As a parent, it can be hard to tell if your child has actual learning problems, or if he or she is just being lazy with schoolwork. If you have a child that is not doing well in school, you may wonder why this is happening. To find out, you could have a psychoeducational assessment completed on your child, and this type of testing will reveal a lot of different details about your child.

What is a psychoeducational assessment?

A psychoeducational assessment is a thorough test that is usually completed by a psychologist or counsellor. The assessment tests the child in numerous areas and looks for problems related to learning, and some of the things you will learn from the testing include details about your child's:

• Learning style
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Possible neurological issues

By finding out this information, you will know whether your child has a learning disability or not, but that is not all you will find out from this.

How will this help?

A thorough psychoeducational assessment often takes up to several days to complete because it involves observing the child, talking to the child's teacher, and written testing the child must complete. When the testing is finished, the psychologist will spend time analyzing the results, and you will receive a written report of the findings.

This type of assessment can help in many ways, including:

• Gaining an understanding of the child's problems
• Addressing the correct problems the child has
• Finding ways to overcome the weaknesses

Ultimately, you will know what the next steps to take are because the results will tell you where the child is lacking. This will provide you with the information you need to focus on the right areas, and it will give you advice about how to help your child improve in these areas.

If the testing comes back as normal, you will then have a better understanding of how to help your child overcome his or her attitude and habits towards school work. The results can also be useful to give to your child's teacher. If the teacher understands the child's learning style and problems, he or she may be able to provide better instruction for the child.

If you are interested in getting your child tested, contact a company that offers counselling services for children. They may be able to complete the assessment for you, and this will be a good step to take to help your child succeed in school.