Psychoeducational evaluations help you, your child, and the school better understand their learning style, emotional needs, and behavioural functioning — so they can get the right support to thrive.
There are many benefits of an evaluation for a child or teen. But how do you get the most out of your child or teen’s assessment after it’s over?
This article discusses what to expect after your child’s evaluation, including how to use the results to best help your child or teen.
What happens after your child or teen’s assessment day?
You helped your child prepare for a psychoeducational or learning assessment so they could give their best effort during the evaluation.
Yet, the next steps after the evaluation are also essential to ensure you and your child get the most from the information learned. This part of the process will also equip you with the knowledge and resources to advocate for your child’s needs.
Here’s what to expect after the assessment day.
1. Preparing the comprehensive report and recommendations
After the evaluation, the psychologist will go through the results and write a comprehensive report. This report will address the reason for the assessment and provide a summary of the information gathered from the evaluation. The report will also contain recommendations tailored to your child or teen’s unique situation, learning style, and needs.
The specifics of the report will depend on the type of evaluation conducted and the reason for the referral. The information will be clearly stated so anyone reading the report will understand the purpose, process, limitations, results, and recommendations. This is essential since parents usually share this report with other professionals, such as a family doctor, medical specialist, or their child’s school.
The amount of time it takes for the psychologist to review the information and complete the report can vary. Typically, you’ll be provided a timeframe for when to expect the results on the evaluation day.
2. Going through the results during an in-person feedback session
In addition to receiving a report, you’ll also have an in-person feedback session. During this session, the psychologist will go over the results and recommendations with you and your child or teen.
One goal of this feedback session is to ensure your child or teen is empowered and fully understands the information, so they can better understand themselves and begin to advocate for themselves.
But this process also begins during the evaluation. For instance, the psychologist is sharing information about the brain, what skills are needed for a task, and listening to your child’s description of their challenges or things they are good at. The psychologist uses this information when communicating results.
For example, a teen might say they remember things from a long time ago easily but can’t remember phone numbers. In the feedback session, the psychologist will help translate that experience — showing how their performance in the evaluation reflects their experience, pointing out strengths, and explaining strategies the teen can use to help overcome the difficulty they experience.
You’ll have a chance to ask questions about the specific assessment, the results, and the recommendations. The psychologist will also go over areas of strength that the evaluation revealed.
The specific information you’ll discuss will depend on the type of evaluation conducted and the referral question.
Typically, you’ll receive additional resources that can help your child — whether it’s educational material to help understand a diagnosis or contact information for other professionals that may be of help.
At North Shore Psychological Services, we do as much legwork for parents as possible to assist in gathering resources. So you can make an informed decision about your next steps and have options regarding other types of care to help your child as needed.
How to prepare for the in-person feedback session
Our goal is for you and your child or teen to feel comfortable and free to ask questions and request clarification on information shared during the feedback session. We want this to be an open, collaborative, and productive experience.
Some parents find it helpful to bring a list of questions to the meeting. Here are some questions commonly asked:
- How can I use the results to help my child?
- Who else should I share the report and results with? And why?
- Are any of the results surprising based on the reason for the referral?
- How confident can I be that we got accurate information?
- What advice do you have for sharing the results with my child’s school?
- Why did my child receive a diagnosis, and how does it help them?
3. Sharing results with your child or teen’s school
For most evaluations, it will be important to share the information with your child or teen’s school so they can receive the supports and accommodations to facilitate their learning. Schools are generally collaborative and supportive of these recommendations. In the very rare cases where they are not as open, we can help you navigate next steps.
Typically, this step will also involve having the option of a school meeting and giving the school a copy of the report for your child’s records. As the parent, you determine whether you have a school meeting.
The school meeting allows you to meet with key personnel involved in your child’s learning. Who attends can vary based on the school, your child’s situation, and the evaluation recommendations. But possible attendees may include:
- Your child’s classroom teacher
- The resource or learning center support person
- School psychologist or speech and language pathologist
- A school administrator or counselor
During the meeting, you and those in attendance will be able to review the results and recommendations, discuss possible accommodations, and explore how these will be implemented. This meeting can also be an opportunity for you to ask questions about any additional resources or support the school may be able to provide.
At North Shore Psychological Services, we have extensive experience with the local school systems. We can also provide assistance, such as answering questions or helping to prepare you for the school meeting or how to share information effectively.
4. Follow-up phone call in case of additional questions
While the in-person feedback session and report are helpful, it can also be a lot of information.
We understand that new questions can arise after you’ve thought about the results and recommendations. Plus, sometimes there can be challenges or questions about how to get the recommended supports set up in the school system.
That’s why we can also provide a follow-up phone call session several weeks after the in-person feedback session.
During the call, you can ask the psychologist any new questions that may have arisen, discuss any challenges in implementing the recommendations, or get clarification on the results as needed.
Ensuring you get the most out of your child or teen’s evaluation
These steps will help you, your child, and the school get the most out of the psychological, ADHD, or learning assessment. So your child can work through challenges and get the support they need.
The results and process will also help you better understand your child’s needs and strengths — and provide opportunities to ask questions, seek clarification, and get helpful resources. So you can advocate for your child and ensure they have the right tools and resources to do their personal best, whether at school, at home, or in social situations.
