School can be fun and exciting. But it can also be challenging. For children with attention and learning difficulties, understanding new concepts and remembering new information can be tough. Even organizing work from several subjects can feel stressful. You're juggling extracurricular activities and demands at home. It can feel like a full-time job for students. While some students thrive under pressure, others have a tough time balancing it all.  As a parent, watching your child struggle in school is hard. Not understanding why can feel like an even bigger mountain to climb. Psychoeducational Testing Can Help.

School problems can impact all areas of life

Adam is in the third grade.  Until this year, he loved school.  His teachers enjoyed having him as a student and he was eager to learn.  Now, Adam hates school.  His grades are dropping and teachers are reporting missed assignments. Every day he comes home from school, drops his backpack, and does everything possible to avoid homework. He refuses to read books outside of school hours. During homework time, Adam’s parents notice he has a hard time understanding new concepts.  Adam can’t sit still and he gets easily distracted. He refuses to read aloud, and when asked to write the tears start to flow.  Everyone ends up exhausted by the time he finishes homework.

Curtis is an active fifth grader.  He loves sports and school.  Despite his eagerness to learn, he has trouble keeping it all together.  He forgets his lunch and homework.  His backpack is a mess and he forgets to turn in assignments. He gets home from school and throws his backpack on the floor. Shoes get tossed in opposite directions, he grabs a snack and heads to his room. Empty bowls and plates appear scattered around the room.  His mother notices that his messiness is now becoming a problem. In fact, it is affecting school and grades.

Ella is high achieving student in the ninth grade.  She enjoys learning and keeps herself organized. Teachers describe Ella as a bright student who participates in class. But, concern starts to rise after she fails to finish her classwork and tests.  Homework takes her hours to complete and she has little time for friends. Ella is in tears over completing her assignments. In fact, her sleep is suffering.  She worries about getting good grades and doesn’t understand why it takes her so long to do the work!

Five Ways Psychoeducational Testing Can Help Your Child Thrive 

1) Psych-Ed Testing is Comprehensive

You may have been wondering if your child is having learning or attention problems. You’ve talked to your pediatrician. In fact, you even filled out a questionnaire to help better understand your child.  Psychoeducational can provide you with more details and more answers.  For many children, several factors contribute to school challenges.  These factors can include learning difficulties, poor executive functioning, and slowed processing. As well as mood and behavior concerns.  Psych-ed testing can assess all these factors. And help both you and your child understand how they contribute to difficulties in school. 

2) Psych-Ed Testing Can Answer Many Questions at Once

Psychoeducational testing can provide a full picture of your child’s abilities. This results in a unique profile of your child’s areas of strength and weakness. Often young people and parents who seek evaluation have several questions or concerns.  A comprehensive evaluation can assess each of these concerns. Psych-ed testing can help your child understand how they might relate. Or, help determine which concern is causing the most trouble. Focus areas in your child’s psych-ed testing can include:

• Attention and concentration

• Behavior and emotional functioning

• Cognitive and intellectual abilities

• Fine-motor coordination

• Executive functions (life tasks) such as organization and planning

• Language and language-related processing

• Learning and memory 

• Problem-solving skills

• Social skills

• Visual and nonverbal information processing

3) Psych-Ed Testing is Collaborative

A collaborative approach to evaluation is necessary to achieve success.  As part of the evaluation, a psychologist will gather data and information from many sources. This may include parents, teachers, and other medical providers.  Comprehensive information will help the psychologist better understand your whole child. Including how their struggles show up in different environments.  Having accurate data leads to more accurate assessment and diagnosis.  Accurate information from many sources also helps the psychologist provide tailored recommendations for your child.

4) Psych-Ed Testing Can Give You a Plan for Success

Psychoeducational testing can help you understand your child’s unique learning profile. A comprehensive evaluation can also help you understand your child’s treatment needs.  After testing, a psychologist will meet with you. Here, they will review your child’s testing results and make recommendations for interventions.  These recommendations may include in-school interventions such as extra testing time, organization supports, and prioritized seating. As well as accommodations for learning disabilities.  A psychologist may be available to attend IEP/504 meetings and support team building for school-home collaboration. Outside of school, a psychologist may recommend psychotherapy to address mood or behavior concerns. Or occupational as well as speech therapy depending on your child’s needs.

5) Psych-Ed Testing Can Help You Understand Your Child

When your child learns or acts differently than you expect, it can be hard to understand.  When your child thinks in a different way than you, it can feel hard to connect.  Endless stress and fatigue around homework can leave you feeling defeated. Psychoeducational testing in Maryland can give you the information you need. With it, you can support them in learning and life. You'll be able to understand how your child’s brain works, how they problem-solve, and how they view new experiences and tasks. Psych-ed testing can also help your child better understand themselves.

The Thinking Tree Psychology Approach to Psychoeductional Testing

Thinking Tree psychologists have helped hundreds of families gain a better understanding of their child’s behavior. Both with learning at school and at home. A psychologist will provide all the support you need.  We will conduct a thorough clinical assessment and interview to understand your concerns.  In fact, we will work as a team with teachers, therapists, medical providers, and parents to understand your whole child. Together, we will meet with your child to conduct testing to create a unique profile of your child’s areas of strength and weakness. After testing, we will review the results and recommendations with you. We will help you understand what this feedback means for treatment and intervention.  We want your child to reach his or her full potential. 

Dr. Laurie Perlis describes her approach to psych-ed testing:

“Comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations provide a broad lens with which to understand the complex interaction between an individual's unique combination of thinking, learning and interpersonal styles and their environment. This is often essential, not only in terms of identifying effective educational accommodations and approaches for each student but also to promote an individual’s capacity for self-awareness and self-advocacy.” 

Dr. Clara Ko describes her approach to evaluations: 

“My approach centers on the belief that each child possesses unique strengths and challenges, so I tailor each assessment to each child’s specific needs. To understand the whole child, I incorporate insights from multiple sources/perspectives when possible—including the child, parents/guardians, and educators—ensuring a comprehensive understanding of each child's developmental profile. Ultimately, my goal is to offer realistic and practical recommendations that foster each child's optimal growth and development.”

What is holding you back from starting Psychoeducational testing in Maryland?

“Psychoeducational Testing costs too much.”

Effective assessment, diagnosis, and treatment need a commitment of both time and finances. Often comprehensive testing can be partially or fully reimbursed by insurance. Itemized statements will be provided to you. Use of a Health Savings Account (HSA)/Flex Spending Accounts (FSA) is another way to reduce the cost of testing.

Click here to read Guideline for Checking Insurance Benefits 

Click here for more information about fees.

“My child can’t pay attention long enough for testing.”

Concerns about your child’s attention are understandable. But, these concerns must be properly assessed.  Our psychologists have years of experience meeting with children, adolescents, and young adults of varying ages and developmental levels.  We meet your child where they are at and provide them with breaks and rests throughout psych-ed testing. They can use these breaks as often as needed.  Our goal is to provide accurate assessment results, and breaks are often an important part of keeping a child at their best.

“My child’s school can do psychoeducational testing.”

Psych-ed testing at Thinking Tree is more comprehensive than typical school assessments used to determine qualifications for school services. School-based assessments may focus on academic development or achievement alone. But a comprehensive evaluation can focus on understanding the complete picture of your child’s brain development. Additionally, it can diagnose learning, attention, and behavior disorders in the context of the whole child.

“We filled out a questionnaire at the Pediatrician. Isn’t that enough?”

Discussing your concerns with your child’s pediatrician can be very helpful. Yet, you may still have questions. Your child’s pediatrician may recommend further assessment and testing when there are major concerns about learning, attention, or mood. Or, if your concerns are not clear cut, you have many concerns such as poor attention and anxiety. And when mental health needs must be met. A comprehensive evaluation can assess these concerns. By knowing how they relate, you may determine which concern is causing the most trouble. Psych-ed testing can provide recommendations for both the school and home settings.

Begin Psychoeducational Testing Services in Severna Park, Maryland 

Your child does not have to struggle with learning and behavior problems.  Psych-ed testing can help your child succeed on their academic journey.  Our Severna Park, MD-based counseling office has ​trained psychologists who specialize in ​comprehensive psych-ed testing​. To start your testing journey, follow these simple steps: 

1. Contact ​Thinking Tree Psychology

2. Meet with one of our trained psychologists

3. Start ​helping your child reach their full potential.

Other Services at Thinking Tree Psychology

Psych-ed testing is not the only service we offer at Thinking Tree Psychology in Severna Park, Maryland.  Other mental health services provided by Thinking Tree Psychology include family therapy, anxiety treatment, therapy for chronic illness, and pain management. Please visit our therapy overview page to learn more about more therapy services or visit our FAQ page.        

Let us help your child reach their full potential.    

Lindsay Clendaniel, Ph.D. is a pediatric psychologist and owner at Thinking Tree Psychology. She specializes in the treatment of young people with anxiety and health-related adjustment issues. Her work focuses on increasing coping skills through relaxation training, mindfulness, and thinking (cognitive) approaches to improve symptom management and wellness. She has particular expertise in pain management and treatment of chronic headache and functional gastrointestinal illness.