Diagnostics for School-Aged Children

People seek evaluations for their school-aged children for many reasons.

You might be worried about your child’s grades, behavioral challenges in school, or behavioral challenges in the home. Maybe people at school are bringing up autism or ADHD.

When a child is school-aged, things are complicated! The demands, the pressures, everything gets bigger. But kids don’t know how to tell you about all the big emotions they feel.

A child doesn’t know how to say, “I get really nervous before swimming because I usually play Legos from 4-5, and this change in routine is upsetting me.” What might be fear or anxiety because of a change in routines could sound like yelling and screaming or repeatedly asking the same questions.

That fear and anxiety look like running back and forth next to the pool because their emotions are so big. It looks like laying on the floor crying when all the other kids are having fun.

It’s not easy saying what they want or need.

A child doesn’t always know how to say, “Math is really hard for me because I can’t pay attention for all the different noises and the smell of those dry erase markers,” or “I can’t go outside during gym because I’m worried about the sun.”

What might be a sensory difference can look like running out of class, funny hand or foot movements, or trying to wear a coat or long sleeves in the summer.

It might sound like telling the teacher she doesn’t know how to teach or talking to himself in the classroom.

They don’t always know how to say “I don’t know how to make friends” or “I don’t know when the other kids are making fun of me.”

What might be social differences looks like getting detention for trying to show your rock collection to the other kids when you were supposed to be lining up or talking about anime while all the other kids are talking about dating. It might look like avoiding parties or staying inside instead of playing with the other kids.

Maybe your child doesn’t always come home and say, “Mom, the other kids don’t get me,” or “I don’t know how to respond to open-ended questions.” Maybe they come home and play on their iPad alone, walk away, or pick a fight with you.

These social miscues, the difficulties communicating, the avoidance is stressful or painful for your child and you. It doesn’t need to be this way – the yelling, the screaming, and the isolation.

Together, we can figure out what’s going on.

We can give your child the words they need to tell their story.

Diagnostic Evaluations

An evaluation with me isn’t like your evaluations at a school or a major hospital. I might do some of the same “tests,” but the way I do them is different. Your child isn’t just a diagnosis or a classification to me. I see your child as someone who might change the world, someone who has hopes, and someone who will exceed our expectations.

An evaluation with me consists of the following:

Parent interview: I hear your perspective about what’s happening, ask you specific diagnostic questions

Child interview: I hear your child’s perspective, get an idea of what they love, and who they are

Diagnostic testing: This depends on what’s going on for your child, but it typically involves: ADOS, Cognitive assessment, and academic assessment. I can do this with your child in the home or school setting in most cases.

I also like to review previous records, and if it’s ok with you, talk to teachers or other professionals in the child’s life. This is a private evaluation, so you own the information. It’s up to you if, how, and with whom to share that information.

Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)

If you are a parent or school who needs help understanding if a child is on the spectrum and how this may or may not impact them in the school setting, I can help with that.

As a school psychologist and a licensed doctoral-level psychologist, I understand how to help children achieve everything they can in the school setting. Often, the smallest changes can make considerable differences in the success of a situation.

I’ll take the time to talk to teachers, the child, and parents, do observations, and records reviews to figure out what is really going on.

I don’t just make a diagnosis; I’ll also provide specific tips and strategies to support the child’s success. I’m happy to consult with schools as much as needed to support the implementation of my recommendations.

Don’t wait to see what happens or see if your child will grow out of it.

You can be in control of what happens. Things can be easier.

Give me a call, and we’ll do a no-charge consultation to see how I can help and what I can do for your family: (484) 535-4441.