Psycho-educational assessments, what are they like?

Question

When I was in third grade, I was diagnosed with dyslexia and was also labeled gifted. The school have always honoured this, and we have made changements to my IEP based on observations. I'm 16 and I am an 'independent student'. The new school I'm at has said that they would best be able to accommodate my needs if I were reassessed. I said yes, and have he assessment coming up in about a month. I can't really remember what went on, at my last assesment so my question is: How exactly do psycho-educational assessments work and what happens at them(like what kind of tests do they make you do)? Thanks!

Answer 1

A psychoeducational assessment is when you sit alone with a school psychologist or other trained test administrator to identify your strengths and weaknesses for different types of skills and abilities.

There are a couple "basic" types of assessments depending on your specific needs:

An IQ test takes about an hour and is usually made up of several smaller tests. These might seem like games where you arrange blocks or pictures, or choose the best solution to a puzzle. The goal of an IQ test is to measure your ability to solve problems, not (as many people think) to measure how "smart" you are, even though there are measures for knowledge as part of the test.

An achievement test measures the amount of information you can demonstrate. The achievement test will probably ask you to do increasingly difficult reading, writing, and math problems to find out what your learning strengths and weaknesses are. The questions will always begin easy and become more difficult. Just relax - when they get harder just buckle in and keep trying!

If you're having behavioral problems in school the psychologist might administer some other scales, like depression inventories, personality inventories, and adaptive skills inventories. Questions on these tests are generally like, "Sometimes I get mad and want to scream" (always, sometimes, never)

All you need to keep in mind for the assessment is that the evaluator is trying to get a good clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses so (s)he can help you be more successful. Don't stress about it - it's to HELP you, not scare you.

Get a good night's sleep before the big day, and remember that you're being supported, not judged.

If you feel like your brain is fried during the test it's okay to ask for a break. A well-trained evaluator will also be able to help you recognize when you're getting worn out.

Answer 2

My son just went through one a few months ago. His took 4 hours. But my son has issues on the opposite end of the spectrum. A true psychoeducational evaluation will cover everything. Your strenghts, weaknesses, any recomendations they have as to your placement.

Only thing I would be leary about is the "new" school asking to have you retested. In my state a child has to be retested every three years in order to make sure their placement is correct. However, I would be cautious that this school is trying to get out of paying for another child who requires special services. That's the way it works here. IEP's and schools are difficult so make sure you have some help.