Should you initially decide to skip the evaluation and identification route through your public schools, you can search out the experts in your area and surrounding area that best address the concerns you have regarding your child. It is also important to note that private evaluations do not always lead to special education. Your goal should always be to understand your child and then make the best possible decisions regarding their education. Many families will use private evaluators to fully understand their child’s learning style, challenges, deficits and disabilities in order to secure private services through therapists, consultants and educational tutors. Some parents will even choose private schools, to work with their children and provide the learning tools and environment best suited to their educational needs.
Here is a list of professionals who can help in the public school and private setting.
- Audiologist
- Adaptive Physical Education Teacher
- Assistive Technology Specialist
- Behavioral Specialist
- Educational Consultant
- Educational Therapist
- Learning Disabilities Specialist
- Math specialist (there are not many, but they are growing in number)
- Neurologist
- Neuropsychologist (a neuropsychological evaluation for educational benefit can also be given by a Ph.D, Ed.D or Ed.S. trained to conduct assessments for executive functions, working memory, and visual and auditory processing)
- Occupational Therapist
- Developmental Pediatrician
- Pediatrician
- Physical Therapist
- Psychologist (Ph.D, MA, School Psychologist)
- Reading Specialist
- Social Worker
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Speech and Language Therapist
The bottom line as it pertains to public or private professionals that can assist with identifying and understanding your child’s learning needs is this: the earliest identification, while often a parent’s greatest fear, is more about fear of the unknown. Hearing and facing the news that your child has a learning disability can be very frightening. What does this mean for my child’s education? What does this mean for future college plans? Will this impact my child’s ability to be a successful adult? All good questions and questions that may take some time to understand and know the answer to. However, for your child’s sake and the sake of their educational needs (emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social and academic) - - please learn everything you can, as early as you can…and remember it is never too late.