Syracuse University’s Psycho-Educational Teaching Laboratory evaluates approximately 30 PreK-12 students each year who present puzzling learning and/or behavioral difficulties. With the exception of preschoolers, these students already have been seen by their own school teams, and the school personnel or parents are seeking more information regarding the nature of the child’s strengths, weaknesses and appropriate intervention strategies. The clinic’s teams consist of graduate students in school psychology, learning disabilities, severe/profound disabilities, early childhood, and related areas.
Assessments involve three or four clinic visits for the child and family. Areas evaluated include intellectual, perceptual, language, neuropsychological, socio-emotional, reading, spelling, math, written expression and study skill characteristics. In addition to using standardized measures, the laboratory encourages systematic observations at home and school. In order to to suggest intervention strategies that will best meet their needs, our goal is to determine, within the context in which the child lives and studies:
School and home visits are customary prior to beginning assessments. Parents observe all assessment activities and are actively involved in deliberations with team members. The school staff is also encouraged to become involved. Upon completion of an assessment, a written report is sent and parent-student school conferences are held. Frequently, evaluations culminate with presentations at Committee on Special Education meetings or testifying at impartial hearings.
The cost of the evaluation, which is subsidized through Syracuse University, is $600 (with payment plans available), a significant discount compared to most private evaluators. As the Children’s Psycho-Educational Clinic is a non-profit clinic, the cost of the evaluations is used to purchase assessment materials for the clinic. The evaluation is typically not covered by insurance, as the clinic is a graduate training clinic.
For more information, or if you are interested in pursuing an evaluation with the clinic, please contact:
