1. How is your assessment different from the assessments done in schools? Our assessments differ from school-based assessments in a few ways: access, purpose and scope, and future implications.
Access: As parents, you can put in a written request to your child's school at any time, to request for a free psycho-educational assessment. However, your child's school has a right to deny assessment requests if they do not think that your child has a suspected disability that requires a 504 Plan or Special Education services. Schedule permitting, we welcome all assessment enquiries and referrals.
Purpose and Scope: The primary purpose of school-based assessments is to determine if your child meets one or more of the 13 eligibility categories, according to the California Education Code. School-based assessments examine areas of suspected disability but do not provide a diagnosis. In contrast, our thorough assessments do not adopt a deficit model; we look holistically at your child's learning strengths and needs. We also do assessments for giftedness, language proficiency, and executive functions - focuses not typical of school-based assessments. Finally, where appropriate, we can provide diagnoses according the the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5).
Future Implications: School-based assessments lead to immediate discussions and decisions about qualifying for Special Education, including the types of services, accommodations, and placements within the school system. These are important decisions and can have significant implications on your child's education. In contrast, we conclude all our assessments with recommendations and strategies for the home and the school settings. It is your decision if and when you want to share the findings with your child's school. We understand that you may want to take some time to process the results and recommendations, so we offer a free follow-up consultation 4 months after the conclusion of our assessment.
2. Can my child receive services and accommodations in their school with your assessment? Schools provide services and accommodations to students with documented disabilities, through a 504 Plan or an Individual Education Plan (IEP). If a disability and learning needs have been found through our comprehensive assessment, you may wish to share the report with your child's school for their consideration and request for a meeting. Your child's school may then develop a 504 Plan or an IEP for your child based on our thorough assessment but they also have a right to conduct their own additional assessment. We are happy to walk you through this process with our parent consultation service.
3. Are you an educational advocate? Educational advocates are individuals specially trained in disability law (Section 504 & Individuals with Disabilities Act) and they can help you navigate the complex rules and regulations while upholding you and your child's rights. We are currently not able to provide this level of expert support. However, as an extension of our assessment process, we are happy to meet with your child's school team, share our findings, and collaborate to find ways to help your child succeed in their schools. We can also work with you through parent consultation to review the school's recommendations and know how to prepare for meetings with the school team.
4. Do you take insurance? Unfortunately, insurance companies do not consider our assessment, coaching, and consultation services as medically necessary and will often not cover these services. We can provide you with an itemized invoice with the relevant billing codes, should you decide to seek reimbursement through your insurance provider.