ASSESSMENT

If you would like more information about which type of assessment is best for your child, please call Dr. Malatino's office to schedule a consultation appointment. 

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Neuropsychological Evaluations

The goal of a neuropsychological evaluation is to improve a family’s understanding of a child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses in order to identify targeted and effective interventions. The evaluation consists of a comprehensive intake interview, followed by 4 to 6 hours of testing, culminating in an explanatory feedback session that presents the results in one coherent picture. A number of areas of functioning are assessed including:

 

• Intellectual/Cognitive abilities

• Academic (achievement) skills

• Executive Functioning (e.g., attention, organizational skills)

• Learning and memory skills

• Language skills screening

• Visual-motor and visual spatial skills screening

• Emotional/personality functioning

• Social/Adaptive functioning

A neuropsychological assessment can be instrumental in understanding a child's learning style and approach processing information in the world around them.

 

Psychoeducational Evaluations (IEE)

Psychoeducational evaluations, also known as Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE), seek to understand a child's cognitive functioning and academic achievement skills in order to identify targeted and effective interventions for school, home and the community (e.g., accommodations, tutoring). This type of evaluation consists of a comprehensive intake interview, followed by 3 to 4 hours of testing, and an explanatory feedback session that presents the results and recommendations in one coherent picture. The areas of functioning are assessed including:

 

• Intellectual/Cognitive abilities

• Academic (achievement) skills

• Social-emotional screening

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Developmental Assessments

Developmental assessments for young children (roughly ages 2 through 5) provide vital information during a period of rapid learning. They provide information about a child’s strengths and weaknesses in the following domains of functioning: cognitive, language, motor, social/emotional, and adaptive (e.g., self-care). This type of information is important when considering school placement and when determining if special help or support may be needed. Depending on the evaluation findings, recommendations could be made for evaluations or services by other specialists (e.g., speech/language services, occupational therapy), referrals could be made to special education or early intervention programs, or suggestions could be made to parents regarding ways to enrich a child’s experience at home. 

 

You might consider a developmental evaluation for your child if you have concerns related to learning problems, language difficulties, motor delays, behavioral or social concerns, early signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism disorder or global developmental delays.  The earlier even slight delays are identified the better! Intervention for delays is usually easier and more effective the sooner it is introduced.

 

School Admissions Testing

Many independent schools, and some competitive public schools, require standardized testing as part of the admissions process. Most often, this entails IQ testing, achievement testing, or both. The goal of such testing is to help families and schools understand if there is a good fit between the student and the educational program/institution.

 

Testing For Accommodations

In order to qualify for accommodations on tests (e.g., SAT, ACT) and in a child's academic environment, recent standardized testing is required to document a student’s need for extra support. The exact nature of such an assessment depends on the student’s recent testing history and his or her qualifying disability. These evaluations frequently entail cognitive, academic, and executive functioning testing in order to assess how well a student can demonstrate his or her overall cognitive potential under standardized test conditions. 

 

Gifted/Talented Testing

Assessing for superior intellect can be the first step toward creating an appropriate educational program for your child, gaining access to enrichment programs, and connecting your child to other gifted children. Many schools and programs for gifted and talented students require standardized testing as part of the admissions process or to qualify for special gifted programming. Most often, this entails IQ testing, achievement testing, or both.