Preparing for Evaluation
Talking to your child about the upcoming Evaluation:
It is generally a good idea to talk to your child about why they will be participating in the evaluation and what they can expect. On the first day of testing when the Evaluator arrives, it will be explained to your child that everybody learns differently and that they will be doing different types of activities and brain games to see how they learn best. They will be told that these activities will help us to understand what they are really good at and what things they need to keep working on. They will be told that these games will not be for a grade, and that it is okay to not know how to do something.
When talking with your child, it is a good idea to avoid the word “testing” in order to minimize the amount of anxiety or stress your child might feel about the process. It is also helpful to let your child know that you have already met and talked with the person coming to work with them. You can let them know that they can ask any questions they want about the process. You can explain to your child that they may be working for a couple hours at a time and that it may take more than one session to finish everything. It may be best to avoid telling your child an exact time on how long they will be working, as evaluation sessions may sometimes take longer or finish sooner than expected. This way your child does not get upset or become too focused on the time during the evaluation process. The most important thing is to reduce any anxiety or stress surrounding the evaluation process, so that your child is relaxed, comfortable, and able to do their best work. Most children view the evaluation as fun and enjoyable, with lots of attention, verbal praise, and reinforcers throughout the evaluation session.
Other things to remember:
Getting a good night’s sleep the night before an evaluation is important.
Try to have your child eat a good breakfast or other meal before the evaluation begins.
Any medications should be taken as usual on the day of evaluations, unless otherwise discussed.