When you can’t make sense of your child’s educational assessment
Susan could never quite understand why her son Tyler was struggling in school. He was approaching Grade 7, and although bright and well-liked, he was developing a reputation for being the ‘class clown’. Susan’s fears for her son’s academic future were reaching a tipping point.
Finally, Susan was encouraged by a teacher to get Tyler a psychoeducational assessment, but navigating the assessment process proved to be another monumental challenge.
“There was a lot of jargon I didn’t understand,” said Susan. “We learned that he was dyslexic, but every person experiences dyslexia differently and we struggled to understand what that really meant for Tyler.”
The challenge for parents like Susan is that their children don’t f it into a pre-set model of education. They need a more creative approach to teaching and learning.
Susan reached out to Fraser Academy, which is a leading educator designed for children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. The organization helps bridge psychology and neuroscience with education so that each student is given the best opportunity to thrive academically, cognitively, socially and emotionally throughout their school careers and into adulthood.
“I remember having an initial consultation via their outreach center, FAX, and when I hung up the phone, I felt like I finally had the power to change the trajectory of my son’s life,” said Susan. “It was a really emotional experience.”
Fraser Academy demystifies the psychoeducational assessment for families accessing their educational consulting services. They walk through an explanation of the student’s learning prof ile with the parents and child, and liaise with the child’s teachers or tutors to explain the best approach to teaching them.
“Everyone at Fraser has been really honest about what’s going on with Tyler,” said Susan.
“They know how to explain how his brain works. You could see his relief once he understood that he is bright, but particular cognitive functions were interfering with his ability to learn.”
Now Tyler is in Grade 8 and he’s starting to f ind his stride in school. His grades are up, but just as important, he feels good about his future and himself, which is a huge relief for Susan.
“Fraser Academy taught me to make sure I understood what the scores meant on Tyler’s assessment, to advocate for him, and to encourage him to advocate for himself,” said Susan. “By focusing on his strengths and understanding his needs, I’ve seen him transform into the capable person I’ve always known he is.”