Learning Assessment Clinic

Every child has a unique pattern of cognitive strengths and challenges that affect school performance. The Learning Assessment Clinic provides academic assessments for students ages 5-25 who have learning challenges.

Goal

The goal of the academic assessment is to help families understand their child’s unique pattern of abilities across an array of skills including motor coordination, handwriting, reading, listening, verbal and visual learning, planning, use of strategies, and working memory. The assessment also is appropriate for college students who need test accommodations or are trying to understand the ways they learn best.

Features and Outcomes of the Program

A full day of state-of-the-art testing is provided by psychologists who specialize in learning difficulties.

Parents and/or college students receive in-person follow up and a detailed written report that can be shared with the school and other intervention providers. The report includes:

• Full history that includes parent interviews, teacher questionnaires, and review of previous testing
• Highly specific information about the individual’s learning strengths and weaknesses
• Clear diagnoses
• Student-specific recommendations for developmental therapies, like Occupational or Speech Therapy, medications, behavioral therapies, and best learning situations (e.g., school placement decisions, instructional approaches, test accommodations, specialized learning settings, and supports suitable for incorporating into IEP/504 plans or SAT/ACT testing)

Services Offered

The Learning Assessment Clinic offers both evaluation and consultation based upon a family’s questions and how much testing a child has already completed.

How an Evaluation Works

Two visits are scheduled.

Visit 1: Expect to spend one full work day at the Clinic for testing across an array of skills including cognition, motor coordination, handwriting, listening, verbal and visual learning, planning, use of strategies, working memory, adaptive skills, emotional adjustment, reading, writing, and mathematics. Younger students may compete the evaluation in less time.

Visit 2: Two weeks later return for a feedback session to discuss the findings and recommendations and to address your specific questions.

You will receive a written copy of the report that you may share with schools, teachers, tutors, therapists, or others involved in your student’s education.

How a Consultation Works

One visit is scheduled.

Prior to your visit, provide copies of your student’s previous evaluations and complete a questionnaire about your student.

Approximately two weeks later, return to receive a written report and for a feedback session to discuss interpretation and recommendations.

When to Make an Appointment with the Learning Assessment Clinic

• Your child’s grades don’t seem to reflect his or her ability
• Homework is a battle
• The teacher has concerns about your child’s progress
• Someone has mentioned that your child should repeat a grade
• You have to re-teach all of the lessons from school
• There are behavior problems in class
• Your child has struggled with learning to read, write words, sentences or essays, or do math
• Your child does not “test well”
• Because you want to understand more about the way your child learns
• You think your child may need extra time for college board exams
• It has been several years since your child had an evaluation and you still have concerns
• You need more help with college classes than the other students seem to need