Psycho-educational vs. Neuropsych Evaluations
As the parent of a child with developmental delays, you may be wondering about the critical steps to take when it comes to preparing them for their future. Understanding what they’ll need for success at school is an essential topic of focus for any parent.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that every child is entitled to a “free appropriate public education.” This includes getting necessary evaluations, services, and support needed so they can be successful in school.
Ensuring your child receives the best possible education means they’ll have access to schooling that allows them to thrive despite their disabilities and delivered to them to meet their needs.
Whether you’re the parents of young children first entering the schooling system or sending your young adult off to post-secondary education, the steps you take in advance can significantly impact the experience.
As you work together with educators, therapists, and your child’s primary care physician, you may be asked to have a Neuropsych or Psycho-educational evaluation conducted. In this post, we’ll look at the differences between both.
It’s essential that you understand what this testing entails and stay abreast of all the latest regulations to ensure your child receives the education they deserve and the support and tools they’ll need to thrive.
Understanding Psycho-educational Evaluations
Evaluations with professionals are a standard part of the process when it comes to an understanding of a child’s learning abilities. With Psycho-educational testing, professionals work closely with those already involved with your child’s learning. They will interview them and sometimes observe them in the learning setting to better understand how they learn, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Areas of review will look at their attention span, concentration levels, ability to process information, remember it, reasoning, and even their language and spatial skills. With this discovery and assessment process, the goal is to develop an action plan. One that includes a personalized learning approach specific to your child’s needs and addressing those areas where they may be having issues with recommended interventions.
What is Neuropsychological Testing?
In comparison to a psycho-educational evaluation, a neuropsychological exam dives deeper into the medical reasons why your child may have difficulty learning. A clinical psychologist trained specifically in neuropsychology studies, brain activity, and possible neurocognitive factors connected to the delayed development or challenges with learning your child is experiencing. This examination also considers elements of your child’s history. It evaluates them in specific areas, from academic skills to memory, language, motor skills, and even social-emotional skills over a few days. Sometimes, it will conclude with a specific diagnosis such as ASD, Dyslexia, or ADHD. More importantly, it provides a clearer picture of the treatments and tools your child needs so that educators and even family members can best support them and help them to make successful progress in their learning.
We’re Here for You!
The education attorneys at Gina DeCrescenzo, P.C. are dedicated to protecting the civil rights of children. We work tirelessly to help children - particularly those with special education needs - to gain equal access and instruction equality. Contact us today!
