Loving parents have a lot to consider as they raise their children. Nutrition, physical fitness, education and socialization are only a few of the concerns. But nothing is as alarming as when a parent suspects that their child might be either socially, emotionally or intellectually behind other children in their peer group.

When Linda Dupie's second-grade daughter was discovered reading a year below grade level, Dupie knew it was time to get her daughter tested.

"I'm dyslexic and it is believed my father was, too, and I had read about the possibility of heredity playing a part," says Dupie.

Dupie says the two-week process was harder on her than it was on her daughter. After the tests were administered her daughter was indeed diagnosed with dyslexia. Like many other parents whose child is diagnosed with a learning disability, Dupie and her family were relieved to get a handle on the problem and move on from there.

"The tests were extremely helpful," says Dupie. "They pinpointed her areas of weakness, and the counselors and psychologist were able to develop a curriculum for my daughter."

An Important Role
Psychological testing helps in the identification of learning disabilities and other possible psychological issues or disorders. The tests compare a child's performance to age-based norms across a number of different fields including thinking and reasoning, perceptual and visual motor functioning, ability to concentrate on verbal and visual information, social knowledge and emotional functioning.

Gloria Rothenberg, a licensed psychologist and a certified school psychologist in New York, believes that psychological testing helps identify what type of learner a child is and how they can best be served by the education community.

"Some children lack specific skills in one or more areas, which can lead to a 'learning style' that succeeds when instruction is presented in one format, but not another," says Rothenberg. "Some children test within the average range but have difficulty applying what they know in a classroom setting."

It is important to keep this in mind during the testing process. Think of the tests as a tool to help you and your child's educator offer your child the best education possible.

When to Have Your Child Tested
So how do you know when your child should be tested? Rothenberg says that there are a number of red flags parents should notice early in a child's life.

"Early intervention is critical for some childhood problems including autism spectrum disorders, hearing impairments and developmental language disorders," she says.

Red flags for young children include:

• Children who do not speak by 2 1/2 years old
• Children who do not use language to communicate even though they know how to speak by age 3
• Children who persistently do not listen to verbal directions
• Children who show no interest in playing with other children by age 3
• Children who never or rarely engage in eye contact with others
• Children who react negatively to touch from familiar people
• Children who show no interest in using objects for imaginary play by age 2 1/2
• Children who are highly rigid and respond with extreme upset to changes in their routine
• Children who are 6 months or more behind in attaining motor milestones

This is really only a partial list," says Rothenberg. "A good evaluation looks at the child's overall functioning."

For the older child, red flags have a different look. According to Jana Martin, a licensed psychologist and the California public education campaign coordinator for the American Psychological Association, children having difficulty in school – whether due to social, academic or psychological difficulties – increase their requests to stay home. Frequent headaches, messy work, dawdling, rushing through work, negative statements about the teacher, school and the educational process in general are also indicators that something is wrong.

"It is always a good idea for parents to have handy references or charts which outline social, behavioral, academic and emotional developmental milestones for different age ranges and to refer to them periodically," says Martin. "Remember that these are best 'guesstimates,' not rigid dividing lines for determining when a child is 'behind.' It is also helpful to consult with a child's pediatrician or school counselor for ideas on appropriate expectations for children of different ages. Then, if a child shows consistent behavior lagging behind when compared to like peers, testing may help to identify not only the causes of the performance differences, but also solutions which can aid the child."

What Kind of Testing Is Available?
The following tests are just a few that parents may be offered for a child.

Intelligence/Cognitive Functioning tests: Provides an estimate of a child's potential for learning; measures the cumulative influence of a multiplicity of experiences, both formal and informal; is often compared to achievement test results to determine if child is functioning at potential.

Educational/Achievement tests: Designed to measure effects of a specific program of instruction or training; emphasis is on what the child can do at the time in areas such as math, language; can be administered individually or in a group.

Behaviorally Based measures: Based on observable behavior and various factors that control/impact the behavior. Assesses ongoing behavior and can include direct observational techniques, interviews, self-reports, behavior checklists and rating scales.

Speech and Language testing: Assesses a child's ability to enunciate/speak clearly, express him/herself and understand language. May include other communication skills such as eye contact (done by a speech/language specialist/pathologist).

Occupational testing: Evaluation of a child's fine and gross motor skills, visual-spatial and visual-motor skills along with sensory processing (usually done by an occupational therapist, although psychologists can measure to some extent).

Neuropsychological testing: To measure a child's cognitive skills and brain functioning.

Psychological evaluation: May include intelligence and achievement testing but also evaluates a child's emotional, behavioral and social functioning.

Developmental evaluation: Testing with preschool children to assess level of development usually regarding motor, language, cognitive and social skills.

Where to Begin
Parents who sense their child may have emotional, social or academic challenges often have no idea where to go for help. Ellen Braaten, child psychologist and co-author of the book Straight Talk About Psychological Testing for Kids (Guilford Press, 2003) believes the first step should be people who know your child well.

"We generally recommend a conversation with the child's teacher or pediatrician as a first step," says Braaten. "If they feel an evaluation is necessary, they should provide you with a way of getting the evaluation completed. For instance, a pediatrician might suggest that you consult the school to have the evaluation completed, or perhaps recommend a professional outside of the school system. The teacher would most likely provide you with information on how to proceed within the school system."

If neither of these options is workable, Braaten recommends talking to friends who have had children with similar problems and getting information on what they did.

"The whole purpose of testing is to provide information about a child, particularly a child who is experiencing some type of problem or difficulty," says Braaten. "Testing can tell them about their child's developmental level in language, motor, social, behavioral and emotional functioning. It can provide an estimate of their child's innate ability (i.e., intelligence or IQ) and assess his/her cognitive strengths or weaknesses. For the purposes of making a diagnosis, documenting the needs for therapies or services and figuring out the potential basis of an emotional or behavior problem, testing evaluations are typically essential."

For the Dupies, testing provided their family with a road map for their daughter’s success.

"By the end of her third-grade year my daughter was reading almost on grade level and now she is in the sixth grade and reading above grade level and maintaining honor roll grades," says Dupie. "If a parent suspects a problem they should take full advantage of the resources available, whether it's a public school or private testing."

Want to see more?

• Parents as Advocates: Standing up for Your Child
• Late Talkers: Correctly Diagnosing Speech Disorders
• The Four D's of Dyslexia: Defining, Deciphering, Diagnosis and Dealing
• Talk about it!