I was recently asked to do a psychological evaluation for a child at a Montessori school. Many believe that it is incongruent for one to get testing while going to a Montessori school. After all, the myth is that Montessori schools have no curriculum and don’t even require tests in their school. But, this is actually just that—a myth! More and more, schools are implementing psychological testing to help provide answers and recommendations to best help the child. Psychologists can help provide information that might not be observed in a classroom by a teacher or at home by a parent; we are trained to look holistically at all information (personal, academic, intellectual, behavioral, and mental) to provide a conceptualization to help the child best function.
If a teacher asks for a psychological assessment for your child, don’t assume that it is for a negative reason. In fact, giftedness evaluations are done with as much frequency as problem behavior to help ensure that the child is being as academically stimulated as possible.
Take Emma, for example (her name has been changed for confidentiality purposes). Emma presented in school with “behavioral problems.” She was often distracted during lessons, took longer than peers to complete assignments, and would often “goof off.” The parents were increasingly frustrated by the notes home asking for “extra attention” to homework and providing a detailed description of “problematic behaviors” in the classroom. The school was increasingly frustrated because the parents were not overly concerned and seemed minimally responsive.
In situations such as Emma’s, subsequent parent-teacher conferences are met with increased frustration because the child is not functioning as well as others. If behavioral issues are a concern, parent and teacher frustration can exacerbate the situation. If the child starts to be labeled as “that child,” it’s easy for her to start falling into that role. What happens all to often is that the parents grow more frustrated with their own child and the school, rather than being curious about what is really happening. I always encourage parents to “be curious” rather than jump to the conclusion that their child has attention or opposition problems.
Emma came to me for a psychological evaluation. When I told the parents the cost, they originally gasped at the price. Tests are expensive! As a fellow parent, I would feel the same. As a psychologist, I will share that I am typically spending two hours at the child’s school for observation of the student, interviewing parents and teachers for at least several hours, and then doing two days of testing. Then I’m writing a 10-15 page report. Many parents fail to recognize that it is generally a week’s worth of information gathering and result writing that truly needs to be completed. So, it’s expensive for a reason. Please, try not to be dissuaded by the cost, if you really want the help for your child. I can say with certainty that testing typically does give answers—many of which were never even considered.
Emma was a delight. She was wonderful in my office. She was pleasant and polite and, while initially nervous, very excited to come for testing. I asked her all kinds of questions, some of which were totally benign and some of which really provided me a glimpse of her life. Her parents were constantly fighting. One parent had lost his job. Emma was feeling emotionally bullied by a peer at school. And, finally, she felt bored with the schoolwork. Then I started with the testing …
I quickly learned that Emma is completely under-stimulated and bored. She kept telling me that she loved doing this testing because she liked to see what she could really do and it was “fun!” (How thrilled would I be if my kids described intelligence, achievement, and memory testing as fun.) And, as the results came in, I realized that Emma is actually functioning at least two grade levels above what she is being taught! Put all of this together, including the home challenges, and you see a better picture of how she is attempting to cope, which, in Emma’s case, is actually backfiring.
The beautiful aspect of this is that, by doing this testing, I was able to give a glimpse into her personal and academic life to both parents and teachers. Neither party needed to be defensive. It wasn’t any one person’s fault. The facts that were revealed through the data showed that neither school nor home life was truly providing the most optimal environment for Emma to thrive.
The irony is that, despite common knowledge, Montessori schools are the perfect places for children to get psychological evaluations (particularly if there is a good referral question). As you probably know, Montessori is different from other private and public schools, as evidenced in their mixed-age classrooms. Thus, the rate at which a child advances through the Montessori curriculum can actually be adjusted for each child. Emma, in this case, could be given more stimulating lessons without being overly frustrated; in fact, this is what she was asking for without knowing how to ask for it. Additionally, if a child needs more structure or more breaks, that can be implemented. I also discovered that Emma learns best from visual cues and through manual
manipulation, so that was provided as a recommendation.
Similarly, the parents didn’t realize how much Emma was picking up about their marital discord. We, as parents, often assume that, although children are present, they are unaware of the non-verbal cues that we provide to our spouse with whom we are fighting. Not only did she notice, she didn’t have the words to ask if they were okay. Emma also explained to me that she didn’t want to tell her parents about her peers bullying her because “they are already angry at each other.” What a beautiful little girl with incredible emotional intelligence and sensitivity. There were issues at school and at home. Emma was truly just trying to do the best she could, while carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
As an outside party, I came in and met with all parties, including Emma. I was able to talk about the troubles that she reported, the difficulties that she was experiencing, and we collectively came up with a plan. There was no blaming or frustration. It also helped teachers and parents incorporate changes into their own environments. Emma could and would succeed now that there was an understanding of the source of these behaviors. As a result, there was less frustration from the teachers, the parents, and most especially Emma. Now, Emma had a voice and learned how to say what was truly bothering her, knowing that she had an active audience. Emma also learned to take responsibility for how she might be contributing to the situation (as she admitted that sometimes she goofs off, knowing that she will get in trouble, just to get attention).
Generally, problems and difficulties arise at various points throughout a child’s life (whether it’s potty training, test anxiety, performance problems). While teachers are well trained at identifying problems and implementing solutions, sometimes there is a need for something more.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help; early intervention is best. It’s an investment in your child to help them succeed.
Tomorrow’s Child / November 2014 / p 26
