It’s nearly 100 days into the school year. There have been many assessments, report cards and, last November, parent-teacher conferences from which to gather initial information. How is your child doing at school after the first 100 days?
You have been observing your child tackle homework, study for tests, and receive quiz and test grades since the start of the school year. And you may hear your child’s frustration: “I try as hard as I can but am not doing well”. Your child may tell you that he/she doesn’t like school. Or, you note that your child seems to take a very long time to complete the day’s homework. Perhaps, your child even resists going to school?
When it’s time to look deeper
November parent-teacher conferences generally provided an overview of your child’s progress and mastery of the curriculum through the first marking period. In addition, your teacher’s observations were likely shared with you. Since then, there may have been follow-up meetings to address concerns and strategies suggested and implemented. However, your child continues to be frustrated and not progressing. Moreover, this occurs in spite of these strategies, support and/or intervention both at school and home. Therefore, it may be time to meet with your child’s team of teachers to look deeper into the source of your child’s struggles.
Weak academic skills
“First, it’s important to ascertain from your child’s teacher whether your son or daughter has weak underlying skills from content introduced earlier in the year or covered a previous year,” suggests Ellen Weston, an Educational Consultant in Fairfield County. “Sometimes this happens when a child is out sick from school, particularly for an extended period of time. And, the missed content is never fully made up or understood”.
Weak skills from past content may very well undermine today’s academic success. Reading and mathematics, the underpinnings of all other core subjects are of particular importance. “Your teacher’s assistance to reteach necessary skills may be necessary or seek the support of a private tutor if your child is not at grade level in reading and math. Strengthening these two subject areas will lead to greater academic success and improved classroom confidence now and for the long term”, recommends Ellen. https://cecsolution.org/contact-us/
Obtaining evaluations
However, should you find that your son or daughter continues to struggle academically after receiving academic support or the nature of their difficulties remains unclear, consider having your child evaluated by the school’s Planning and Placement Team (PPT in public schools or equivalent in private schools).
“Based on the results of testing, the PPT may find that your child qualifies for either a 504 plan or an individualized education program (IEP). A 504 plan is used when a child requires accommodations, such as extended time on tests or breaks during the school day, to demonstrate their full potential in the classroom. An IEP is warranted if the child requires specialized instruction and modification of the curriculum to access instruction.
While public schools can provide comprehensive testing, in certain circumstances, parents may choose to have their child tested by a private evaluator. A private psychoeducational evaluation can be useful if a school district does not believe that testing is warranted or if a family is looking for diagnostic clarification. School-based evaluations can provide information on current levels of performance but do not provide diagnoses. The latter can be helpful in conceptualizing a child’s difficulties and determining appropriate next steps,” explain Dr. Sarah Rendell and Dr. Rachel Diorio from the Sasco River Center.
Early identification of academic challenges and appropriate interventions are essential to your child’s short and long-term success. Obtaining the necessary information and support will ensure that your child successfully, and more confidentially, progresses from one grade to the next.
References
Sarah Rendell, Ph.D., M.A.T. is a licensed psychologist and Associate Clinical Director at the Sasco River Center. She is a former educator who has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings. She has experience treating individuals with anxiety, depression, and medical disorders, and in conducting neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessments.
Dr. Rendell provides psychotherapy, parent guidance work, and psychoeducational evaluations. Dr. Rendell earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Health Emphasis) at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology of Yeshiva University. For more information, please visit sascoriver.com, or phone (203) 202-7654.
Rachel Diorio, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and the Head of Clinical Training at the Sasco River Center. Dr. Diorio conducts comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, provides individual and group therapy, provides parent guidance. And, she consults with school teams to improve students’ educational and behavioral outcomes.
Dr. Diorio has experience working with children and adolescents with anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, disruptive behaviors, and adjustment disorders. Dr. Diorio earned her doctoral degree in School Psychology at the University of Connecticut. For more information, please visit sascoriver.com, or phone (203) 202-7654.