What is a Psychoeducational Evaluation?

When a child begins to struggle in school—whether they are suddenly falling behind in reading, acting out in class, or coming home exhausted and frustrated every day—it's natural, as a parent, to feel anxious.

If a teacher or pediatrician has recommended "testing," "assessments," or a "psychoeducational evaluation," you may wonder what that actually entails. A psychoeducational evaluation can help you understand the "why" behind your child's academic struggles and provide the detailed information you need to support your child going forward.

Defining the Psychoeducational Evaluation

A psychoeducational evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of your child’s learning profile. Instead of just looking at grades, a school psychologist dives deep into cognitive abilities and processing areas:

• Cognitive Abilities & Processing: This includes looking at how your child’s brain handles, remembers, and organizes three, four, and five-step directions, the ability to recite back short and long chain facts, patterns, and numbers, and how your child can relate objects to one another. All are critically important in being able to understand academic instructions, rote memorization, and organizational skills.
• Academic Skills: An assessment of where your child stands fundamentally in reading, writing, and math.
• Behavioral and Social-Emotional Functioning: Looking at how your child is managing emotionally and socially.

Three Signs Your Child Might Benefit from an Evaluation

Typically, doctors, educators, tutors, therapists, or schools will recommend a psychoeducational evaluation if they notice one of these three distinct warning signs:

1. Repeated Patterns of Academic Difficulty
If teachers note over the course of years that your child is performing below grade-level expectations, it can indicate an underlying processing difficulty that is preventing them from progressing academically alongside their peers. Challenges in completing homework or avoiding certain academic exercises can indicate a need for a psychoeducational evaluation.

2. Repeated Patterns of Behavioral Issues
Behavior is a form of communication. If you or a teacher notices a consistent pattern of inattention, inappropriate classroom behavior, or social difficulties, additional testing through psychoeducational evaluations can explain why these behaviors are happening.

3. A Sudden Change in Behavior or Academics
A sudden drop in grades or an abrupt shift in emotional functioning (such as signs of depression or anxiety) warrants a closer look. Issues like depression can present very differently in children than they do in adults. A psychoeducational evaluation helps parents and teachers unpack those layers and see exactly what your child is experiencing.

Take the Next Step

If you are a family in the Atlanta area considering a different approach for helping your child thrive academically, learn more about The Howard School.

The Howard School is a private K-12 school in Atlanta serving students with one or more of the following learning differences: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, auditory processing disorder, executive functioning challenges and attention deficit disorder.

To learn more about whether The Howard School is a good fit for your child, complete our inquiry form. Our team will reach out to connect with you and schedule a guided tour of campus.