Offering Independent
Psycho-educational Evaluations
20 Years of Experience
• CHLA Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic
• CHLA Developmental Disabilities Clinic
• Fellow: Reiss Davis Child Study Center
• National Science Foundation Research
Fellow: Social development of children
• University of Southern California
Research Assistant Professor
• Consulting Psychologist, Disability Rights
Legal Center
Valerie Benveniste, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist PSY15215
5855 Green Valley Circle, Suite 202
Culver City, CA 90230
310-597-9322
www.ChildAnswers.org
Early Intervention is Key!
With learning disabilities (and other developmental
disorders) early diagnosis is important because it
allows treatments to begin while the brain is still
actively strengthening and pruning neural
networks. While it was previously believed that
functional deficits in certain brain regions – or a
difference in brain structure – cause learning
problems, most researchers now believe that it is
communication problems between neural networks
that over time create symptoms.
Educational interventions facilitate adaptive neural
“rewiring” of brain development, reinforcing more
typical brain structure and ameliorating learning
and attention challenges.
310-597-9322
www.ChildAnswers.org
!The Journal of Neuroscience, June 28, 2006, 26(26), p. 6897-6906
Psycho-educational Assessments
for
Children and Teens
Valerie Benveniste, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist PSY15215
email: [email protected]
310-597-9322
Do you have concerns about
your child?
• What is the best type of school program to
match my child’s learning style?
• Is my child showing signs of Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
• Is my child showing signs of a learning
disability?
• Which special education services will
benefit my child?
Specializing in:
• Developmental and psycho-educational
assessments
• ADHD neuropsychological assessment and
follow-up
• Recommendations for special education
programming and services
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Independent Psychoeducational Evaluations
What is a learning disability?
To be considered learning disabled under PL94-
142 eligibility criteria a student must meet three
major requirements specified by law:
1. The student must have a disorder in one
or more of the basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or
using spoken or written language. The
basic psychological processes include:
a) attention
b) visual processing,
c) auditory processing,
d) sensory-motor skills, and
e) cognitive abilities (including association,
conceptualization and expression).
2. The disorder may manifest as an impaired
ability to
a) listen
b) think
c) speak
d) read
e) write
f) spell
g) solve mathematical calculations
3. The student must have a severe
discrepancy between intellectual ability
and achievement in one or more of the
academic areas referred to in the law
which include:
a) oral expression
b) listening comprehension
c) written expression
d) basic reading skills
e) reading comprehension
f) mathematics calculation and/or
reasoning
Homework Study Tips
• Establish a consistent homework schedule
• Provide an uncluttered, quiet, well-lit
space to work
• Be sure needed materials (paper, pens,
pencils, dictionary) are readily available
• Include breaks and snacks in your child’s
homework schedule
• Teach your child to skip overly difficult
portions so he or she does not become
stuck on one task for too long, and
therefore not finish assignments
• When your child asks for help, provide
guidance, not answers, so that he or she
will work to learn and remember material
• Schedule time to review your child’s
homework, and be sure to offer praise
before offering corrections
www.ChildAnswers.org
310-597-9322
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