There are many reasons you may choose to get your child evaluated. And whether you get a school evaluation or a private evaluation, there are many reasons you may want a second one.
If both evaluations are performed properly, it’s likely that the results will be similar. But sometimes the results from different evaluations can vary.
Here are some factors that could be at play.
1. How Your Child Was Feeling
How your child feels can affect the results of his evaluation testing.For H1B Visa Process Visit UT Evaluators.
Say he’s happy, alert and well-rested when he takes a test. Then it’s more likely to give an accurate assessment of his abilities. But if he hasn’t slept well, is distracted or feels upset or even hungry, the measures may not be as accurate.
Before your child’s evaluation, it’s a good idea to explain to him what the evaluation is about. It’s not a punishment or a test he’ll be graded on.
It’s just a way to pinpoint the areas where he’s doing fine and areas where he might need extra help. And it’s a tool for figuring out what kind of help will work best.
The key here is that your child will follow your emotional lead. If you feel comfortable, it can help him feel comfortable as well.
For younger children who may not have been tested before, keep the explanation short and simple. For older children, be straightforward and calm to help them feel more relaxed. And give your child an opportunity to ask questions.
It’s also important to make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and is well-fueled before the evaluation, too.
2. The Specific Tests Used
Evaluators may select different tests to assess a child’s areas of strength and weakness.
There are dozens of different tests that can be used to learn about your child’s reading, math, spelling and written expression skills. Each test measures skills in a slightly different way.
Some evaluators may like one kind of test. Others may prefer different ways to measure the same skills. And some tests will be more helpful than others in understanding why your child is struggling in a particular area.
If you request a second evaluation, it’s important to give the evaluator a list of the tests that were used the first time around.
Say the second evaluation uses the same version of the same test your child already took. That means your child has already seen the questions. In some cases, that can make his second round of answers invalid.
Sharing the list of tests will also help make sure you don’t miss an important testing area. Be sure to include the results from the first evaluation when you share the list, too.
3. The Time of Year
How far along your child is in the school year can also affect testing. Early in the school year, your child may be rusty on skills he hasn’t had a chance to practice.
As a result, evaluation results may underestimate his skills in certain areas. But he may brush up on or master those skills throughout the school year.To know more details on Educational Evaluations in US check Msresearch
4. How the Recommendations Were Reached
If your child gets a school evaluation, the evaluation team, which includes you, will discuss recommendations once testing is complete.
The recommendations will likely talk about a general approach the team feels would help your child. They may not mention a specific program.
For example, the team may suggest that your child meet one-on-one with a reading specialist three times a week for 30 minutes to work on phonemic awareness skills. But the team may stop short of naming an actual program.
If your child gets a private evaluation, the evaluator (or evaluators) may recommend a course of action. That often includes specific programs.
In other words, the recommendation from one evaluation may not be as specific as another. And in some cases, recommendations that sound different are actually very similar.
For example, recommendations from one evaluation may call for your child to get instruction through a multisensory structured language program.
Another might recommend that your child get one-on-one sessions using the Wilson Reading System. The Wilson Reading System is one of several available multisensory structured language programs.