ADHD / Learning
Prism Psychological Services offers evaluations for children with attention problems, hyperactivity, learning issues, school placement, and special education services. We also offer treatment and psychotherapy services for a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and learning problems.
Special education:
Prism Psychological Services offers psychological and learning assessments to help children receive special education services in school. While schools can offer special education evaluations, many parents seek our services for a variety of reasons. These can include timing issues (e.g., parents want testing during the summer or there is a delay in testing during the school year); "second opinion;" preference for a professional outside of the school setting to do the testing; or many other reasons. Below is an excerpt from A Parent's Guide to Special Education in North Carolina, from Duke University Children's Law Clinic, which discussed the law that applies to special education in the schools"
"(In) 1975, Congress passed a law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA says that children with disabilities have the right to a free, appropriate public education. This means they cannot be turned away from public school. The law also says that children with disabilities should be taught in regular neighborhood schools, in regular classrooms, to the extent possible. In other words, children with disabilities should typically get the support they need without being sent to special schools. The law says that each child with a disability should have an individualized program so that his disabilities are addressed with just the right set of educational services and supports so the child can learn and make progress despite his disability. Finally, the law gives parents the right to participate in the decision-making about their child’s educational programming, and gives them some tools to dispute decisions they disagree with."
Download the complete guide here:
A Parent's Guide to Special Education in North Carolina
ADHD:
Checklist: Signs and Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (from cdc.gov)
"If you are concerned about a child’s behavior, it is important to discuss these concerns with the child’s healthcare provider.
This checklist describes the types of symptoms that a healthcare provider will ask about in the process of deciding whether a child has ADHD. You can use this checklist to help you start the conversation.
Deciding if a child has ADHD is a process with several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms.
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5) is used by mental health professionals to help diagnose ADHD. The criteria are presented here in modified form in order to make them more accessible to the general public. They are listed here for information purposes and should be used only by trained healthcare providers to diagnose or treat ADHD."
Download the ADHD Symptom Checklist here:
Print