DYSLEXIA, DYSCALCULIA & DYSGRAPHIA TESTING FOR CHILDREN & TEENS IN MINNESOTA
WHEN READING, WRITING, OR MATH TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT, AN EVALUATION CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY
You may see that your child is working hard, while reading, writing, or math still seems to take much more effort than it should. A comprehensive learning evaluation can help you understand what is contributing to those difficulties, recognize your child’s strengths and learning needs, and identify the kinds of support that may be helpful.
Do Any of These Sound Familiar?
Reading can take much more effort than expected.
Your child may read slowly or inaccurately, have difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words or remembering how words are spelled, or need to reread because so much effort goes into reading.
Writing can be difficult even when your child knows what they want to say.
They may struggle with spelling, sentence structure, organizing ideas, punctuation, grammar, handwriting, or putting their thoughts into writing.
Math can be difficult to understand and keep track of.
Your child may have difficulty developing number sense, remembering math facts, understanding quantities, keeping track of steps, or knowing which operation to use.
If several of these sound familiar, a comprehensive learning evaluation can help determine whether dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or another learning difference is part of the picture and give you a better understanding of your child’s strengths and learning needs.
ANSWERS THAT HELP YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILD NEEDS
A comprehensive learning evaluation can help you understand why reading, writing, or math has been difficult for your child and identify the kinds of instruction and support that are likely to help.
You will come away with individualized recommendations for school and home, including instructional strategies, accommodations, and other supports that fit your child’s learning needs, along with a clear sense of what to focus on next.
How it Works
WHAT HAPPENS DURING DYSLEXIA, DYSGRAPHIA & DYSCALCULIA TESTING?
Step 1: Intake (1 to 2 hours)
We begin with a virtual meeting with parents or caregivers to gather background information, learn about current concerns, and understand what you hope the evaluation will help clarify. This helps us plan the assessment around your child’s individual needs. There is nothing your child needs to do to prepare for this appointment.
Step 2: Testing (3 to 5 hours)
The in-person testing appointment typically takes place about one week after the intake. Your child will complete a combination of structured tasks, questionnaires, and other activities based on their age and the areas being evaluated. Breaks are available as needed, and testing can sometimes be divided across more than one day.
Step 3: Feedback (1 to 2 hours)
About two to three weeks after testing, we meet virtually to review the findings, discuss any diagnoses, answer questions, and talk through practical next steps. Depending on your child’s age, needs, and preferences, they may participate in some or all of the feedback appointment. You will also receive a comprehensive written report summarizing the evaluation findings and individualized recommendations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LEARNING EVALUATIONS
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A learning evaluation may be helpful when reading, writing, or math continues to be difficult despite instruction, practice, and support. It can also be useful when your child is working hard but progress seems slower than expected or schoolwork requires significantly more effort than it does for peers.
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Dyslexia is a learning difference that primarily affects reading and spelling. Children with dyslexia may have difficulty reading words accurately or fluently, sounding out unfamiliar words, and remembering how words are spelled, even when they have had appropriate instruction.
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Dyscalculia is a term used for significant difficulty with math skills. It can affect number sense, understanding quantities, remembering math facts, completing calculations, keeping track of steps, and knowing how to approach math problems.
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Dysgraphia is a term often used to describe significant difficulty with handwriting and/or written expression. Depending on the child, difficulties may involve spelling, sentence construction, grammar, organizing ideas, handwriting, or getting thoughts into written form.
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There is no single test that determines whether a child has a learning disorder. A comprehensive evaluation looks at academic skills, cognitive abilities, developmental and educational history, and other factors that may be affecting learning. The goal is to understand the nature of the difficulty and whether diagnostic criteria for a specific learning disorder are met.
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Yes. Learning disorders can occur alongside ADHD, autism, anxiety, and other differences. Some children are both gifted and have a learning disorder, which is often described as twice-exceptionality, or 2e. A comprehensive evaluation considers these possibilities together so that difficulties with reading, writing, or math are understood in the context of the whole child.
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Yes. The written report can include recommendations for instruction, accommodations, and other supports at school. Families can choose to share the evaluation with the school, where the findings may help inform decisions about supports such as a 504 plan, IEP, or other interventions. Eligibility and specific services are ultimately determined by the school team.
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You will receive a written report that explains the findings, any diagnoses, your child’s strengths and learning needs, and individualized recommendations. During the feedback appointment, we will review the results together, answer your questions, and discuss practical next steps for school and home.
Want to Learn More?
Interested in learning more about dyslexia, what it is, and how it is diagnosed? Check out our blog post Dyslexia Fact and Fiction.
What Families Are Saying
"Dr. Matt was professional, empathetic, and extremely knowledgeable and we were able to get an appointment relatively quickly. Finally having a thoughtful, proper diagnosis and action plan has already had a profound effect on our parent-child relationship as well as many other things in her daily life. We highly recommend Dr. Matt and White Bear Psychological Services."
— Parent of an Evaluation Client
"Dr. Rebecca was wonderful to work with. She was warm, compassionate, and thorough. She helped put our son, who was not initially sure about the whole thing, at ease and made him feel comfortable and heard. Dr. Rebecca was knowledgeable but also able to present the findings in a way that both ourselves and our son could understand. We found the process, from start to finish, to be a very positive one."
— Parent of an Evaluation Client