, has had an IEP since she was three. Our county is very aggressive in finding kids with problems and getting them help. She’s now taking IB classes and getting As and Bs.

We found that there are certain rights parents (and the kids) have that no one tells you about. Kind teachers throughout the years have quietly told us about “magic words” to use at certain times - like, “We don’t agree with this IEP and want her to have x service”. Apparently, here, they use the IEP meeting to assign scarce resources instead of actually determine what the real need is. However, parents sorta have a right to demand services. Go figure.

So, make nice with the teachers (LD teachers are awesome anyway) and ask them go to bat for you. If needed, ask hard questions - “If I don’t agree with this plan, what are my rights of appeal?”

Yeah.

Definitely listen for coded messages from teachers.

When my oldest was in pre-K, her teacher (a very experienced and kind lady) mentioned her balance issues and lack of strength in her hands and suggested balance activities and play doh. I just breezed past that suggestion, because oldest was doing that sort of stuff already, right? Well, two years later, my daughter’s got an Asperger’s diagnosis and I realize that the pre-K teacher was probably trying to tell me something that I couldn’t hear at the time…No harm done, ultimately, I hope, but learn from my mistake.

It’s also quite true about the magic words. I have a friend with a very visibly disabled child, and when she first presented him to the public school, they didn’t want to do anything in particular for him. But then she got an evaluation that said PDD-NOS, and suddenly open sesame! The kid hadn’t changed a bit, but she needed the magic papers and the magic words. It’s all kind of dumb, and very hard on kids whose parents aren’t really savvy and aggressive.

 

[Xantippe]

It’s somewhat over-full of cool tattooed lesbian moms, but there’s a book you might appreciate entitled “My Baby Rides the Short Bus.” For specifically autism spectrum issues, there’s a collection of short memoirs entitled “Gravity Pulls You In” that gives a really good idea of the full range of the autism spectrum.

I can’t remember if I’ve recommended it before in this thread, but if it’s at all relevant, Deirdre Lovecky’s “Different Minds: Gifted Children With AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits” is well worth reading. It’s very dense and a tough slog, but if you have a child who is 2e (twice exceptional), it’s invaluable.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twice_exceptional

 

[Serap]

It’s somewhat over-full of cool tattooed lesbian moms, but there’s a book you might appreciate entitled “My Baby Rides the Short Bus.” For specifically autism spectrum issues, there’s a collection of short memoirs entitled “Gravity Pulls You In” that gives a really good idea of the full range of the autism spectrum.

I can’t remember if I’ve recommended it before in this thread, but if it’s at all relevant, Deirdre Lovecky’s “Different Minds: Gifted Children With AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and Other Learning Deficits” is well worth reading. It’s very dense and a tough slog, but if you have a child who is 2e (twice exceptional), it’s invaluable.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twice_exceptional

My dd has no signs of Aspergers, autism or ADHD. She just has issues reading and writing.

Have you guys heard of an on-line software called Nessy? It’s $50 a year for an on-line subscription and my dd loves it. www.nessy.com. It’s geared towards dyslexia. It would also help greatly with dyspraxia if spelling is improved.

Anyway, we’re giving it a shot at the moment.