Special Considerations For College Students
We have specific Procedures for evaluating learning disabilities and attention disorders. Success in college work requires many skills and abilities:
Learning problems can arise from difficulty in one or more of these areas. Evaluations are correspondingly complex; they typically include the following procedures:
Interview: To get the most thorough understanding of a given learning problem we gather information about academic, developmental, and medical history; current adjustment to school life, including social support, and study habits. We also request copies of counseling and previous educational evaluations.
Ability Testing: Tests of ability give a good estimate of aptitude for the cognitive demands of work or school. They provide information on cognitive strengths and weaknesses. We usually standardized Intelligence Scales.
Alternative tests are sometimes used, depending upon the student’s facility with English or prior experience with ability tests.
Achievement Testing: Achievement tests tell us what basic skills the client has acquired. At a minimum, we usually examine basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation and reasoning skills, and written expression. We commonly use the best standardized Tests of Achievement.
Memory Testing: Memory Problems sometimes account for learning difficulties. We may evaluate immediate and delayed memory for both visually and orally presented information using the Wechsler Memory Scales and the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, two widely applied tests for these purposes.
Attention and Concentration: Attentional deficits (characteristic of ADHD) can interfere with in-class learning, notetaking, sustained work, and study skills. Many of the tests listed above demand sustained attention. We sometimes administer supplemental tests to evaluate attention, such as the Continuous Performance Test.
Personality Testing: Personality testing can point to emotional difficulties that are interfering with academic or job performance. We often use one or more of : the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, the NEO Personality Inventory, or the Beck Depression Inventory-II.
