When a student is struggling with some aspect of school, numerous professionals can bring understanding to the underlying problem and help devise constructive plans for improvement. Among the first steps should be to speak directly with the student’s teachers to get a fuller awareness of what goes on at school. If that does not produce desired understanding and results, you may want to get additional professional input. A school administrator or counselor can often provide more insight, and they can guide you through options available at your public or private school for evaluation services if some sort of learning problem is suspected.
Your Right To Request Further Evaluation
Public schools are required by law to respond in a timely way to a parent’s written request for further evaluation. Sometimes this request will initiate a screening by a team of school staff, and a screening can lead to more in-depth evaluation and testing if deemed appropriate. More often than not, it is a good idea to first proceed with what the public school has to offer in the way of evaluation and testing services: if the student is attending a school, it is sound practice to have that school as involved as possible in understanding learning needs. Moreover, public schools are required to do this at no cost to parents, whereas private evaluation services are generally paid for with family resources.
Why A Family May Seek Alternatives To Public School Evaluation Or Testing
There are times, however, when the public school evaluation services are not satisfactory for a family. Some possible reasons are:
- Some parents are mistrustful of the system, and others worry (often unnecessarily) about what will happen if the school finds a “problem.”
- In some cases, the school may not take the evaluation process far enough, perhaps thinking the problem is not significant or that time alone will resolve the issue.
- A parent may simply disagree with the findings of the school’s evaluation, or a parent may want an additional viewpoint in hopes of uncovering awareness and new strategies to deal with things.
- Finally, students attending private school can sometimes not avail conveniently themselves of the public school’s evaluation resources.
Private Educational Testing
Private educational testing services can provide a very different experience from public school evaluations. A credentialed, experienced learning specialist with diagnostic training or a licensed psychologist experienced in school-aged children– or a combination of both– is often used to assess strengths and challenges in a person’s learning profile, to determine whether a specific learning disability or other potential diagnosis is behind the problems, and to help devise effective strategies for advancement. The process of private educational testing is nearly always a positive experience for the student as well as the family and can be a powerful tool for progress.
If you are wondering if a private evaluation is right for you and your family, the best thing to do is give us a call at QWERTY Education Services. There is no cost for an initial phone consultation, and because each situation is different, you can get a more accurate idea of appropriate options than by just reading about what is possible. If you want more information before or after making that call, please see QWERTY’s website for more information about educational testing services.
