After the child receives a battery of tests, the parent should be provided copies of the results. Understanding these results can be difficult and the parent should not hesitate to ask for clarification. A few key ideas that may help:
- Understand how the test is normalized. Is the test scored based on an “average” score? Understanding how the test is scored will make a huge difference in how the parent understand the child’s performance.
- Understand the standard deviations. if the child scored “low” in the parent’s opinion but is within one standard deviation of what is considered “normal” the child may not qualify for specialized services. If this is not explained, ask questions about the standard deviations. This may help explain why a child may or may not qualify for services.
Also, it is important that a parent understands what it means if the child scores “on a third grade level” as a fifth grader, or something similar. This does not always mean that the child is on a third grade level. If the child received a fifth grade test, he understood as much as a third grader would know, but if he took a third grade test, he may know more than a typical third grader might know.
While this does mean that the child is behind, it does not necessarily mean that the child is two full grade levels behind. If in doubt, ask for clarification.
Continue reading: Parents, once a disability is found, learn what steps you need to take next.
