Assessments
If you suspect that your child has a learning disability (LD), don’t despair. With early recognition and targeted intervention, children with LD can achieve as well as other children do. Students whose LD is identified and addressed before they leave third grade have the best chance at academic success, but it’s never too late.
Fortunately, not every child who struggles in school has a learning disability. However, it’s critical that you are proactive about your child’s learning difficulties. The sooner you address your child’s struggles, the sooner he or she can receive appropriate support which may include assessments.
There is no single “test” or even universally accepted approach to identifying learning disabilities (LD). The characteristics of LD are often differ from one child to another. Features of LD can be “hidden” in some situations and very much apparent in others.
ATOC is able to carry carry out a whole range of internationally recognised assessments, interpret the results and identify areas of strength and weakness and elimnate any complicating factors that might be contributing to learning problems, after which the consultant may focus on the specific nature of the problem so that timely decisions can be made about carefully targeted intervention and support.
This process gives information on what a child should be capable of and what he can actually do.The key to identifying LD is
Purpose of Testing
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Diagnosis
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Programme Placement
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Funding and Classification
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Access to Therapies
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Instructional Planning
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Evaluation of Outcome
Assessment is conducted by professionals with experience in dealing with children throughout the age-range. As there are many different assessments we will select the most appropriate consultant who is suitable to carry out the test.
If your child’s school has recommended the evaluation process, it is helpful if you name the coordinating person in the initial referral.
As it is important not to over test a child we need copies about any previous assessment in order that we can establish the most suitable test strategy:
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Forms of Assessment
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Interviews
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Observations
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Rating Scales
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Norm-referenced Tests
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Performance Evaluation
A comprehensive assessment process may include:
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intelligence, academic achievement, social behaviour
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visual skills, speech, auditory processing
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motor performance
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sensory and perceptual performance and elements of language not covered in the intelligence testing.
In order to fully understand a child who either has extensive difficultiesl or specific difficulties, ATOC's team of professionals looks at the child from the various different perspectives.
Individuals with specific learning difficulties will have some difficulty with academic and functional skills, including: listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, organising information, and doing numerical calculations or mathematical reasoning. When diagnosing a learning difficulty, it is important that the IQ is within the average range and that the individual has specific deficits in learning. Other terminologies include learning disability or disorder.
At ATOC we strive to recognise the importance of identifying the differences in learning while also identifying what the individual does well. This way, we move forward to developing strategies that are the ‘best fit for that individual’ and we also move our thoughts away from the deficit model to the recognition that change is possible and potential is the key.'
Types of Testing
Early childhood developmental testing has to be thorough and sensitive to the variations in a child's maturing process. Hearing, poor vision, and other senses are considered.
The are many different types of test ATOC will consider undertaking, including
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Our team will review your child’s developmental skills over a complete morning and then hold a Team Meeting to discuss the findings and then make recommendations.
IQ testing and academic achievement is carried out by our psychologist. Academic achievement is also carried out by our educational consultants. Standardised assessments enable identification of any gaps or specific areas of weakness.
The Speech and Language Therapist looks at a wide variety of Speech and Language skills, which could include auditory processing, discrimination and memory, speech production skills, and the quality of language.
In an Occupational Therapy Evaluation, assesment is made on writing skills, visual processing, motor skills, and the analysis of functional tasks. Behavioural Assessments take time and considers management and behaviour in different settings.
A child with exceptional abilities and talents is requested to undertake an assessment in order to determine if the he/she is gifted. Within Thailand and surrounding countries, cultural variations and exposure to multiple languages are taken into account. International students may have experienced education in a variety of schools with varied curriculums.
Accommodation
Some students with difficulties require help in order access learning more effectively. This help can take the form of accommodations and modifications.
Accommodations
‘Accommodations enable a student with learning difficulties or other challenges to show what they know through alterations, in which they perform tasks or exams while the task content remains the same.’
Modifications
‘Modifications are more extensive than accommodations in that they change the content of material presented as well as the way it is presented, and are often recommended for students with more complex learning needs.’
School Referral
Schools recommending a child for assessment will firstly conduct a pre-referral process in order to ensure that they have adopted a process of internal assessment and implemented strategies within the classroom prior to an external referral.
It is important that we are given information from the school not only on the main areas of concern, but also on what the child can do well. The previous school report is helpful as is a named person with whom we can coordinate prior to or after the assessment
