Independent Educational Evaluations
How can an Independent Educational Evaluation help my child?
An Independent Educational Evaluation (or second opinion evaluation) can determine if your child has a disability and potentially provide him or her with specially designed instruction (also known as special education or gifted education). A child who demonstrates a disability, whose disability adversely affects their educational performance, and needs special education services, is offered an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by the school. An IEP is a legal document that informs school staff about the student's disability along with his or her strengths and weaknesses, how it impacts their school performance, what goals he or she needs to master in class, and how to help the student. Some of the most important parts of the IEP include program placement (types of classes), modifications and accommodations (interventions), goals and objectives (addressing the child's most significant weaknesses and creating a reachable goal for improvement in that area).
Generally speaking, this is how an Independent Education Evaluation can help your child:
-Gain access to special education (IEP, extra help, modifications, accommodations, personalized goals, etc ...)
-Obtain related services (e.g. speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc...) in school
-Receive a 504 Plan to address your child's disability by providing certain accommodations in school
-Provide accommodations and modifications in subject areas to help the student learn
-Receive accommodations on state standardized testing such as the PSSA, NJASK, SAT, MAT, etc...
-Gain access to a gifted educational program at school
-College students receive accommodations in college courses or in graduate school (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc...)
An Independent Educational Evaluation (or second opinion evaluation) can determine if your child has a disability and potentially provide him or her with specially designed instruction (also known as special education or gifted education). A child who demonstrates a disability, whose disability adversely affects their educational performance, and needs special education services, is offered an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by the school. An IEP is a legal document that informs school staff about the student's disability along with his or her strengths and weaknesses, how it impacts their school performance, what goals he or she needs to master in class, and how to help the student. Some of the most important parts of the IEP include program placement (types of classes), modifications and accommodations (interventions), goals and objectives (addressing the child's most significant weaknesses and creating a reachable goal for improvement in that area).
Generally speaking, this is how an Independent Education Evaluation can help your child:
-Gain access to special education (IEP, extra help, modifications, accommodations, personalized goals, etc ...)
-Obtain related services (e.g. speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc...) in school
-Receive a 504 Plan to address your child's disability by providing certain accommodations in school
-Provide accommodations and modifications in subject areas to help the student learn
-Receive accommodations on state standardized testing such as the PSSA, NJASK, SAT, MAT, etc...
-Gain access to a gifted educational program at school
-College students receive accommodations in college courses or in graduate school (GRE, MCAT, LSAT, etc...)
These are the types of evaluation(s) that can be offered :
Psychological / Cognitive Evaluation
A Psychological/Cognitive evaluation reports a student's intellectual ability and shows what they are capable of performing and/or their future academic learning potential. In particular, it can reveal a student's ability to process, remember, visualize, express, and understand simple/complex information. A student's social, emotional, behavioral and adaptive levels can also be assessed. This can reveal symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, ADHD (inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity), oppositional, Aspergers/Autism, self-esteem, etc... Depending on the results, these symptoms might need additional testing conducted by a Psychiatrist or Neurologist.
Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) & Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
A FBA is conducted to help determine why a student is behaving inappropriately at school and how to teach the student to behave more appropriately. This process involves reviewing records, observing the student at school, interviewing teachers/parents/student, and assessment of the student. This will help determine what the main behavior problem, what is causing it, and what is encouraging it to continue. Once all this information is collected, a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) is created to help teachers realistically implement a plan that will help the student behave in school.
Academic / Learning Evaluation
An Academic evaluation assesses a student's reading, writing, math, listening comprehension, and oral expressions skills in detail. This assists the parents and teachers to know more about the student's current performance (levels). As a result, we then can determine the student's academic strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses are then addressed by creating a plan to remediate the weaknesses through extra support or specially designed instruction at school.
Social History Interview
A Social History Interview is conducted to collect background information (e.g. developmental milestones, family dynamics, educational background, medical issues, etc...) which could reveal critical information that helps explain the student's performance/behaviors at school or home.
Gifted Evaluation
A Gifted Evaluation depends on the specific requirements of the school district's gifted program, but it usually includes a cognitive and academic evaluation.
Speech / Language Evaluation
The purpose of a speech/language evaluation is to measure a student's articulation (pronouncing words), fluency (speed and accuracy), and communication (understanding and expressing thoughts and feelings) skills. This evaluation can help explain why a student struggles to pronounce words or has difficulty understanding or talking about their thoughts and feelings, and how we can address these concerns.
Occupational Therapy Evaluation
This evaluation determines a student's fine motor (small muscles) skills and sensory issues. Occupational therapists assist with small muscle strengthening, flexibility, dexterity, visual acuity, eye-hand coordination, sequencing and coordination of muscle movement. This can address issues such as letter formation, legibility and spacing when writing, dressing, walking, grasping, buttoning, and zipping.
Physical Therapy Evaluation
This assessment determines a student's gross motor (large muscles) skills. Physical therapists assist with large muscle strengthening techniques such as balancing, coordination, and sequencing muscle movements which can impact a student's ability to walk, sit, stand, reach, climb, etc...
Career / Vocational Assessment
This assessment facilitates students to identify and explore their career interests, aptitude, and skills to formulate immediate and long-term career goals. As a result, the assessment can create a clearer plan for the student to choose a career and making the transition from school to work.
Augmentative Communication / Assistive Technology Evaluation
This evaluation determines if a student requires assistive technology devices or services to maximize his or her accessibility for children with disabilities.
Psychological / Cognitive Evaluation
A Psychological/Cognitive evaluation reports a student's intellectual ability and shows what they are capable of performing and/or their future academic learning potential. In particular, it can reveal a student's ability to process, remember, visualize, express, and understand simple/complex information. A student's social, emotional, behavioral and adaptive levels can also be assessed. This can reveal symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, ADHD (inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity), oppositional, Aspergers/Autism, self-esteem, etc... Depending on the results, these symptoms might need additional testing conducted by a Psychiatrist or Neurologist.
Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) & Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
A FBA is conducted to help determine why a student is behaving inappropriately at school and how to teach the student to behave more appropriately. This process involves reviewing records, observing the student at school, interviewing teachers/parents/student, and assessment of the student. This will help determine what the main behavior problem, what is causing it, and what is encouraging it to continue. Once all this information is collected, a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) is created to help teachers realistically implement a plan that will help the student behave in school.
Academic / Learning Evaluation
An Academic evaluation assesses a student's reading, writing, math, listening comprehension, and oral expressions skills in detail. This assists the parents and teachers to know more about the student's current performance (levels). As a result, we then can determine the student's academic strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses are then addressed by creating a plan to remediate the weaknesses through extra support or specially designed instruction at school.
Social History Interview
A Social History Interview is conducted to collect background information (e.g. developmental milestones, family dynamics, educational background, medical issues, etc...) which could reveal critical information that helps explain the student's performance/behaviors at school or home.
Gifted Evaluation
A Gifted Evaluation depends on the specific requirements of the school district's gifted program, but it usually includes a cognitive and academic evaluation.
Speech / Language Evaluation
The purpose of a speech/language evaluation is to measure a student's articulation (pronouncing words), fluency (speed and accuracy), and communication (understanding and expressing thoughts and feelings) skills. This evaluation can help explain why a student struggles to pronounce words or has difficulty understanding or talking about their thoughts and feelings, and how we can address these concerns.
Occupational Therapy Evaluation
This evaluation determines a student's fine motor (small muscles) skills and sensory issues. Occupational therapists assist with small muscle strengthening, flexibility, dexterity, visual acuity, eye-hand coordination, sequencing and coordination of muscle movement. This can address issues such as letter formation, legibility and spacing when writing, dressing, walking, grasping, buttoning, and zipping.
Physical Therapy Evaluation
This assessment determines a student's gross motor (large muscles) skills. Physical therapists assist with large muscle strengthening techniques such as balancing, coordination, and sequencing muscle movements which can impact a student's ability to walk, sit, stand, reach, climb, etc...
Career / Vocational Assessment
This assessment facilitates students to identify and explore their career interests, aptitude, and skills to formulate immediate and long-term career goals. As a result, the assessment can create a clearer plan for the student to choose a career and making the transition from school to work.
Augmentative Communication / Assistive Technology Evaluation
This evaluation determines if a student requires assistive technology devices or services to maximize his or her accessibility for children with disabilities.
