Evaluations are typically conducted to determine if the individual has a "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity," walking, learning, hearing, seeing, concentrating, thinking, etc. All staff at ACES are state certified to conduct these evaluations as well as interpret results to identify individual needs.
Conducted by an LDTC. Uses both standardized and functional assessments to determine strengths and weaknesses related to academic achievement. This includes language, reading, writing, and math, as well as attention and executive functioning.
Conducted by a licensed School Psychologist to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
Conducted by a licensed Speech Therapist to measure the individual’s communication skills as well as articulation when needed. Social Assessments: Conducted by a licensed Social Worker to obtain background information related to family, school, and community as it relates to the individuals current situation.
Conducted by a Neurologist who has the tools and experience to diagnosis ADD and ADHD and other neurological disorders.
To assist in diagnosing emotional based concerns.
Conducted by a specilist to determine what technology would improve a student’s performance, participation & Independence.
AT Evaluations (written report with recommendations)
AT Trainings - for students, staff and parents after the evaluation to support the student's success with the new technologies
AT Consultations More informal - we charged 1/2 the AT Eval price or hourly - limited written report with "suggestions" (one - two pages) helpful when the district doesn't want any formal paperwork documenting the suggestions.
Professional Development Workshops
*Can create custom workshops
Conducted by a specialist to determine strategies/techniques to improve communication for those non-speaking or when natural speech is not meeting their communication needs.
Conducted by an Occupational Therapist to determine if there are limitations impacting your child’s functional fine motor abilities. Has the qualifications and experience creating sensory diets.
Conducted by a physical Therapist to determine a students gross motor performance.
A neuropsychological evaluation, also called neuropsychological testing, is an in-depth assessment of skills and abilities linked to brain function. The evaluation measures such areas as attention, problem solving, memory, language, I.Q., visual-spatial skills, academic skills, and social-emotional functioning. A neuropsychological evaluation is different from tests included in a neurological evaluation (e.g., EEG) or neuroimaging (e.g., CT or MRI scan).
Our highly trained professionals perform cognitive assessments for a variety of disorders and needs.
The benefit of the evaluation, and the diagnoses and recommendations that come along with it, is that it allows other treating professionals, teachers, and parents or guardians to better understand why your child may be having difficulty in specific areas. The evaluation will provide recommendations for the types of interventions or treatments that may be effective and appropriate, given your child’s specific set of strengths and weaknesses. This can be a game changer!
A neuropsychologist completes a neuropsychological evaluation. A neuropsychologist is a licensed clinical or school psychologist (with a Psy.D. or Ph.D. degree) who has also completed a two-year fellowship in neuropsychology. Child neuropsychologists provide comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for preschool age children, school-age children, adolescents, and young adults, to help identify underlying neurocognitive factors that contribute to the strengths and weaknesses of their functioning across settings, usually home and school. Abilities and skills are considered within a developmental framework and compared to peers of the same age or grade, as well as to the individual’s own abilities.
We work for parents in seeking appropriate educational services for their children. Here are ten reasons why you should consider hiring an advocate to help get everything you want for your child.
Have you ever been to a Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting for your child and been told by the school district “we cannot do that?” Did you ever wonder whether what they were saying were true? When you work with a special education attorney or qualified special education advocate you will understand your rights and the school district’s obligations. This will level the playing field for you.
FAPE, LRE, IDEA, 504, NCLB, IEP, IFSP, CSE, CPSE, EI etc. etc etc. In order to effectively advocate for your child you must know the lingo. Terms may be used at a CSE or IEP meeting that you do not understand. This immediately puts you at a disadvantage. A special education attorney or qualified advocate can help you understand how these terms apply to your child.
School psychologists, special education teachers, and other related services professionals have gone to school for many years to understand how to test and interpret results. Most parents are not trained in the language that is used to report data. A special education attorney or qualified special education advocate can review your evaluations, progress reports, and other data and explain to you what they mean, how they apply to your child, and what services your child may or may not be entitled to based on those results.
Do you think your child would benefit from Assistive Technology? Is it time to discuss transition? Has your child been having behaviors in school that impact his or her learning and you believe that the district has not tried everything they could? A special education attorney or qualified advocate can assist you in ensuring you have gotten all appropriate services for your child.
Your child’s goals are one of the most important, yet also one of the most overlooked, components of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Goals need to be meaningful, should not be the same from year to year, and should be individualized. Additionally, goals should be developed with parental input. A special education attorney or qualified advocate can assist you in developing individualized and meaningful goals for your child.
Did you ever receive your child’s IEP and it did not accurately reflect what occurred at your meeting? Your IEP is your “contract” with your school district. If something does not appear in the IEP then it does not have to happen whether it was discussed at the CSE meeting or not. A special education attorney or qualified special education advocate can help you review your IEP and make sure that all necessary information and services are contained in it.
As a parent of a child with special needs you have many roles at the CSE meeting; these include being the parent, the listener, the questioner, the active team member, the creative thinker and an advocate. It is virtually impossible to do all these roles well. You also may not be comfortable with one or more of these roles. Bringing a qualified special education advocate, and in certain circumstances, a special education attorney, to your CSE meeting takes the burden off of you in having to serve in all of these necessary, yet different, capacities.
Let’s face it; we get emotional when speaking about our children. Even though I have been a special education attorney for many years, being a parent of a special needs child myself, I have been known to cry at my own son’s CSE meeting and am not always able to get my point across when I am emotional. I cannot stress enough that this is a business meeting and parents need to keep emotions out if it.
Having a qualified special education advocate, and in certain circumstances, a special education attorney, at your CSE meeting will allow you to participate taking the emotions out of it.
As a parent you know your child better than anyone else. You may feel that your child is not making progress in their current program. If this is the case, it is important that you speak with a special education attorney or qualified special education advocate to do an analysis of your child’s progress, or lack thereof, and assist you in obtaining the program and/or services your child requires to make meaningful progress.
In a perfect world we would all come out of a CSE meeting with everything our children are entitled to. Many parents wrongly walk away without needed services when they are initially denied by the CSE. If you feel that your child is not receiving all of the appropriate services from your school district, it is extremely important to speak to a special education attorney to know whether you have a right to a particular service or accommodation for your child and what your next steps should be.
Individual or small group classes. Diagnostics to determine progress within the program
The Wilson Reading Program is a RESEARCH based highly structured instructional program used to help struggling readers. It is designed for students from 2nd grade up to adulthood.
ACES is fortunate to have a wide range of specialists who are available to conduct workshops within their area of expertise. The goal of the workshops are to share information with educators, parents, and community on topics our specialist feel very passionate about.