Learning Disabilities Testing

There are many organizations that provide the testing for learning disabilities at your home, school or office. The cost of the testing is generally quite reasonable. If test results indicate the presence of a learning disability, the child is generally referred to an educational therapy program or educational therapist. Even if the child is not going to enroll in a therapy program, these test reports may be useful for determining the need for special accommodations etc.

If the child's teacher or the parents notice that the child has trouble learning, they should get a learning disabilities testing done for the child. However, it is a good idea to have the child's hearing and vision tested first. If the hearing and vision are both fine, then the child needs a learning disabilities evaluation. Parents have the right to request learning disabilities testing for their child at the expense of the school district.

The most widely used model for learning disabilities testing is the discrepancy model in which the child receives an educational evaluation. This consists of academic achievement testing, and a psychological evaluation or an IQ test. The Educational Evaluation is usually performed by the school psychologist or a professional trained in learning disabilities testing. A psychological evaluation and an IQ test can only be administered by a licensed psychologist. If there is a discrepancy between the results, and a child has a high IQ but poor achievement test results, the child may have a learning disability.

The assessment and the learning disabilities testing process are complex and based on gathering information in all areas related to suspected disability. Depending on the area of the suspected disability and the unique situation of each child, the assessment usually includes:

• A review of the child’s educational records
• Observations
• Reviews of the child’s student work
• Medical, vision, and hearing tests
• Developmental and social history
• Fine and gross motor functions evaluation
• Adaptive behavior testing
• Speech and language assessment
• IQ tests
• Assessment of the child’s academic skills
• Social and emotional skills and adjustment assessment
• Behavioral assessment
• Psychiatric evaluation