This is the most common type of evaluation for school-aged children and adolescents who are having trouble at school. By measuring a student's general cognitive ability, academic skills, attention, behavior, motivation, and social and emotional functioning, it is the best way of identifying obstacles to academic performance. Psychoeducational testing can diagnose specific learning disorders (e.g., dyslexia), attention deficits (e.g., ADD/ADHD), and a variety of other problems and can offer a "big picture" perspective.
Some students are blessed with unusually strong cognitive ability and academic skills, which can qualify them for gifted placement in school. Determining a student's eligibility for a gifted placement is a straightforward process but requires the use of specific testing instruments to be accepted by school systems.
Inconsistent focus is a common problem. However, in some cases, problems with attention, time management, organization, planning, and impulse control are beyond a child's control. Left untreated, these kinds of difficulties can limit a child's ability to meet his full potential. A careful evaluation is the best way to know if a real problem exists and, if so, how best to address it.
For most children, learning to read is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences in their early education. However, 10-20% of children have much more trouble "cracking the code" that connects letters and sounds than they do with other types of learning. This problem (dyslexia) can be diagnosed as early as first grade and risk factors for it can be identified as young as age four. The earlier the problem is detected, the more responsive it is to intervention.
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