Nothing compares to the wild journey of parenting. There are some things you know you should expect when your baby arrives (sleepless nights, diapers, and crying). But as your child grows, each day, week, month, and year can bring completely unexpected things.
Like most parents, you probably watch and wait for developmental milestones with anticipation. You celebrate when your child learns new things. And you may worry a bit when their development wobbles and doesn’t quite fit with “normal.”
You want nothing more than to prepare them to succeed in life, including at school.
When Things Don’t Seem Normal
But sometimes, children’s academic success doesn’t take a straight line. Maybe you or your child’s teachers have noticed behaviors or performance in the classroom and at home that impede their learning. If this is the case, a neuro-educational exam is often the first step toward identifying what can help them.
Some people may be intimidated by the idea of a neuro-educational evaluation. The name of it alone can make them worry that their child is struggling with issues that can’t be overcome. But this is far from true. Rather, think of a neuro-educational evaluation as a type of guidebook that can help steer your child and the adults in their life toward effective, meaningful learning.
Why Have a Neuro-Educational Evaluation?
In recent decades, researchers have learned more and more about the amazing human brain. Far from learning that everyone is neurotypical, they have instead realized that there’s a wide variety of ways the brain works. And one way is not necessarily any better than another.
The history of the modern educational system, however, has been shaped in a way that works better for some students than others. But we’re learning more about how to change this as a society.
Neuro-educational evaluations encompass a number of assessments. They are designed to identify those areas in which your child may learn differently than others. These exams can also pinpoint specific learning styles. And they can look for neurological issues, such as autism spectrum disorder.
Key Benefits of a Neuro-Educational Evaluation
As they say, knowledge is power. Once you and your child have a deeper understanding of their unique needs, you’ll be better able to set them up for academic success. Here are some specific benefits:
Avoid Mislabeling
Some children who struggle with learning can be mislabeled as having behavioral or emotional disorders. Rather, it’s their frustration with their learning differences that causes the behaviors. Falsely labeling children is heartbreaking and only creates more hurdles to effective learning.
With neuro-educational evaluations, you’ll be able to prevent harmful mislabeling or correct false perceptions of your child that have already taken hold. They can then be replaced with insightful, effective approaches to education for your child.
Adaptations
Another benefit of neuro-educational evaluations is that they can lead to important adaptations to help your child learn and study. Some of these can be classroom adaptations, such as allowing for testing accommodations, sensory needs, or specialized tools.
Without these evaluations, you may be left shooting in the dark, trying to help your child without any real direction. In fact, you could potentially worsen your child's problems.
The Brain Is Malleable
It’s important to not be discouraged or worried about where your child is. As I’ve mentioned, the human brain is amazing. It is designed to be malleable. This means that it is able to change and learn new approaches.
If your child seems to struggle all the time with learning, this doesn’t mean it will always be that way. Rather, neuro-educational evaluations help us identify the very best learning approaches for your child. As a team, we can help you, your child, and their teachers formulate learning strategies that work best for them and their future.
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We’ve worked with many families and children over the years. If you’d like to learn more about neuro-educational evaluations, please contact us.
