Parenting on
the Same Page
What? An Evaluation?
by Cathie Perolman
No one will ever know your
child like you do, and you
see aspects of your child
that no teacher ever will, but the
reverse is also true. Your child’s
teacher sees aspects of your child
that you may never get to see.
Your child’s teacher sees him as he
is learning to be part of a group.
She gets to see how he handles
himself when interacting with
others, negotiating social challenges,
responding to class directions,
and navigating school life
and shared physical space. All
of these things require different
skills than being part of a family,
and sometimes educators and
caregivers find areas of developmental
concern.
It is so exciting and such fun to
watch your child change and grow!
But, as new parents, what is typical
may be hard to know. There
are so many aspects of development
to think about, physical
(gross motor), language, social,
fine motor, and academics. Each
has a timeline for typical development,
with variations for individual
children. Most will develop
naturally. In addition, their progress
is monitored by their pediatrician
as well as their educators;
but sometimes, a teacher needs to
share a concern with a parent that
is difficult to hear.
It is during these times that parents
might consider where a
teacher’s expertise is different
from their own and from where
the concern is coming. Teachers
can see where an aspect of
your child’s development is ‘right
on target’ or maybe even slightly
ahead of the curve and where
your child may be lagging behind
his peers slightly, moderately, or,
significantly. It is this expertise
that guides a teacher to decide
When facets of the classroom seem difficult for a child, a teacher
generally seeks to understand why and try to help the child
build the necessary skills to grow that area of himself. Until that
happens, the teacher may make accommodations for the child.
when to wait and see, when to
make changes in the classroom,
when to modify expectations, or
when to ask for assistance outside
of the school.
When facets of the classroom
seem difficult for a child, a teacher
generally seeks to understand why
and try to help the child build the
necessary skills to grow that area
of himself. Until that happens,
the teacher may make accommodations
for the child. An example
would be a child who has difficulty
sitting on the circle without
touching others. That child may
have a pillow to sit on to help him
understand his personal space. A
creative teacher is always looking
for the best way to help children be
successful with the least amount
of intervention. We would expect
to see growth from these types of
interventions and that the child
would need them less and less as
time passes. If this is not the case,
perhaps it is time to seek more
information and support from
a specialist. Specialists in motor
skills (occupational therapists),
speech and communication skills
(speech language pathologists),
and behavior (child psychologists)
can offer specific recommendations
in many areas of difficulty, as
well as offer suggestions and support
in growing the challenging
area(s) for the child.
A teacher seldom seeks outside
intervention or evaluations as a
first resort. When outside assistance
is recommended, it is always
after multiple other strategies
have been considered and implemented.
When these strategies are
not effective, the teacher seeks out
referrals from the best support
system that she thinks can help
the child succeed. Frequently, the
search begins with an evaluation.
These are often specific to the area
of difficulty, although if she feels
the child is having multiple challenges,
a more overarching neuropsychological
evaluation may
be recommended. The specialist
will look at the child and his skills,
comparing them to other children
his age as well as his skills in other
areas of his development. They
will look to see if a child’s skills are
developing on par with each other.
With a specialist’s evaluation, a
decision is made about whether
or not to offer this child (and this
family) any support services or
further testing. The best course
of action may include exercises
the family can do at home together
or interventions the school can
put in place. They might include
sessions with a speech therapist,
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