Parent to Parent of Georgia

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Questions to Consider Asking Any Professional

1. How will you evaluate my child to determine if he or she has a problem?

2. How do you put children at ease and help them understand why they are being evaluated?

3. Will the parents be involved in the evaluation process? If yes, how?

4. If there is a problem, how will you determine the extent of the problem?

5. How much time will your basic evaluation take (and how much will it cost)?

6. After the basic assessment, will further evaluation be necessary, and if so, how much time will be involved (and how much will it cost)?

7. In cases of financial hardship, are fees negotiable?

8. Are your services covered by insurance, and if so, with what insurers do you deal?

9. Will we have a follow-up conference to discuss your findings? How soon after the evaluation does this usually occur?

10. Will my child be included in the follow-up conference? If so, how?

11. Will we receive a written report? How long does it usually take to receive the report?

12. At the conference or in the written report will you offer specific suggestions about how to solve (or alleviate) the problem?

13. How would you describe your professional style - direct, businesslike, informal, etc.?

14. Will you act as an advocate for my child, and if so, in what ways?

15. How much experience have you had in working with children like my child - similar age, similar problems?

16. In what ways will you communicate/cooperate with school personnel (counselors, advisers, administrators, learning specialists) to help them understand and solve my child's problems?

17. What role will parents play in this process from start to finish?

18. Is a normal session 60 minutes?

Before any meeting with a professional you should review all of the information available about your child and take it with you to the consultation or evaluation. Report Cards, teachers' comments, testing results, documentation of any existing medical conditions, writing samples, letters of recommendation - literally any information that might help a professional diagnose the problem. And finally, you might want to keep a journal in which you note your own observations (and perhaps those of others) of your child's behavior, attitude, successes, frustrations, etc. This comprehensive folder of material collected in a systematic way, and untainted by the emotional baggage often attendant in these cases, should improve the prospects for successful remediation.

Adapted from "Learning Problems: Where to Find Help, A Directory of Professional Resources" Woodlynde School, Strafford, Pennsylvania [This copyright material is reprinted with permission of LD Online]



	HIGHLIGHTS Parents should consider having their child evaluated when they are worried that their child is not developing at the same rate or in the same way as other children of the same age. Read more of Dr. Leslie Rubin's advice.