Here at Herrera Psychology, we screen kids and young adults from age 2 – 22 utilizing various assessments. Over the next few months, we want to take the time to educate parents and students about the assessment process and how these assessments allow parents and teachers to better understand and help their children and students excel.
In this installment of our series, we’ll go over the general types of assessments and we will dive deeper into each type in a future blog post.
A comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation provides an understanding of each child’s unique strengths and weaknesses. Each evaluation concludes with a report that includes recommendations for intervention, accommodation, and/or continued support based on their individual needs profile. The comprehensive assessment utilizes multiple tools:
Cognitive measures assess how a child learns and processes information. Assessments such as the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fifth Edition and the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities provide the clinician with a measure of a child’s overall cognitive ability and other processes that affect learning such as memory, processing speed, and verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills.
Achievement measures assess a child’s individual academic performance. Reading, Math, and Written Expression can be assessed and compared to a child’s age and/or grade-level peers. Tests such as the Weschler Individual Achievement Tests- Fourth Edition and the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement allow the clinician to drill down into the specific academic areas assessing mastery and need.
Behavioral measures assess a child’s ability to regulate emotion and executive functioning skills. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children- Third Edition and the Conners-3 provide the clinician with data associated with behavioral excesses and/or deficits.
Adaptive measures give insight into a child’s independent functioning. The Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scales- Third Edition and the Vineland-Third Edition are designed to measure and provide treatment recommendations in conjunction with a child’s adaptive functioning.
If you have concerns about your child’s academic or behavioral performance, learn more about our therapeutic assessments or contact us for a free consultation regarding our evaluation services.
Read part 2 of our assessment series where we cover cognitive assessments.
