Talking To Your Child About Learning Assessments and Their Results
Last week on my podcast I spoke with Liz Angoff, Ph.D., a Licensed Educational Psychologist with a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology, providing assessment and consultation services to children and their families in the Bay Area, CA. She is the author of the Brain Building Books, tools for engaging children in understanding their learning and developmental differences as part of the assessment process.
We often think more about how to convey our child's needs to professionals at school, but talking to your children about it can go overlooked. Children always have a sense that something is different for them, and if we don't talk to them they start to develop their narratives about what's going on. Those narratives are often very negative and can be harmful following them into adulthood. Beginning the conversation early with your child will help them with their self-esteem and identity.
Liz shared very poignant ideas for us about how to start these conversations with your child. She stated, "naturally children are very curious." Start a conversation by asking what is going well for them. What are they struggling with? How are they feeling? This helps the child with full transparency that we are trying to figure something out. The child will naturally become curious as to why they may feel a certain way or struggling in an area and want to find out how they can improve.
After an assessment, Liz shared using a metaphor such as a construction zone and words the child will understand to discuss findings. Similar to construction zones, some paths to learning things take faster than others, your child may need a new crew, a new tool, and places where you may have to pause and navigate how to get there. Explain to your child that this is something they are building, not something that's broken!
It is important to use a common language that your child understands. Using terms such as anxiety may be off-putting. But asking them if they feel rushed may provide a different response. Develop a rapport with your child that you are a team. That you both are there to help them solve the problem they want to solve. Not all paths are linear and that's ok!
For more from Liz Angoff, Ph.D. listen to my podcast here.
What You Will Learn:
Is there a predictable pattern in how kids learn?
Tools for getting started in your child's assessment
How can parents prepare for the assessment process?
Helping your child grow to advocate with confidence
Finding the language your child uses to explain their experiences so you can meet your child where they're at and solving the problem they want to solve
Thank you for connecting,
Dr. Laura Anderson
Dr. Laura S. Anderson specializes in educating and supporting families, as well as clinicians who support transracial adoptive families, across the globe to overcome barriers, derive strength from their differences, and thrive. She is a dynamic advocate for multiracial families and a strong advocate for supporting "third culture" children and families who may need support with the stressors associated with living out of their countries of origin and kids navigating gender and diversity.
Contact Dr. Anderson here.
