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Learning Disability Testing and Treatment in West Palm Beach Florida‏

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Learning disability testing and treatment is available in West Palm Beach Florida‏ to help children with dyslexia, reading disorders, dysgraphia (writing learning disability) and memory difficulties.   Jim Forgan, Ph.D. and associates offers learning disability testing and treatment using a school neuropsychological approach to testing and multi sensory reading instruction using Orton-Gillingham based reading programs.  Dr. Forgan and his associates also use the Lindamood-Bell LiPs program to help children learn to read that have auditory discrimination issues.  These children often do not discriminate sounds such as the TH and F sounds and this interferes with reading. Children with learning disabilities requires specialized instruction to help them learn and, unfortunately, most public schools are not providing enough specialized reading instruction for children with learning disabilities but instead use inclusion.

Learning disability testing in West Palm Beach Florida‏

Learning disability testing is done with Dr. Jim Forgan who is a private practice school psychologist and specializes in learning disorders and testing for dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other issues. Dr. Forgan uses a multi step approach to determining if a child has a learning disability. The first step is to meet with the parents to hear their most important concerns and determine the main questions they want to get answer to the evaluation process. The next step is for the child to come in and begin the testing process which is typically done two, two hour sessions. The next step is for Dr. Forgan to talk with your child’s teacher on the telephone about what the teacher observes in the classroom. Of course, this is done only if parents give permission to contact the teacher. This helps Dr. Forgan look at the big picture of what parents see, what the teacher sees, all the child’s work, and Dr. Forgan’s clinical judgment. He then synthesizes the information to answer the parents most important questions and he writes a written report with specific recommendations. The next step is for parents to come back in without their child and they sit down with Dr. Forgan to go over the results and determine the best course of action as well as review Dr. Forgan’s specific recommendations.

If learning to read was a primary parental concern, Dr. Forgan identifies the best reading curriculum to help the child learn to read in the most efficient and effective way. This saves parents time and money because they don’t go doing a hit and miss approach but rather have a specific approach which, in the long run, is more effective.

Learning disability treatment in Jupiter Florida‏

Dr. Forgan and his team provides support to parents in their Jupiter office which is conveniently located close to I-95.  Parents often ask if learning disability testing is covered by insurance but Dr. Forgan is not on any insurance plans and most insurance companies will say that learning disability testing is educational and not medical so they don’t cover it.  Learning disability testing is more affordable than you may think so use the contact form above or call Dr. Forgan’s office for specific costs.  One-to-one specialized learning disability tutoring is provided at an hourly rate of $70/hr and is the best way to make fast progress.

Understanding Your Struggling Child

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As a parent it’s difficulty to watch your child’s daily school struggles.  Does your child hold it together in school and then fall apart as soon as she gets home?  Is he mentally exhausted after a day of school?  Completing homework may be a nightly battle and more time is spent arguing about starting homework than it would take to finish the homework if he’d just get started.   Your intuition tells you something is going on with your child’s learning.  You’ve asked yourself, “What could it be?”   Is it dyslexia?  Could it be ADHD or ADD? My child seems smart so is it a learning disability?    

If you truly want to understand your child I recommend getting him or her tested.  For example, would you repair your car without running diagnostic testing?  No.  First you’d check under the hood to see what is problematic.  Would you take medicine for chest pain without testing?  The answer is probably, “No.”  So why would you invest thousands of dollars in tutoring or brain training before testing your child to see what’s really occurring?  You wouldn’t give a kid glasses without testing her vision, right?

Perhaps you are thinking your child is lazy when he really has a processing problem.  Having your child tested provides insight into what’s going on with his or her learning.  A group of tests tailored to your child’s needs provides results that can yield understanding. This will allow you to target the right type of tutoring so you don’t waste valuable time on things that won’t work.

My advice to you is don’t take a wait and see approach.  Time it too valuable as there are only seven months of school remaining and FCAT is coming soon.  Historically, school districts move slow when supporting kids that struggle. 

Be proactive.  The results of my evaluation will identify strengths and weaknesses.  It is accepted by all schools.  This documentation can speed up the help your child receives in school. 

A reasonable investment in your child’s future will save you from wasting your money on hit and miss search for help.  Real answers await you.  Trust your intuition and don’t wait for your child to fail before getting help.  Your child will thank you. 

Get started today by filling out the contact form above or call the number at the top of the page.  Honest answers await you.

What Makes Your Full Evaluations Different From Others?

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A parent asked me a couple of good questions which were, “Don’t psychologist all use the same tests?  What makes your testing different?”  There are a hundred plus psychological tests so psychologists don’t always use the same tests, nor should they.  An inexperienced psychologist will always use the same tests regardless of the issue but this often leaves parents wondering because the parents’ questions were not answered.

For each individual I work with I use a different set of tests that is individualized to make sure to answer the parent’s most important question(s).   Since I specialize in school neuropsychology, ADHD, and dyslexia, I can use tests that many school psychologists have not been trained to administer.   These tests provide greater information than the ‘average’  test.

My philosophy is to try and add value and knowledge to your situation by doing the best job I can.  One tidbit that sets me apart from most private practitioners is that, with your permission, I’ll talk to your child’s teacher on the phone to get his/ her perspective.  Most psychologists won’t do that because it takes them additional time and many believe time is money.   I’ve been a classroom teacher so I understand the importance of getting the teacher’s perspective.  After all, the teacher is spending considerable time with your child and the issue is usually occurring at school.  You don’t get the big picture without talking to the teacher.  I want the big picture of what the parent sees, teacher reports, my direct work with the child, and my intuition.  This way all bases are covered.   This is just one of the many ways my testing differs from others.  Call me and I’ll discuss more with you.

Does Insurance Cover Testing?

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I am an out-of-network provider so I don’t accept insurance.  However, I do provide you with an invoice that shows procedure codes and a diagnosis (if there is one).   Most of the time the insurance companies say testing is educational and not medical so they don’t cover it.  Some parents don’t want to use insurance even if they have it because they are concerned about a permanent record.  Additionally, I find their services too restrictive and not compatible with most people’s real needs.  Lastly, the amount of paperwork is excessive.

Why It’s Important To Only Work With a Licensed School Psychologist

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A licensed school psychologist is a person who has studied both the field of psychology and education and has earned at least a master’s degree or higher.  In a school neuropsychology training program, psychologists learn typical and atypical child development, brain functioning, cognitive and emotional development, statistical and research methodology, and specialized educational interventions, at minimum.  A school psychologist spends over 4000 hours working with children under supervision, before becoming licensed.

A person representing themselves as a ‘learning specialist, reading specialist, educational diagnostician, etc.’ does not have this level of training or experience. Equally important, all public and most private schools only recognize the evaluations of licensed psychologistswhen writing IEPs or making learning accommodations. Parents that seek help from so called learning specialists are wasting their hard earned money.

My advice to parents is to talk with only licensed psychologists and ask them questions about their philosophy and experiences.  Make sure they work with children of the same age as yours and with the issues you suspect your child may have.  Then you won’t be disappointed.  In this field the adage, “You get what you pay for” really applies.