Psychoeducational Assessments

Psychoeducational evaluations are typically conducted when parents and/or teachers are concerned about a child or teen’s learning. However, evaluations to assess for learning disorders like dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia can be conducted at any age.

At Brain Spectrum, we believe that your family deserves the best, most accurate evaluation, and we take no shortcuts when it comes to diagnosing you or your loved one. We conduct comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations for Learning Disorders of Reading (e.g., Dyslexia), Writing, and/or Math (e.g., Dyscalculia). We also look at aspects of fine-motor control (e.g., Dysgraphia), including handwriting quality and speed.

Our evaluations typically also include aspects of neuropsychological testing, such as tests of memory and attention, in order to gain a more complete understanding of our client’s profile.

Possible Signs Of A Learning Disorder

• Slow, effortful word reading
• Difficulty understanding the meaning of what’s been read
• Spelling difficulties
• Difficulties with the rules of grammar
• Difficulty organizing writing tasks
• Messy or illegible handwriting
• Slow writing speed
• Difficulty mastering number sense, math facts, or calculation
• Memorization of math steps, but difficulty with math reasoning or applying math concepts

She uses a combination of tools to achieve diagnostic accuracy, including a psychosocial and developmental interview, cognitive testing, neuropsychological testing, and detailed assessment of reading, writing, and/or math. A variety of questionnaires are also completed by parents, teachers, and other professionals involved in the child or teen’s treatment. She will also review academic records and prior evaluation reports as a component of her comprehensive evaluations.

Dr. Thurlow uses a comprehensive battery of tests that is specifically tailored to the client, to determine whether a specific learning disorder is present. She also conducts an in-depth developmental interview, and obtains input from parents, teachers, and other professionals.

Academic Accommodations & Special Education Services:

In many cases, a recent and comprehensive evaluation is required by the school to help determine a child’s eligibility for special education services and accommodations. At Brain Spectrum, we can assist you in this process by providing you with the necessary evaluation and report.

Specialized Teaching Methods:

Having a learning disorder just means a person learns differently.  Oftentimes, this means they might benefit from a teaching method that is specifically designed for their unique learning needs. In the case of Dyslexia, for example, there are a number of teaching programs for children, teens, and adults who struggle with reading. Orton-Gillingham, Lindamood Bell, and SpellRead are three of the more popular and effective programs.  Brain Spectrum can help guide you to the program that best fits you or your child’s particular learning needs.

Standardized Testing and Exams:

Standardized tests and exams are primarily those used to make decisions about admissions to college, medical school, business school, law school, or other educational programs. Examples of such exams are the ACT, SAT, AP, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, and LSAT.

Psychological and neuropsychological testing, along with a documented diagnosis, can be helpful in obtaining testing accommodations. Typical accommodations include extended test-taking time, multiple breaks, or a distraction-free testing environment.

It is important to keep in mind that a diagnosis, previous history of classroom accommodations, and/or recommendations for testing accommodations are not a guarantee that you will be provided with testing accommodations. A clear documented history and the presence of functional limitations must be demonstrated, and the bar is being set increasingly high to qualify. This type of evaluation should be completed approximately 6-12 months before the scheduled exam date.