What Is Involved With Learning Disability Assessments?

Everyone learns differently. Some children learn at a different pace. Others learn by doing, or seeing, or hearing. Many children need a multi-sensory environment. With so many different learning styles, it’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly what’s best for your child. 

But, when you’ve tried different things and your child is still struggling to keep up, you might wonder if something more is happening. 

Unfortunately, there are many stigmas behind learning disabilities that don’t need to be there. If you’re concerned that your child is behind, don’t hesitate to get them the help they deserve by getting the proper assessments. 

Of course, it’s important to understand what’s involved with learning disability assessments. The more you know about the process and what to expect, the more you can be there to support your child. 

A Variety of Tests

Because there’s no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to learning, specialists use a variety of tests to determine if a child (or adult) has a learning disability. These could potentially include intelligence tests, achievement tests, phonological processing tests, and language tests. 

Throughout these tests, specialists will look for specific skills. Things like cognitive abilities, processing speed, reading fluency, and executive functioning will all be analyzed. Let’s dig a little deeper into each process so you know what to expect. 

Intelligence Tests

Intelligence tests focus on cognitive functioning. They determine someone’s ability to work through problems. They also discover a person’s ability to reason, and can serve as a baseline indicator of the base of knowledge someone already has. 

Most people are familiar with intelligence tests because IQ assessments are one of the most common forms. IQ assessments can help to determine an individual’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses. They’re also good for determining someone’s visual spatial skills and their working memory abilities.

However, IQ tests have been heavily debated over the years, especially in school settings. While there’s no denying they are a good measure of intelligence, they are certainly not the only measure that needs to be used when assessing for a learning disability. That’s why other forms of testing have become so imperative in learning disability assessment. 

Achievement Tests

Some learning disability assessments will focus on teaching an individual a certain subject for a time, and then testing them on what they learned. These are called achievement tests. In a way, almost every test a student takes in school is a type of achievement test — a recall of what they’ve learned. 

Not all students excel when it comes to standardized tests, even if they can recall information. So, again, it’s important to dig deeper into a learning disability assessment. 

Phonological processing Tests

This type of test can look at areas of cognitive processing that underly our ability to learn to read. It’s often used as a way to assess learning abilities for children or adults who might have dyslexia. Tasks could include naming objects quickly, or breaking apart and putting together parts of words.

Language Tests

Common language tests help to determine a person’s ability to comprehend something they read, understand word structure, and form proper sentences. Most language tests are administered through a series of written or verbal questions. This specific type of test can help to determine if a child is dealing with a language disorder or specific learning disorder. 

As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts involved in learning disability assessments. It’s important to understand which test is appropriate for your child, and it’s likely that they should undergo more than one type of assessment. They might not have a disability, but a different style of learning that needs to be approached correctly. Of course, tests are always accompanied by a thorough history taking and record review. Be prepared to bring work samples and report cards.

If you’re concerned about your child’s ability to learn, don’t hesitate to get them the support they need. It starts with the right kind of assessment and a strategy to move forward. Reach out to learn more about the various testing services we offer, such as autism assessment, ADHD assessment, or dyslexia testing.