If you'r confused, it's because it's confusing


UNDERSTANDING AN EVALUATION, parents are the ones who will need to ensure the right program for their children. They more than anyone must understand what their children need. parents should be able to understand everything in an evaluation if you don't understand, ask questions until you do if answers are incomprehensible it is NOT because you are too ill informed, it's because the person answering does not understand well enough to explain it words like executive functions, working memory, visual processing, auditory processing even learning disability need explanation; they're confusing and in fact there is no clear agreement about what they mean make sure you know how the numbers work; the evaluator should be able to make this clear grade levels are not meaningful scores all aspects of an evaluation should fit together, the relationships should be clearly stated and explained
BEWARE OF CONTRADICTIONS, very often, in fact most often, evaluations report unexplained, apparent contradictions. It is in the resolution of what seems to be a contradiction that much of the important understanding is achieved. one test called reading (or math, or memory or "visual processing" or...) is low, another high. The important question to ask here is, what is the difference in the tests and the theory of reading (or math, or memory or "visual processing" or...) to which they adhere. test results say that the child is proficient in a certain area (can add fractions) but the IEP contains an objective for that skill OR CONVERSELY test results say there is a deficiency and there is no IEP objective for it. intelligence scores are lower than some achievement scores. This suggests that full intellectual potential has not been measured test scores are low but achievement in the general curriculum is said to be adequate a weakness is identified, i.e., visual-spatial processing, and then used as if it were a strength, i.e.,, as the basis for instruction, for example, will use graphic organizers to help organize writing.
BEWARE OF REVERSE OR OVER SIMPLIFIED CAUSALITY, when an outcome of a problem is described as the cause or a singular cause is given when there is more than one issue. a reading problem makes it impossible for a child to complete assignments and the reading problem is said to be an outcome of poor motivation. a decoding problem makes it impossible for a child to understand what s/he reads and the problem is said to be a comprehension problem. a problem understanding place value causes a child to transpose order when writing numerals (21 vs 12) and the problem is said to be a visual-spatial problem. a child who cannot analyze the order of sounds in a word spells alien as aniel and is said to have visual-spatial problems.

UNDERSTANDING AN EVALUATION, parents are the ones who will need to ensure the right program for their children. They more than anyone must understand what their children need.

BEWARE OF CONTRADICTIONS, very often, in fact most often, evaluations report unexplained, apparent contradictions. It is in the resolution of what seems to be a contradiction that much of the important understanding is achieved.

BEWARE OF REVERSE OR OVER SIMPLIFIED CAUSALITY, when an outcome of a problem is described as the cause or a singular cause is given when there is more than one issue.