At Grace Psychological Services, our professionals have many years of work experience in school settings, and they are highly qualified to diagnose specific learning disorders, including dyslexia. If you’re in need of assistance with addressing your child’s specific learning disorders in Houston, Spring, throughout Greater Houston and Harris County, and beyond, we’re here to help. Specific learning disorder is usually one of several developmental disorders that isn’t recognized and diagnosed until school age. In most cases, diagnosis is necessary when young people continue to struggle with achieving key academic skills, including reading, writing, and math when these struggles to develop the basic academic skills are caused by an inability of the student to grasp the underlying academic concepts. Their academic struggles are not necessarily due to any obstacles to developmental or cognitive abilities.
Does My Child Need Specific Learning Disorder Diagnosis?
Many children who are diagnosed with specific learning disorder are seen as showing surprising underachievement in specific subjects or failing to achieve their academic potential. We will not be able to provide specific learning disorder diagnosis until your child has received some formal education. For young and kindergarten-age children, you may notice they have difficulties remembering and recognizing numbers and letters. As they continue in their elementary education, parents and educators notice the child having difficulty connecting letters with their sounds, spelling, and grasping mathematical problem solving skills. Throughout further education for adolescents, teens, and adults, you will continue to notice difficulty with specific areas of educational developmental such as slow reading and inability to understand more complex mathematical skills.
What Happens During Specific Learning Disorder Diagnosis?
Specific learning disorder is diagnosed through a clinical review of the individual’s developmental, medical, educational, and family history, reports of test scores and teacher observations, and response to academic interventions. The diagnosis requires persistent difficulties in reading, writing, arithmetic, or mathematical reasoning skills during formal years of schooling. Symptoms may include inaccurate or slow and effortful reading, poor written expression that lacks clarity, difficulties remembering number facts, or inaccurate mathematical reasoning.
Who Offers Specific Learning Disorder Diagnosis?
At Grace Psychological Services, our professionals have many years of work experience in the school setting and are highly qualified to diagnose specific learning disorders, including dyslexia. Our professionals have additional training to assess for specific learning disorders in children of a culturally and/or linguistically diverse background. For culturally and linguistically diverse children, a disorder must be demonstrated in both languages to be considered a disability. Our evaluations adhere to state and federal education laws so that our reports contain the elements that your school district requires in order to determine educational needs.
Dr. Allison Grodzki, PsyD
Dr. Allie Grodzki is a Licensed Psychologist in both Texas (#38916) and Colorado (#5014). She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND where she grew up. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and Doctorate of Psychology degree at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Schaumburg, IL. Dr. Grodzki completed her American Psychological Association (APA) accredited pre-doctoral internship at a community mental health center in Denver, Colorado. She comes from a very diverse background of training and work experiences in various settings, including private practice, day programs, residential care, and inpatient hospitals where she has worked with children and adults of all ages.
What Happens After Diagnosis?
It’s always best to receive diagnosis in the earliest possible stages, so we can gear education towards helping children develop the tools to address their specific learning disorder by making the most of their strengths. Specific learning disorder is typically addressed through special education resources in the schools. In most cases, your child will need to receive an educational evaluation through the school system first.
Throughout your child’s education, they will likely continue to need and receive educational resources and ongoing testing. People with specific learning disorder that receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate educational resources are typically able to overcome the challenges to their learning and achieve all of their educational goals.
How do I Get Started?
If you or your child are struggling with specific learning disorder, we can help. Our team offers diagnosis for specific learning disorder, and we will provide reports for parents and schools to help them understand how to partner with kids to emphasize their strengths to overcome learning difficulties. Our skilled psychologists also have experience working with schools, and we can provide information to parents and educators to help them create an educational resource plan. When you’re ready to get started, call Grace Psychological Services. We work with parents and school systems to provide specific learning disorder diagnosis in The Woodlands, Spring, Katy, the Greater Houston area, Harris County, and beyond.