Does my child need an evaluation?

PARENTING IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST DIFFICULT AND HUMBLING ENDEAVOR.

All children present challenges at various times throughout their development and it is almost always our reaction as parents to bring worry to these concerns. I believe that nobody knows their child better than his/her parents. We have powerful intuition and when our worry becomes persistent and a parent feels overwhelmed and “stuck” this is an indication that a consultation from a professional will be helpful.

Common reasons parents seek an evaluation for their child

Is your child struggling with learning to read?

Does your child struggle making/keeping friends?

Does your child have a hard time initiating and/or sustaining attention

Does your child have difficulty controlling impulses?

Do you have questions about retaining your child?

Does your child seem sad and/or worried much of the time?

Is your child struggling in a way that is overwhelming to you as a parent?

Knowing when the school can be helpful and when it makes sense to seek outside private help is always a consideration that parents of struggling students face.

I am committed to be your partner in making sure that support services both in school and out of school are in place and the findings obtained in our work together are put to use to guide intervention. My recommendations are individualized to each child/family/school situation and grounded in helping the child grow and reach their fullest potential. I am committed to help you decide what is the best course of action in the least costly and burdensome manner for the best outcome.

  • Contact Debbie for a phone consultation

  • Schedule an appointment in office for a thorough history and clinical plan of action

  • The evaluation process begins with a school visit, individual testing in the office, and then feedback and recommendations.

Start an assessment

COMPONENTS OF AN EVALUATION

Components included in an evaluation are based on the goals of the evaluation and the questions to be answered. Depending on the scope of the evaluation, it may include:

Interview with parents

Interview with the child

School observation

Approximately 2-8 hours of testing with the child

Questionnaires completed by parents, child, and teachers

Comprehensive written report with recommendations for parents and school

Feedback session with parents

Feedback session with student

All evaluations will end with a “demystification.” This is a process of feedback in which Dr. Bonardi will help a child and their parents understand specific strengths and weaknesses as they relate to specific skills. Providing children with language and insight into their strengths and weaknesses will empower and help the child become part of the solution team. It will encourage the child to collaborate with parent and teachers and restore optimism and set a clear vision of goals for the future. This process is the beginning of a new understanding and acceptance, which will promote self-awareness and set the student up for self-advocacy and an action plan.

LEARN ABOUT THE EVALUATION PROCESS

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE:

  • Also known as IQ testing, intellectual assessment measures a child’s overall cognitive potential, as well as levels of functioning in the areas of verbal problem-solving, non-verbal problem-solving, working memory, and processing speed.

  • Achievement testing assesses the level of knowledge a child has in the areas of math, reading, spelling, and writing. When assessing for a possible learning disability academic testing is done in conjunction with IQ testing to determine whether a child’s cognitive potential matches achievement.

  • Psycho-Educational evaluations are designed to measure a child’s intellectual abilities as well their current levels of achievement, in the context of their behavior and social-emotional functioning.

  • Neuropsychological testing measures several aspects of processing which include attention, executive-functioning, memory, auditory processing, language and visual-motor integration. Neuropsychological testing is a critical component of better understanding a child’s processing strengths and weaknesses.

  • A child’s emotional, social, and behavioral functioning is assessed using a variety of parent, teacher, and self-report measures, as well, as interviewing the child and parents.  Qualitative information is gathered by observing and interacting with your child throughout the evaluation process and may include a school observation.

Why Should you see debbie?

I am committed to be your partner in making sure that support services both in school and out of school are in place and the findings obtained in our work together are put to use to guide intervention.

Is your child struggling with reading or having difficulty with academic progress?

Does your child struggle making/keeping friends?

Does your child have a hard time initiating and/or sustaining attention?

Do you have concerns about your child’s development or behavior?