Linda Mitchell created ANY23-471:
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Summary: Speaking Plainly, What Is a Psycho-Educational Assessment?
Key: ANY23-471
URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ANY23-471
Project: Apache Any23
Issue Type: Bug
Reporter: Linda Mitchell
People may seek a psychological assessment for many reasons; learning,
behaviour, injury, health, emotional problems or development concerns to name
just a few. A psycho-educational or educational assessment is simply one kind
of psychological assessment. For example, an educational assessment
investigates learning potential and academic skill development. A psychological
assessment of any kind must be completed by a licensed psychologist or
psychological associate who is registered with the College of Psychologists in
their province.
In simple terms, during an educational assessment a psychologist must determine
a person's abilities and then see if their academic achievement is at a
comparable level. It is common sense to predict that a person with an average
intelligence will complete math, spelling, reading, writing and other academic
tasks within the average range. A psychologist will find out whether a client's
academic performance is equal to their intelligence using testing, clinical
observation and statistical analysis.
OK, what happens if you have an average intelligence but some academic area is
far weaker than predicted? Now, comes the interesting part.... What is keeping
the individual from performing at their level of intelligence? It could be
problems with visual or verbal memory. It could be that their brain cannot
track and scan written text as quickly as most people. Perhaps they have been
told they don't pay attention but actually their brain cannot process verbal
information as efficiently as other people. Alternatively, a person may find it
extremely difficult to begin a task, plan and organize and, monitor their
performance as they work along. The truth is there are many reasons that a
person is not meeting the cognitive potential they were born with.
Why would a person need an educational assessment?
The answers to this question are fairly simple. An educational assessment
completed by a qualified psychologist or psychological associate could formally
establish a need for an academic program at school that is specifically
tailored to the student's learning style. If you know a person's potential for
learning and their present level of achievement, you know the academic
strengths and needs of that student at that moment. The truth of the matter is
that a school psychologist is often the key to understanding the foundation of
the student's difficulties as well as holding the position of gate-keeper to
special services and academic support within a public school system.
When will I know if I, or my child, need an educational assessment?
Sometimes delays in some areas of development are obvious very early. For
example, if your child is developing language or fine motor skills more slowly
than other children, he may need an educational assessment at some point. If he
has difficulty following directions or routines at home or daycare you may
consider watching his development more carefully. If your child begins school
and experiences difficulty learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week,
colours and shapes, maintain close contact with his teacher to monitor his
progress. If your child seems extremely restless, easily distracted and/or has
trouble interacting with peers it is possible that he has some attentional or
behavioural problems that may require assessment at a later stage.
Perhaps a parent has noticed their child is struggling at school. Often, it is
a teacher who has alerted a parent that their child has been experiencing
difficulty working at the same level as other children in their class even
though they are trying their best. At times, it is the child who goes to the
teacher or parent and lets them know that they are finding school work very
difficult. Crying over homework, repeatedly asking a teacher to go over the
same work, signs of low self-esteem because they fear they are "not smart" are
all signs that a child's academic performance should be monitored.
It is important to note that a person seeking an educational assessment is not
always a child. Sometimes, an adult decides to complete academic upgrading or
apply as a mature student to college or university while acknowledging that he
or she experienced some earlier learning difficulties as a child. Many adults
in this situation decide to investigate their learning style because there is
more modern scientific knowledge about learning disabilities now and they hope
that more sophisticated help will be available. As children, these individuals
knew they were smart and capable but just couldn't read as quickly as other
people in their class or had difficulty with math or writing. This adult has
made a decision that they could succeed if they could find out more about the
way they learn.
One step at a time........
Find a psychologist who completes educational assessments in your area. You can
find a psychologist on the internet, the College of Psychologists of Ontario or
another provincial regulatory organization. Your child's school or pediatrician
may be able to make a suitable referral for an educational assessment. Make an
appointment to meet with a psychologist who has experience in School Psychology
and consult with them at their office. It is best for parents to meet for a
one-hour interview to determine whether their child needs an educational
assessment or not. It is inadvisable to take your child with you to this first
meeting. Parents will always speak more plainly about their concerns if their
child is not present. More importantly, the child will not be distressed by
their parent's concerns or teacher reports. If the appointment is for an
individual 18+ years they generally attend an intake interview on their own.
What do I tell my child or teen about having an educational assessment?
It is important for any client, young or old, to understand that an educational
assessment can identify strengths that can help the client improve academic
weaknesses. Speak positively about the upcoming experience. For example, say,
"you are going to meet a person who likes people find out what they are really
good at. When they do, they help you improve on a subject that is really tricky
and challenging for you".
What can I expect when I, or my child, begin an educational assessment?
Expect that you or your child will attend a number of testing or assessment
sessions soon after the intake session. Most often, a psychologist will ask
that test sessions be set earlier rather than later in the day. The reason for
[what is
tpm|https://complextime.com/talking-points-memo-the-best-political-news-and-opinion-website/]
this is that people are at their best earlier in the day immediately after a
good sleep. This is particularly true if attentional problems are suspected.
Remember, a psychologist wants to find out about your abilities or
intelligence. This is an important step. So, an intelligence test that compares
your functioning to other people exactly your age is an obvious beginning. Once
this has been completed, the psychologist will want to learn more about the way
your brain processes information. For example, if you hear a story could you
repeat it? How about the same story after 30-minutes? What about a picture or
pattern? Could you remember that as well as the story, or better? Could the
client's brain process what he or she heard easily or not? Eventually, the
psychologist will want to find out how and what you have learned at school.
Math, spelling, writing, listening and, reading tests will surely follow.
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