If your child’s school challenges seem overwhelming or mysterious, you may want to consider getting an educational assessment.  While public schools provide educational testing services, students are primarily tested to see if they are eligible for special education services.  The public school’s educational assessment looks for a significant “discrepancy” between your child’s intellectual potential and his or her school performance.  If there is a big enough gap, the child will be eligible for special education services.  These services may or may not be useful, depending on the needs of your child and the services offered at your child’s school. 

The “gap” or “discrepancy model” does not recognize the problems of children who have a less dramatic mismatch between ability and performance.  Nor does it recognize the problems of children who struggle mightily to achieve grade level performance. 

If your child has learning difficulties that are readily diagnosable and treatable, then it is appropriate to remediate immediately with an educational therapist or tutor.  However, if your child has exceptional or persistent struggles, a private educational assessment will paint a fuller picture of your child’s unique pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses so that appropriate remediation efforts can be formulated.

A good private formal assessment:
- asks a clear question about your child’s challenges
- collects stories, facts, and history,
- administers standardized tests, and
- observes student behavior in the testing environment.

From a good private formal assessment you should get:
- a clear description of the information collected,
- a portrait of your child that is consistent with your own understanding of him or her
- a readable, practical list of recommendations.

The Ann Martin Center at 1250 Grand Avenue in Oakland (510) 655-7880 www.annmartin.org  provides full formal educational assessments for reasonable fees.  In tandem with an educational psychologist, Turning Point’s director and educational therapist does periodic educational testing for the Ann Martin Center.  In order to zero-in on best interventions, she also does informal assessments based on non-standardized tasks and games, and brief formal assessments.