Parents are asked to complete a background questionnaire that begins with the reason for testing, or the “Referral Question.” This is accompanied by a Release of Information that permits me to speak to teachers, schools, and other professionals working with the student. The work of testing, and all information gathered, is highly sensitive and confidential.
Before the administration of the first subtest, a Student Interview is conducted, which gives the student the opportunity to tell about his or her school day, the subjects liked or disliked, and the reasons for any difficulty. Through the Interview, the student’s voice is represented, but more importantly, students perceptually are their own best diagnosticians, explaining what it is that “gets in their way” in the classroom. For example, a student might say that when people speak too quickly that he or she cannot keep up with the speaker. This sort of difficulty may manifest itself in an inability to keep pace on a worksheet as the classroom teacher gives instructions. Even kindergarteners can be extremely insightful reporters about their own hurdles.
As the work of testing progresses, the observation of a student’s reaction to specific questions often reveals a pattern that might define a specific learning disability or a difficulty learning a particular academic subject. While the disability warrants a diagnosis, the difficulty will be thoroughly explained as how it interferes with learning. Both the diagnosis and this difficulty will be supported by recommendations as well as accommodations to ensure success in all areas of learning.
At the conclusion of the testing, I write a detailed report including observations. Parents come for the test finding and are asked to spend about two hours reviewing the report. They are encouraged to take the report to school and share it with the teachers, as well as with tutors and other related professionals. At their request, a meeting with the school can be arranged.