need tips where to get learning disability evaluated

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids. For my older child, I get a full day neuropsychological evaluation appointment with children hospital in less than 1 week. Yes, they call me immediately when there is any open slot in a few days I call for scheduling appointment. For my younger child, it is more than 1 year waiting list, and no one has called me yet from children hospital to schedule neuropsychological evaluation. That is day and night treatment. Both children are not medicated, and they follow really closely with the older child because his diagnosis are too complex. Both children are high functioning, have friends, do sports, and mainstream at school with IEP unmedicated. The younger child may have all of the older child's complex diagnosis, but we never go deep into doing all genetic testing, MRI, EEG and etc. to get her diagnosed. She is the second child, so I don't want to go through the same journey for all different evaluations and want to cut corner. The younger child needs a learning disability evaluation, can someone point to me where she can get one, what kind of test or specialist she should see to get learning disability evaluated? She is age 7. I don't even know what test people use to evaluate learning disability, low IQ or dyslexia. She struggles in math and reading/writing, maybe 30-40 percent compared to peers.

[Anonymous]

I would reach out to the person who did the testing for your older child and explain. There are programs at children’s (not sure if you are in DC?) for kids with special medical diagnoses and you may be able to get your 2nd child tested through that program which will speed up the process. Otherwise it is a very long wait.

[Anonymous]

If you think your daughter has a complex condition, you should get her thoroughly evaluated. Having done it before with your older child is not a reason to "cut corners" with your younger child. Stay on the waitlist at Children's, and maybe look into other hospitals (KKI) or private practices (Chesapeake, Stixrud).

What did the testing for her special ed eligibility say? What disability did she qualify under? Since she is already eligible and getting services at school, there might not be a rush to finding other private evaluators rather than waiting to get off the Children's waitlist.

[Anonymous]

If you think your younger child has the same complex needs as your oldest, which required MRIs and EEGs, I don't understand why you wouldn't do the same testing for the youngest? Don't you want to know if she's having seizures/whatever the MRI was looking for? You should talk to your older child's providers and see what testing they recommend for the younger.