Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

What to expect when meeting an Educational Psychologyst for the first time?

27 replies

mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 19:28

Hi, We have an apointment at last with an EP. He will be comming in to the school to talk to us parents and our daughters teacher about how best to meet her needs. I have no idea what to expect or how to prepare for this. Should I make a list of my concerns etc ? She has already had a 4 day acessment, and the outcome was that she has a global developmental delay. (still ) I thought the problem was mainly with her speech and toilet training, but apparently she's delayed in every area.
I hope to gain a better understanding of my daughters condition and what she's capable of. At the moment, she'll do much more for her teachers than she will for me.
Anyway, if you have any advice then I'd be very greatful.

OP posts:
Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 19:44

bump

OP posts:
LIZS · 05/05/2010 20:00

You may well get asked similar questions to before - about her birth , early development, specific issues and concerns - and perhaps have a questionnaire. Has he already seen the reports otherwise it may be more interesting to assess independently and then compare. Is he private or LA funded ? You tend to get more detailed report with the former.

He will presumably observe L in a one-to-one and group setting and do some age appropriate assessments looking at areas of IQ and her reactions to tasks and instruction. She may be asked to draw her family and do puzzles for example. Presumably this is the first of a series of visits as I can't imagine he will be able to cover everything in one.

It is worth discussing at the outset what information you hope to gain from this - ie. ideas for activities, how to handle situations she may find stressful, how she best receives instructions (visual cues, how simple verbally), recommendations for school setting (small groups, quiet, method to reinforce instructions) and when/if she needs to be reassessed, her strengths and weaknesses and how one could be used to compensate the other. You may or may not get an idea of a likely diagnosis.

Hope it goes well

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 20:17

Thanks LIZS. It is LA funded which Is fantastic. I'm not sure if he's read her file, I'd imagine so.
In her report it says she dosn't interact well with other children, but he'll see that this isn't the case when he see's her at school. It's tricky really as she acts differently for different people, for her teacher she'll always try her best but for me she try's to get away with doing as little as possible. She acts shy around some people but others she won't stop talking to. This does make it tricky for someone to judge what she's capable of.

OP posts:
Marne · 05/05/2010 20:28

We have only seen the EP once (dd2 starts school in september), i found his visit a waste of time TBH, he played a few games with dd2 (to access her) he then said she was very bright and will do well in MS school, he advised that we didn't apply for a statement and that she was too bright for a sn school.

We are now in the process of getting a statement and waiting to hear if she has a place at SN school .

Dd2's main problem is communication/speech, she has a dx of ASD, when the EP visited dd2 came across as being bright and she communicated well with him but this is what dd2 is like with 1:1 attention, if she was in a classroom its a different story.

So you need to get your point across, the EP needs to know what she is like in different situations (seeing her at school should cover this). I always write a list of what you would like to discus before seeing anyone (as my mind often goes blank when faced with a EP or pead).

mrz · 05/05/2010 20:35

You said she's already had 4 days of assessments was this with the EP you have the appointment with?

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 20:39

No, she was acessed at the hospital by a nursery nurse, a SALT, a consultant and a Clinical Psycologyst. The outcome was that she needed on going SALT and to see an EP.

OP posts:
Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 20:42

Thanks Marne, I will make a list. I think she's going to very difficult to acess because even I don't feel that I fully understand her. She has some very strange behaviours and is very unpredictable.

OP posts:
mrz · 05/05/2010 20:43

In that case I would imagine the EP will want to talk to you and the class teacher to get your perspectives and then conduct his own observations and tests with Lucy. I would expect a follow up appointment to share the findings

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 05/05/2010 20:51

In a way, I know I shouldn't but I'd fell a bit ashamed letting her teacher know what she's like at home for me and how she seems to have no continance at all and screams and kicks when I try and change her.
I know how good she is at school and I'm sure they'd think that it's obviously down to me and my parenting. (Maybe it is?) I've tried everything but things don't seem to be improving.

OP posts:
tibni · 05/05/2010 20:52

The initial EP report and assessment made the basis of my ds original statement and it was excellent. Ds was diagnosed ASD at 2. The EP came to the house, talked to me and observed ds and talked to the portage service that were helping ds.

The report had his actual age and the age that he was functioning at in terms of speech, gross and fine motor skills, social interaction. It used the information I had shared and really gave a full picture of ds.

Ds is now 9 and it is the only time he has ever been assessed in this way for his levels.

Ds initially started in mainstream school and the EP was our rock and support with a school that didn't want him. I haven't met the EP in ds special school but I know school used him to help settle ds during the transistion period.

mrz · 05/05/2010 21:01

Don't be ashamed or embarrassed but please be honest. The EP may speak to you separately first then after meeting Lucy speak to everyone concerned it varies.
I would expect the EP to use WPPS1 or similar tests which will provide percentile scales similar to those you get from the baby clinic showing growth but this will show development. The EP can then calculate a developmental age.

LIZS · 06/05/2010 08:27

I wonder if it is worth askign that EP sees her at home too. Being funded by LA means it is the educational and functional side they are most interested in but he may be able to suggest strategies so you can achieve nearer what you know she is capable of. However I think many children have to try so hard to be "good" and fit in at school, that by the time they come home that energy and stress is let out in the comfort of their own homes.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 06/05/2010 19:10

Thanks everyone. I will be honest with them and suggest that it might be useful to see her at home too. She is going to be seing the consultant again about her continence, so hopefully that should help.

OP posts:
cat64 · 06/05/2010 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 07/05/2010 19:23

Well, we went today. The EP had read her file and seen the results of her assessments etc. He spoke to us and her teachers about what she's like at school and how she's doing at school and at home. The teachers were very positive about her progress since she's been in reception. I have noticed a big improvement too. He said that she'll probubly catch up in time and that she was on the right track. He also said that she'd benefit from being taught at her developmental level rather than her age. (Which is already happening). He did say that her developmental delay wasn't bad enough for her to recieve any extra help in a state school. I was quite supprised by this.
He didn't observe Lucy at all, he just went by what he'd heard. He will come again at the end of the term to see how she's getting on.
I mentioned about the toilet training and he said he thinks it's more likely to be something physical and that the consultant would help with that.
I'm not sure what to think about it all really. I expected a lot more than just him saying "O.k, she seems to be making steddy progress, I'll see you again at the end of term."

OP posts:
LIZS · 07/05/2010 20:12

Can't believe he didn't even observe her and being from LA he isn't exactly impartial when it comes to giving you advice about state school help. Remember while she is in the private system they have no obligation to help. Will the school commit to differentiating her learning while in her peer group ?

mrz · 07/05/2010 20:26

I agree it's odd he didn't want to observe/meet her

Clary · 07/05/2010 21:51

mll from what you have posted before and here about yr DD and her abilities (lovely tho she sounds) I would say that IME she would certainly be accessing extra help in a state school.

The ed psych sound s a bit to me.

mrz · 08/05/2010 07:56

I've only read a few of your posts but as SENCO in a state school I would be allocating support to a child with the difficulties you describe.

Does the report from the consultant/clinical psychologist (unsure the source sorry) state the extent of her delay? I taught a child in reception who was functioning at the level of a two year old in all areas ...and currently have a child in nursery with similar delay and both received statements and full support from school

cat64 · 08/05/2010 14:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 09/05/2010 19:18

Well it wasn't what I was expecting at all. I can't believe he didn't even meet her.
At school they do set her work that is in keeping with her mental age. She also joins in the phonics circle with the yonger children and every day she has 10 mins one to one working on her word building/speech etc. She has made very good progress recently, but I do worry that when she goes in to a bigger class, either year 1 at her private school which will be about 16 as they combine yr1 and 2, or 30 in a state school, that she won't cope as well.
The year 1 teacher will continue to teach her at the level she's at.
Her teacher asked the Ed psych if if they would be alowed to let her repeat reception and he said that they can only do that if it would harm her socially or emotionally to let her move up to yr 1 with her friends. So It looks as if she'd have to move up to yr 1 in September. I do think the more time she could spend with a class of 9 the better and also she'd be with other children of the same mental age. She does get on very well with the children in the year below.
I thought private schools could do as they liked.
I will see how she gets on in yr 1, but I'll also be looking for state alternatives for if things don't go to well.

OP posts:
mrz · 09/05/2010 21:07

MLL I would question what the EP has said. There is no reason that Lucy can't stay in the reception class if the school feel that will be better for her needs

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 10/05/2010 09:32

I will talk to her teachers about it and see what they say. It's so hard to know what to do for the best.

OP posts:
LIZS · 10/05/2010 15:37

Private sector is more flexible when it comes to placing children out of peer group (in either direction) but it may commit your dd to either a private education there throughout or face having to advance year groups were she to have to move school later, state or private(which might eplain the EP's comment). It may seem like an obvious solution now but in a few years time the difference may be more marked as she'll be about 18 months older than her class mates and iirc she is already tall for her age. Might also limit her participation in inter school events (ie sport, music)as she won't be the "right" age group. Just a few things worth raising before you/school review.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 10/05/2010 19:42

Thanks LIZS, that is interesting. You always give really good advice. I will have to talk to them about these things.

OP posts: