Any school psychologists (or teachers) out there?

[heatherlynn]

DH and I are going to talk to the school psychologist this afternoon. I think that DD has a processing problem, although I'm not 100% positive. There is definately something "wrong" and after doing some research, I think auditory processing might be the issue. Quite honestly, I think I have this problem as well. I think I made it through school pretty easily since so much was worksheets, etc, but once I got to college, I had a really hard time in classes that were mostly lecture and no textbook I could refer to to pick up what I never got through the lecture.

Anyway, I'm wondering what types of questions they will ask. I'd like to be able to give some thought to my answers before I meet w/ him. I'm not good at hearing oral questions, comprehending them, and then giving a well-thought out answer (processing issue?). I need time to digest information and think it through. Too much oral information at once and I'm lost.

Also, any questions I should ask? This is totally new to me and I have no idea what to expect. Any thoughts, information, and resources would be sooo greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

[happy2bamom]

Is this a meeting that you requested or the school requested? That would determine who would be walking into the meeting with an agenda, you or the school. Either way, I would find out the qualifications of the school psychologist and how long he has been working with children and if he has worked with similar cases. I would find out if he will be working directly with your child or if he plans to refer the case to the school counselor. Which, in general, school counselors are typically not qualified for any indepth counseling/therapy (these days school counselors are educated more on implementing standardized tests throughout the year). I would be hesitant to have my child work with a school counselor, unless you have good recs for yours.

They may talk about having your child labeled 504 in order to get special assistance at school. I would find out what that means in the long term. Does this stay on his permanent records and how would/could that effect him down the road, etc...

Whatever info you get, I would follow-up with your pediatrician. My experience (I use to be a family therapist for a school district) is that schools are most interested in quick fixes, which typically includes medication. Personally, I don't believe that meds are always the best route for kiddos. I would get info/feedback from the psychologist, ask about their recommended course of action, what exactly the school is going to do to help your child succeed. Then I would take that info to my pediatrician (or another professional that you trust) and make sure that everyone is taking the best course of action. Good luck!

[heatherlynn]

Thank you for your help! It all basically started when I mentioned to her teacher that she seemed sort of "lost" when the teacher was explaining things in class (I volunteer once a week). Her teacher said she'd watch her and meet w/ her team (?) and see what they thought. Apparently they thought there was enough of a problem to warrant further review (getting wrong similar types of problems, all x type questions wrong on last year's MCAS - Mass. state standardized test).

So I guess meeting w/ the psychologist is a first step in determining whether she gets tested for a learning disorder and/or possibly be put on an IEP (individualized education program, I think).

Luckily, my DH is a physican, so I feel pretty confident we can address the medication issue if it comes up (whether it's necessary, helpful, etc). We live in a "good" school district, so I wouldn't think they would want to go the quick fix route, but I guess you never know.

Anyway, thanks for advice. It's very helpful.

[pinkmomagain]

Well, I'm not sure how this meeting will go, but definitely as you have dd evaluated and dx, professionals will as you a lot of history questions....family history as well as dds. I remember having to really think when they asked developmental questions (when did she walk, talk, etc.)...so if you have all that stuff written down somewhere, that would be good to pull out.

HTH...and good luck!

Gina

[mom2binsd]

Based on what you describe it would be helpful to ask if the school Speech Pathologist (SLP) could be a part of the meeting and possibly take part in the evaluation- I worked in the schools for 13 years as a SLP and anytime there were concerns regarding auditory processing I was asked to participate. Often children can have language difficulties that impact their overall ability to process information/make sense of information/attach meaning to information presented auditorily and ultimately be able to use the information when expressing themselves or when reading. This is where the SLP and Psychologist can work together with the teacher and parent to find out the best way to support the childs learning-there are so many ways to do this, many parents immediately assume their child will be labeled, which is a valid concern but there are so many ways to provided intervention.

Hopefully you will be given a lot of information, and make sure you ask many questions, no matter how silly they may seem, sometimes psychologists tend to use jargon and vocabulary that isn't always clear, as a SLP I would always try to use simple, real world terminology and try to explain to parents using examples from everyday situations, whether it involved following directions at home, school situations and also to find out if parents notice any difficulties have in social settings/church/soccer etc.

Good luck, I understand how scary it is when you have these meetings at school. Hopefully your school will provide you with good information.