When determining if your child needs or is eligible for special education services, your local school will usually offer an evaluation that determines base-level academic, social, behavioral and cognitive functioning skills. When these tests leave questions unanswered or aren’t thorough enough, parents may seek a second opinion. This typically comes in the form of neuropsychological testing.
Above and Beyond
Most public and private schools don’t typically offer pediatric neuropsychological testing, even those that do offer special education. As such, most parents are tasked with finding this kind of evaluation for their children on an independent basis. Unfortunately, these tests can be expensive when sought as an IEE – or independent educational evaluation – so it is wise to first consult your child’s pediatrician for a referral if required for your insurance.
Why Choose a Neuropsychological Test?
A neuropsychologist can glean valuable data from evaluating your child that goes beyond the baseline academic information that school testing offers. Some of the information a neuropsychologist can provide in relation to your child includes:
* Intelligence level
* Memory
* Language skills
* Academic skills and abilities
* Motor skills
* Social and emotional intelligence
* Executive functioning skills.
While many parents are satisfied with the psychological and educational testing provided by their child’s school, those who aren’t should know that they have the right to seek a second opinion. In choosing pediatric neuropsychological testing as the secondary evaluation, parents and educators who work with their student can get a better, whole-child picture of what their abilities, limitations and needs for adaptation are. This way, appropriate measures can be taken to ensure a child has the accommodations they need to success in school.
If you believe your child might benefit from neuropsychological testing, contact the office of New Jersey professional Dr. Joshua Shifrin. This highly-qualified team of neuropsychological experts specializes in pediatric testing and care, to give you and your child the benefits and boost they need to succeed. You can also follow them on Twitter for latest news and update!
