Psychological Evaluations versus School Evaluations
How is a Psychological Evaluation different from a School Evaluation?
Psychological Evaluation
Psychological evaluations take place outside of school at a private psychology practice or through a medical center and is completed by (or supervised by) a licensed psychologist with a Health Service Provider in Psychology (HSPP) designation. The family can initiate this process, but sometimes a child’s teacher, doctor, or other professional working with the child suggests to a family that a psychological evaluation would be helpful.
A psychological evaluation can be beneficial for many reasons!
Obtain a medical diagnosis (if criteria is met). Medical diagnoses are needed for insurance to cover services outside of school (speech therapy, counseling, social skills interventions, ABA, etc.).
Get a developmental check up for your child before they start school.
Advocate for more support in your child’s school: If you feel that your school is not meeting your child’s academic needs but they have already done an evaluation.
Evaluate for learning concerns if your child attends a private school.
Obtain an in-depth evaluation of your child’s cognitive functioning (including general intellect, memory, reasoning, and verbal skills), academic achievement, language, adaptive behavior, executive functioning, behavior, and more, regardless of if there is already a “concern”! Most of the time, psychological evaluations outside of school are more in-depth than the testing the school would complete. So if you’re interested in learning and understanding more about a specific area of your child’s ability, Hive can help you along that journey!
School Evaluation
The process to obtain a school evaluation starts with the parent or school personnel making a referral/request for an educational evaluation. A multidisciplinary team (M-team) completes its evaluation and the conference committee (CCC) convenes a meeting to discuss the results and proposed school supports. This process is part of your child’s Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and will not cost you any money.
Benefits of a school evaluation:
Learn if your child qualifies for school supports
Obtain an educational “classification” (not a medical diagnosis) under IDEA
Informs the accommodations, modifications, or supports that go into a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan.
Is one better than the other?
It depends!
Both types of evaluations are helpful to learn about your child’s strengths, areas of needed support, and eligibility for certain services. A school evaluation is required in order to receive support at school; however, if an outside psychological evaluation has been completed first, a lot of times, the school can use that information to inform their evaluation! School evaluations will not, however, be accepted by your insurance company as proof of diagnosis. A psychological evaluation is required when you are seeking to obtain a medical diagnosis that insurance will accept to cover eligible services. When schools and psychologists work together, these two separate evaluations can build upon one another to ensure that everyone is on the same page, testing is not repeated unnecessarily, and your child is appropriately supported at home and school.
When is a psychological evaluation needed?
Sometimes a school evaluation is sufficient to meet your child’s needs, but when there are difficulties outside of school or there is a suspicion of a possible neurodevelopmental disorder or mental health diagnosis, you should have a psychological evaluation with a psychologist outside of the school. Additionally, schools may decide that your child does not need an evaluation, even if you have asked for one. A psychological evaluation outside of school may help you advocate for school services.