Melissa's evaluations are very indepth and comprehensive.  The evaluation can last 2-4 hours depending on the needs of the individual.  

As part of the cost of the evaluation, Melissa will write a comprehensive report and provide a 1 hour meeting to review the results and determine with the family what are the best next steps.

This meeting can be held with Melissa and the parent's/guardian or Melissa will met with the parent's/guardians and the individuals teachers and interventionists.

The goal of an evaluation is to provide a complete picture of the individual's strengths and weaknesses in order to provide intervention or accommodations that will promote success for the individual.  In order for this to be accomplished Melissa works collaboratively with parents, interventionists, cleassroom teachers, and other related school personnel.
There are many factors that contribut to a child becoming a reader.  Some of those factors we cannot control.  HOWEVER, when a child is at school there are countless hours of opportunity to make EVERY CHILD a reader.  For those that are struggling there is a reason why and the only way to determine what that is interfering a comprehensive evaluation is needed.  Without an in depth assessment of all the skills needed to read, the factors are really just opinion, assumptions, and excuses.  Help every child be free.  Find out precisely what is interfering with his or her success, then systematically provide intervention and instruction supported by the science of reading.  Until this becomes the norm, we will continue to have very high illiteracy rates!  UNLOCK A CHILD'S POTENTIAL....a comprehensive evaluation will tell you how!!!

What you need to know about evaluations...


The REAL purpose of any evaluation is to provide a complete and comprehensive profile of strengths and weaknesses of the individual being evaluated in order to plan appropriate interventions and instruction.  It is NOT simply to “qualify” for services or distribute a label but that is what it has become for many.
It is CRITICAL to know the governing “forces” behind the evaluation and evaluator.  For instance, many professionals can administer tests but few can give actual diagnosis and even fewer can give certain diagnosis.  The training of the evaluator and the location of the person’s job for instance private sector, clinic, or public school determine these “forces”.

As a speech language pathologist I can diagnose and treat communication disorders for BOTH oral and written language….that includes Dyslexia and a host of other speech and language impairments.  As a Certified Academic Language Therapist and IDA Certified Dyslexia Therapist accompanied with years of experience providing intervention for Dyslexic individuals, I have a unique perspective and skill set when evaluating.  My goal is to evaluate all of the necessary skills that can be mistaken as ADHD.  Too many children with language impairments and Dyslexia are often misdiagnosed because the "symptoms" of all three, language impairment, Dyslexia, and ADHD overlap.  My goal is to investigate all of these skills in order to provide a complete picture of the child and then make any necessary referral to the appropriate professionals. 
 
I cannot diagnose Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because that is a medical diagnosis.  However, I evaluate all of the communication, processing, and executive functioning skills that are often mistaken as ADHD.  Within the professional domain as a speech pathologist I can evaluate executive functioning skills which is one of the areas of deficit for someone with ADHD.  If I suspect ADHD I will evaluate all areas that fall within my professional umbrella and rule them out as potential possibilities and then make a referral to a medical doctor.  I typically refer families to a child psychiatrist because in my experience they are more versed in the various pharmaceutical and behavioral treatments if that is what the child needs.  Only a psychiatrist or another MD can prescribe medication.  

Melissa's Evaluations 

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In order to design a comprehensive treatment plan, each child needs to be evaluated.  The provides the parents, teachers, and interventionists with critical information regarding the child's individual strengths and weaknesses.  An effective treatment plan is designed around a child's strengths and weaknesses.  Below is a description of the different evaluations available at Hannah Educational Resources and Evaluations.

Dyslexia Screening Screening:
  • This screening is intended only to determine if a more comprehensive evaluation is needed.  This type of screening is appropriate for school age children who have had previous testing or testing in other areas or parents and classroom teachers suspect a possible learning disability   Even though this is a great place to start many children will need a more comprehensive evaluation because additional information is needed to have the complete picture of the child’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • This screening takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes to administer.  A very brief summary will be provided for the parents indicating if additional testing is needed.

Comprehensive Language Learning Evaluation:
  • This is a comprehensive evaluation of the critical language skills needed to promote academic success.  Many children begin to struggle is school because of underlying language deficits.  These deficits could be in any or all of the 5 parameters of language: phonology, semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatics.
  • This evaluation will take a minimum of 2 hours and could last up to 4 hours depending on the child’s performance and the areas that need to be assessed.  This evaluation can be completed in one day or scheduled over the course of two days if needed.