Reviewing Results
When we meet to review your child’s evaluation results, my goal is to provide a clear, integrated picture of their learning profile—highlighting areas of strength, clarifying aspects that may require more effort, and identifying strategies to support growth. I aim to understand not just how your child performs, but why some tasks come more easily while others are more challenging.
1. Cognitive Testing – A Foundation for Understanding Learning
We begin with cognitive testing to better understand how your child thinks, reasons, and processes information. These tasks help identify areas of cognitive strength as well as areas that may require more effort or support. This part of the evaluation provides a foundation for interpreting academic performance and understanding how your child learns best.
2. Academic Testing – Looking Beyond Scores
Next, I assess academic skills such as reading, writing, and math. I’m not only looking at what your child has learned so far, but also how they approach different kinds of tasks. I take note of their accuracy, pacing, confidence, and types of errors. By combining this with the cognitive data, I can better understand where learning is going smoothly and where they may benefit from additional support.
3. Attention Testing – Focus, Stamina, and Regulation
I include tasks that measure attention each testing day. This gives insight into how they manage focus and energy, similar to how they might feel during a typical school day. These results are considered alongside classroom observations and parent and teacher input.
4. Behavior, Emotions, and Everyday Functioning
Rating scales completed by you, your child, and their teachers provide insight into areas such as attention, mood, anxiety, social functioning, executive functioning, and behavioral regulation. I also learn a great deal through informal conversation—kids often share observations and feelings during our time together, giving me a window into their self-awareness, coping skills, and emotional life.
Bringing It All Together
Throughout the process, I observe how your child engages with different tasks, responds to challenges, and persists when something feels hard. Input from you, your child’s teachers, and others who know them well also help build a fuller picture. Together, this allows us to build a shared understanding of your child’s learning profile and identify types of support that will help them thrive.
A Note on Scores
As we review the data, it may be helpful to keep in mind that scores reflect how your child performed compared to other children their age or grade level. You’ll see percentile ranks and qualitative descriptors, such as average, below average, or above average, which help put individual scores in context.
The “average” range includes about 68% of children, meaning most students fall somewhere in this band—even when their individual strengths or challenges are quite different. These scores offer valuable insight, but they are just one piece of the picture—capturing your child at a single point in time.