Referral, Report, and Then What? (A Parent’s Guide to Neuropsych Testing)

Doctor Taryn Allen will explain the nuts and bolts of assessments so that you can feel confident supporting and advocating for your child. Navigating the technical world of neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations can feel overwhelming. How do I know if my child needs an evaluation and, if so, what kind? Should I go to an outside psychologist, or can the school evaluate my child effectively? And how do I make sense of all these scores and numbers? Taryn Allen, PhD, a licensed psychologist in Westport who specializes in evaluating children and young adults, will break down the nuts and bolts of the assessment world so that you can feel confident supporting and advocating for your child. You will learn: • The key components of an evaluation; • The basics of interpreting the data; • The difference between a medical diagnosis and an educational classification; • How psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessments differ; • How to decide which type of evaluation your child needs and who should do it; • What to do once an evaluation is complete, including how to work with your child’s school; • What an evaluation can and cannot tell you; and • Answers to the most common questions asked by parents. Presented by SPED*NET in partnership with Westport Special Education Empowerment Network (SEEN)