A psychological evaluation is a compilation of tests that
gives us information about a child's level of functioning. Presidio offers
psychological evaluations that cover both cognitive and emotional functioning. A
COGNITIVE evaluation looks at the child's potential to understand and apply new
information. For example, if a child is not doing well in school, they may have
limited ability to learn, or a learning disability, or an emotional problem (or all
three). A cognitive evaluation will help to shed light on what the child is needing
to be successful.
An evaluation of PERSONALITY or EMOTIONAL functioning looks
at how a child is functioning on an emotional level. For Example, you may have a
child in your home who is always oppositional. This can be due to a number of
factors. It may be that the child is very angry and does not know how to express
it. It may be that the child is depressed and it acting angry because they do not
understand why they are feeling bad. It could also mean that they child is fearful
or doesn't know how to form relationships. A psychological evaluation will shed
light on the underlying feelings, so you as the care giver will have more information on
how to deal with their behavior.
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Why can't we get this
information just from observing a child?
Children act out in many different ways. One child
may show their depression through throwing things, another child may show their depression
through withdrawing. The evaluation gives us a way to understand the individual
behavior of the child and what the behaviors mean for that particular child.
By the same token, children have a hard time telling people
when they just don't get what their teacher is saying. Very often they will act out
instead. A cognitive evaluation helps us to understand when a child is acting out
and when they just don't understand. Furthermore, a cognitive evaluation helps to
give us some direction on whether a child needs special education or whether they just
need extra help with homework every night.
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What should I do if I think
my child/foster child needs an evaluation?
Contact your child's treatment coordinator (Presidio
Co-Parents), caseworker or therapist. Your child may have had an evaluation done
recently and your treatment coordinator, caseworker or therapist can give you a
copy. If the child has not had an evaluation, the treatment coordinator will make a
referral to the Presidio team, who will determine if the child needs an evaluation and
what type of evaluation the child needs. very often, the Presidio treatment team has
reviewed each child's case and determined if he/she needs an evaluation, prior to the
child's placement. However, children's needs change, and your input is always
valuable.
If you are a parent in search of answers regarding your
possibly needing an evaluation, feel free to contact our main office anytime and you will
be put in contact with someone who can help you.
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Who does the evaluation?
All evaluations are done by professionals experienced in
testing and child development. The American Psychological Association has developed
guidelines establishing qualifications necessary to complete a valid psychological
evaluation. Presidio closely follows these guidelines.
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How long does and
evaluation take?
Evaluations are only done once a week. They can take
anywhere from two to six hours. Most children cannot handle more than three to four
hours of testing at one time. Your child's evaluation may be done one day a week for
two to three weeks.
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When are the evaluations
done?
Children are generally at their best when they test in the
morning. This will always mean that they miss several hours of school. The
information obtained from a psychological evaluation, however, is of vital importance to
the child's treatment, and therefore must take precedence over school activities.
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How do I prepare my
child?
Children generally enjoy evaluations, because they are
getting a good deal of individual attention. Parts of the evaluation consist of
tasks children generally find enjoyable, such as drawing, puzzles, and making up
stories. At the same time, they will probably be tired after the evaluation, just
because they are spending so much time interacting with one adult. It is best to
tell them that the evaluation is made up of a bunch of activities, and a lot of them are
fun. Furthermore, tell them this is something that gives us information on how the
child is doing, and on what their strengths are, so that we all know how to help them
better.
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Is there anything I
should do?
Try to make sure the child gets a good night's sleep before
the evaluation, and eats a good breakfast on the day of the evaluation. This will
help them to focus their attention, leading to results which are a better reflection of
their functioning. The child should also bring a snack, since we will be taking
breaks during the evaluation. The evacuation will take place in an office
setting. The child should be brought to the evaluation by the care giver. The
care giver does not, however, have to stay throughout the evaluation. Just arrange
with the evaluator a good time to pick the child up.
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How long does it
take for the child to be scheduled and the evaluation completed?
Since evaluations are done one day per week, you may have
to wait two to four weeks before the child is scheduled. This is why it is VERY
important to keep these appointments, and to make every attempt to be flexible with your
family's schedule. Once the evaluation is completed, it will take two to three
weeks before the report is completed. If you need a report more quickly (for
example, for medication questions, a court date, or a school conference), you must let the
evaluator know. We will try to accommodate these deadlines, but are not always able
to do so. The evaluator may be able to give verbal results of the evaluation to the
appropriate person, if necessary.
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