When should I get my child tested? What kind of testing should I get?

Testing is recommended when academic difficulty persists even after a period of intervention. When students struggle despite small group instruction and/or extra practice and reinforcement, parents are encouraged to get their child tested. Psychoeducational testing results in information regarding cognitive functioning, academic strengths and weaknesses and preferred learning styles. This testing will also explore attention and executive function concerns. Speech and language testing is recommended when receptive, expressive and/or social language is of concern. Occupational therapy testing is recommended when fine and/gross motor issues such as clumsiness, poor handwriting and other visual perceptual difficulties are evident. When results of testing are available, parents should be sure to ask questions and feel they have a clear understanding of the results, including the scores as well as the recommendations.