The how's and where's of getting an educational assessment

frenchmartini

For 8 year old boy. Dublin Kildare.
We don't know where to start :-(

Moonbeam

Did you talk to his teacher?

frenchmartini

Thank you. Yes we have.

byhookorbycrook

Why does he need to be assessed? Is it for dyslexia? Does he attend learning support at school? A list of those ed. psychologists approved by the DES can be found at http://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Educational-Psychologist-NEPS-/NEPS-SCPA-Panel.pdf
You are as well to try and use someone from this list if you can.
You can claim tax back on an educational assessment too, by the way.

frenchmartini

Thank you. He is struggling across English and maths and we want to establish if it's discalculia/dyslexia/both or something else.
He gets very distressed about it all and feels stupid, even with us supporting and encouraging him. He has a fantastic, supportive teacher. My heart is so sore with worry about him.

Yes, he gets a very small amount of support.

byhookorbycrook

Was it the learning support teacher or the class teacher who spoke with you? Do you know if the school has done a test called the Non Reading Intelligence Test (NRIT) or similar and if so, how does that tie in with his test results? Is there a history of dyslexia in the family?

frenchmartini

No history of any of the above. He goes to a LST maybe once twice a week for hour or so, it's v random and not regular. Certainly not every week. Spoke to class teacher, who accepts he has a maths difficulty and to a lesser extent English. She isn't sure he has dyslexia, though he still inverts D and B and M and W. She thinks he's not so 'bad' that he's an obvious candidate for regular formal support, but that he's in that grey area where he can be missed. She is fantastic and I have been working closely with her on extra work at home to try bring him on.
But my worries linger.
have never spoken to the LST. No testing either, never heard of that test.
Thank you. I just want to help him.

rambutman

I got my son (9 now) assessed here 2 years ago

http://www.cattsireland.com/

as i wasn't up for the wait doing it through the HSE

byhookorbycrook

rambutman wrote: »

I got my son (9 now) assessed here 2 years ago

http://www.cattsireland.com/

as i wasn't up for the wait doing it through the HSE

I don't think they do psycho-educational assessments.
Children can reverse letters up to the age of 8 without it necessarily meaning the child has dyslexia. if you'd like to PM me his test results (Drumcondra or Micra T etc, feel free. )

Big Bag of Chips

Surely if a test or assessment needs to be done, then it can be organised through the school?

My son had one done through the school last year, in 1st class... We'd been having trouble since JI, but the school told us that an assessment wouldn't usually be done until 1st or 2nd class, because up to that point it is thought that "they might grow out of it".

Last year, on my insistence, because he was getting angrier and angrier with school in general, he was assessed by (byhookorbycrook might correct me here if I get the organisation wrong, I'm not 100%!) the NEBS (?) psychologist. (Just saw the link above... It's NEPS !!) It showed up some emotional problems, but exceptional academic ability.

He is now on a waiting list for a HSE psychologist... But a new teacher seems to have the emotional (and academic!) stuff under control!

byhookorbycrook

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Surely if a test or assessment needs to be done, then it can be organised through the school?

Not so easy anymore. NEPS have a new "model of service" which seems to mean even less assessments.