How to Administer a Psycho Educational Evaluation

Psychoeducational evaluations target three main areas to assess students: academic skill development, personality, and adjustment factors and learning aptitude. Evaluations are administered to discover why a child is having difficulty in an academic environment. As many as 15 to 20 percent of children have learning disabilities, according to Dr. M.L. Burgee, executive director of Applied Counseling & Psychoeducational Services. Learning disabilities are diagnosed when a child's evaluation differs greatly from the educational expectancy range. Tests are typically administered by a licensed professional, although many parents administer evaluations at home. Standardized tests, administered in a controlled environment, give parents and educators insight into a child's performance.

Instructions

1

Understand the tests before you administer them to your child. There are several tests used to assess a child's learning disabilities, both informal and formal. Van Dyke Public School lists several tests administered to children, along with many terms used for standardized tests. Know what each test assesses before you administer them. And be familiar with words and phrases used for the tests.

2

Choose the tests needed by your child--not every child needs every test. If you want to test your child's motor coordination, the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration might be the only necessary test. For a more in-depth assessment of a child, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, 4th Edition paired with the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, 3rd Edition might be better choices. Determine how much testing you want to administer to your child.

3

Find out if your state requires certain tests; children with learning disabilities may require extra testing. If you're home-schooling your child, the state may want proof of standardized test scores. Document the tests you give and keep the results for state officials.

4

Learn where to get the tests. The Home School Legal Defense Association offers some resources for parents. On its website, you'll find informal evaluations that you can do at home, along with resources to buy or rent formal tests.

5

Test your child in a quiet, stress-free environment. As the examiner, you will observe the ease or difficulty your child has with each task. Test scores are more valid when assessments are done on an individual basis.

6

Get the results; some tests have immediate results, while others will be sent to an off-site location and evaluated. The procedure with each test is different. Knowing the terms used with standardized tests will help clarify your questions.