7yo anxious DD struggling in school - what kind of testing to do? Help!
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Anonymous
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DD has been in talk therapy for her anxiety for about a year now. She has been an anxious and sensitive child her whole life but it has gotten crippling lately - to the point where she is upset every night and may or may not lose her mind when I drop her off at school. Lately I have heard more and more often from her that she is sad, she just wants to be happy, she is uncomfortable all day long at school, she doesn't understand anything, she's frustrated, everyone else gets the math and spelling and she is lost, she can't stop worrying... sorry to ramble on. She is clearly becoming depressed.
Her therapist suggested a small dose of Zoloft to help her out (we would continue therapy, as well, which DD actually really enjoys going to). So, I feel like we may possibly get a handle on her anxiety/depression in the near future. However, I'm really worried about her school struggles. She is in second grade and receives extra pull outs for reading because she is just barely at grade level (went from 16 at the end of first to a 14 at the beginning of second). Unfortunately, she misses crucial writing time while she is in her reading pull out - and she desperately needs the writing instruction. She is completely lost in math even though her teacher says she doesn't seem to be distracted in class (and therefore paying attention, it seems). She's so frustrated... while I think a tutor would be beneficial, I don't even know where to start. Reading? Math? Therapist also suggested an evaluation to rule out/pinpoint any LD, processing disorders, etc which we are completely on board with. I'm curious to hear stories from others that have gone through this. While it would be great if it was her anxiety all along that was causing her to struggle in school, I have a gut feeling there is something more. What do these evaluations "test" for? |
Anonymous
| Take her to a pediatric opthalmologist to get her vision thoroughly checked. |
Anonymous
| Does she have an IEP? You could research neuropsychological testing and see if that makes sense for your daughter. If she doesn't have an IEP, you can request an assessment. It is likely that the school will then do evaluations, which may or may not be as thorough as you feel necessary. |
Anonymous
She has been seeing one for a couple of years - she has strabismus and amblyopia so has been patching and will likely need surgery to correct the strabismus. So, we are on top of her vision - her prescription is up to date. |
Anonymous
OP here. Her therapist suggested trying the school first and then going for a full neuropsych/educational evaluation with another psychologist if the school A) wouldn't do an evaluation for whatever reason or B) it wasn't thorough enough. I'm almost willing to skip the school evaluation so that we can get it all done at once and sooner with the psychologist. Would there be any reason to go to the school first other than cost-savings? I really have no idea where to start with this stuff... so any info you have is much appreciated. |
Anonymous
Cost is the main reason to go through school (~$4,000). |
Anonymous
Also - my understanding is that it can be a 6 month wait to get the testing done through a psychologist so might as well start with the school. |
Anonymous
OP again. Wow, I had no idea. I assumed it would be quicker to have her tested privately. I e-mailed her school counselor this morning so we could get the process started. I read something on the FCPS website that the process must be completed within 65 days of the initial forms being submitted so that would definitely be faster than six months! So the school will do the educational portion and then if we want a neuropsych we would still go private? |
Anonymous
| My child was having trouble with reading and writing and was seeing a therapist for social issues. We did testing, which suggested anxiety. After starting Zoloft and then adding in Focalin over the summer, he made huge strides in reading, and now loves to read. This is after being labeled below grade level as recently as May by the school. As of September, he is considered in line with the class. My point being, start with the meds and see how that goes. We didn't think it would affect reading but clearly it did. |
Anonymous
Not true. People have availability before that. You just need to call around. |
Anonymous
Psychoeducational evaluations are closer to 3K or 3.5K. |
Anonymous
OP again. We are likely starting her on Zoloft this week. That was a discussion that DH and I had (should we wait a couple of months for the meds before paying for testing?) and will have to discuss. Perhaps we'll start the process with the school and start her on the meds. We already know she has anxiety but I am curious to see if any LD or processing issues come up, so the school evaluation should be sufficient. Honestly, I had no idea the testing was upwards of $3-4k. I was thinking more like $1500-2000. Shows how much I know. 
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Anonymous
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OP here. I was basing my estimates off of the psychologist I'd contacted... her website states these as the self-pay costs:
Comprehensive Psychological Evaluation $1,500-2,500 Psychoeducational Evaluation $2,500 Social-Emotional & Personality Evaluation $1,000-$2,000 Developmental Evaluation $1,000-$2,000 ADHD Evaluation $1,000 |
Anonymous
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Usually a full exam incorporates a few of these tests - so it can approach $4000 quickly.
If you do it through a hospital it can take a ~6 months to get in. |
Anonymous
| The reading and writing may both actually have to do with her vision: it's likely that she has difficulty integrating what she's seeing. |