[ https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ANY23-471?page=com.atlassian.jira.plugin.system.issuetabpanels:all-tabpanel ]
Chris Thistlethwaite deleted ANY23-471: --------------------------------------- > Speaking Plainly, What Is a Psycho-Educational Assessment? > ---------------------------------------------------------- > > Key: ANY23-471 > URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/ANY23-471 > Project: Apache Any23 > Issue Type: Bug > Reporter: Linda Mitchell > Priority: Major > > People may seek a psychological assessment for many reasons; learning, > behaviour, injury, health, emotional problems or development concerns to name > just a few. A psycho-educational or educational assessment is simply one kind > of psychological assessment. For example, an educational assessment > investigates learning potential and academic skill development. A > psychological assessment of any kind must be completed by a licensed > psychologist or psychological associate who is registered with the College of > Psychologists in their province. > In simple terms, during an educational assessment a psychologist must > determine a person's abilities and then see if their academic achievement is > at a comparable level. It is common sense to predict that a person with an > average intelligence will complete math, spelling, reading, writing and other > academic tasks within the average range. A psychologist will find out whether > a client's academic performance is equal to their intelligence using testing, > clinical observation and statistical analysis. > OK, what happens if you have an average intelligence but some academic area > is far weaker than predicted? Now, comes the interesting part.... What is > keeping the individual from performing at their level of intelligence? It > could be problems with visual or verbal memory. It could be that their brain > cannot track and scan written text as quickly as most people. Perhaps they > have been told they don't pay attention but actually their brain cannot > process verbal information as efficiently as other people. Alternatively, a > person may find it extremely difficult to begin a task, plan and organize > and, monitor their performance as they work along. The truth is there are > many reasons that a person is not meeting the cognitive potential they were > born with. > Why would a person need an educational assessment? > The answers to this question are fairly simple. An educational assessment > completed by a qualified psychologist or psychological associate could > formally establish a need for an academic program at school that is > specifically tailored to the student's learning style. If you know a person's > potential for learning and their present level of achievement, you know the > academic strengths and needs of that student at that moment. The truth of the > matter is that a school psychologist is often the key to understanding the > foundation of the student's difficulties as well as holding the position of > gate-keeper to special services and academic support within a public school > system. > When will I know if I, or my child, need an educational assessment? > Sometimes delays in some areas of development are obvious very early. For > example, if your child is developing language or fine motor skills more > slowly than other children, he may need an educational assessment at some > point. If he has difficulty following directions or routines at home or > daycare you may consider watching his development more carefully. If your > child begins school and experiences difficulty learning numbers, the > alphabet, days of the week, colours and shapes, maintain close contact with > his teacher to monitor his progress. If your child seems extremely restless, > easily distracted and/or has trouble interacting with peers it is possible > that he has some attentional or behavioural problems that may require > assessment at a later stage. > Perhaps a parent has noticed their child is struggling at school. Often, it > is a teacher who has alerted a parent that their child has been experiencing > difficulty working at the same level as other children in their class even > though they are trying their best. At times, it is the child who goes to the > teacher or parent and lets them know that they are finding school work very > difficult. Crying over homework, repeatedly asking a teacher to go over the > same work, signs of low self-esteem because they fear they are "not smart" > are all signs that a child's academic performance should be monitored. > It is important to note that a person seeking an educational assessment is > not always a child. Sometimes, an adult decides to complete academic > upgrading or apply as a mature student to college or university while > acknowledging that he or she experienced some earlier learning difficulties > as a child. Many adults in this situation decide to investigate their > learning style because there is more modern scientific knowledge about > learning disabilities now and they hope that more sophisticated help will be > available. As children, these individuals knew they were smart and capable > but just couldn't read as quickly as other people in their class or had > difficulty with math or writing. This adult has made a decision that they > could succeed if they could find out more about the way they learn. > One step at a time........ > Find a psychologist who completes educational assessments in your area. You > can find a psychologist on the internet, the College of Psychologists of > Ontario or another provincial regulatory organization. Your child's school or > pediatrician may be able to make a suitable referral for an educational > assessment. Make an appointment to meet with a psychologist who has > experience in School Psychology and consult with them at their office. It is > best for parents to meet for a one-hour interview to determine whether their > child needs an educational assessment or not. It is inadvisable to take your > child with you to this first meeting. Parents will always speak more plainly > about their concerns if their child is not present. More importantly, the > child will not be distressed by their parent's concerns or teacher reports. > If the appointment is for an individual 18+ years they generally attend an > intake interview on their own. > What do I tell my child or teen about having an educational assessment? > It is important for any client, young or old, to understand that an > educational assessment can identify strengths that can help the client > improve academic weaknesses. Speak positively about the upcoming experience. > For example, say, "you are going to meet a person who likes people find out > what they are really good at. When they do, they help you improve on a > subject that is really tricky and challenging for you". > What can I expect when I, or my child, begin an educational assessment? > Expect that you or your child will attend a number of testing or assessment > sessions soon after the intake session. Most often, a psychologist will ask > that test sessions be set earlier rather than later in the day. The reason > for [what is > tpm|https://complextime.com/talking-points-memo-the-best-political-news-and-opinion-website/] > this is that people are at their best earlier in the day immediately after a > good sleep. This is particularly true if attentional problems are suspected. > Remember, a psychologist wants to find out about your abilities or > intelligence. This is an important step. So, an intelligence test that > compares your functioning to other people exactly your age is an obvious > beginning. Once this has been completed, the psychologist will want to learn > more about the way your brain processes information. For example, if you hear > a story could you repeat it? How about the same story after 30-minutes? What > about a picture or pattern? Could you remember that as well as the story, or > better? Could the client's brain process what he or she heard easily or not? > Eventually, the psychologist will want to find out how and what you have > learned at school. Math, spelling, writing, listening and, reading tests will > surely follow. -- This message was sent by Atlassian Jira (v8.3.4#803005)