An evaluation has an even bigger opportunity for your child to be seen fully. Sure, your child might struggle to read and write, but their creativity is off the charts! Or, social communication is a challenge, but your child connects on his level by sharing all the facts he knows about his friends’ interests. AD/HD might be a diagnosis that helps your child channel all of his energy into a sport. These are the things that I see during an evaluation.
Read MoreOne of the most common questions I get asked about an evaluation is, “can you evaluate for just (fill in the blank).” On occasion, I’ll happily reduce the evaluation time and just assess for the specific disorder that was requested. However, there are so many diagnoses that can impact emotional, behavioral, social, and academic functioning that many people have never heard of.
Read MoreLanguage disorders are often overlooked when evaluating a child for learning and/or developmental difficulties.
Read MoreWhen discussing learning disabilities, it is important to note the impact emotional difficulties can have on academic achievement.
Read MoreDysgraphia, also known as developmental coordination disorder, is a deficit in fine motor control that can impact handwriting. For these children, handwriting can be sloppy, effortful, or even painful.
Read MoreMany children do not like to write, but sometimes it goes beyond a dislike. These children may have a disorder of written expression, which impact approximately 3-5 percent of the population.
Read MoreWhen a person has a Language disorders (deficits in expressive and/or receptive language), it can impact all academic areas.
Read MoreNonverbal learning disability (NVLD) is one of the least understood learning differences. In fact, the learning difference is not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the handbook that classifies mental disorders used by mental health clinicians.
Read MoreDyslexia is the most common learning disability. Some experts estimate that 1 out of 10 individuals have dyslexia. Despite how common the disability is, very few people really understand the learning disorder.
Read MoreMany parents have heard the term “evaluation” or “assessment” or told to get their child “tested.” The challenge is many parents do not know exactly what that means or when testing is necessary.
Read Moreperform evaluations and tell parents that their child has a diagnosis weekly. There’s a lot that I have learned that I wish that I could tell parents during the process.
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