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Topic Archives: IEPs, 504 Plans & School Services

ACT Changes Extended Time: Does it Matter?

June 6, 2018

As of September 2018, the ACT changed how students can use their extended time. Find out how it might affect your students. Summing it Up Students who qualify for extended time will still have the same total amount of extra time. Before, students could spend their extra time (1.5 hrs) on whichever of the four tests they chose. Now that time is proportionally allocated across the four subject tests. This is a change for the ACT but exactly how the SAT allocates extended time. Read the full ACT press release. Who Benefits? Students who struggle with time management and organization, typically those with ADHD. This might also help students with weak flexible thinking who often have difficulty evaluating trade-offs. Not needing… Read More

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After the Denial: Getting your child in to the gifted program

January 11, 2017

  Note if you were looking for the MindPrint Assessment to help qualify for the gifted program please click the link. If your child didn’t get in to the gifted program, but you think he or she should, don’t give up. You have options. Get the Facts on your school’s Gifted Program Re-read your denial letter. It should include a paragraph about the appeal process, with contact information and deadlines. Typically you have 30 days to appeal the decision. Request a copy of the formal, written appeal process immediately. Never rely on a telephone conversation. Then call, write, and email your intent to appeal as quickly as possible. Expect a response back from the school within 30 days which includes an invitation for an in-person meeting. If you don’t… Read More

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IEP Season: 5 Quick Tips to Prepare for the IEP Meeting

April 17, 2015

It’s IEP Season, that time of year when parents and school teams meet to review the following year’s Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or the plan students receiving special education services will have to meet their academic goals. IEP meetings can be stressful for families. I interviewed Dr. Wendy Matthews, a psychologist in the Princeton area who spent over 30 years in private practice specializing in children and adolescents. In that time, Dr. Matthews administered hundreds of psychoeducational evaluations. 1.  What materials should parents bring with them to the IEP meeting? All past and present evaluations, doctors’ written comments as well as therapist (speech/psych/tutor) written comments. If you haven’t had a recent evaluation or you think your child might have changed since the last evaluation, you can bring… Read More

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Can We Talk About Autism?

April 12, 2014

By Sarah Vander Schaaff Imagine for a moment you’re the mother of three-month-old twins. One is developing as your oldest child had. The other will engage in eye contact only when he wants, not when you initiate it. You speak with your pediatrician who refers you to an eye doctor. You have your state’s early intervention program make a home visit. Everyone tells you it’s nothing to worry about. You’re not convinced, but decide to wait and see. That’s the beginning of this story; one that in retrospect was filled with “red-flags.” There’s a real mom in this, but in the interest of protecting her privacy, we’ll call her Melanie. By the time her son was two, Melanie told me,… Read More

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The Facts: What is a Psychoeducational Evaluation and Why is it Valuable

November 7, 2013

A psychoeducational evaluation, sometimes referred to as a psych-ed eval or neuropsych, is an assessment of how a student learns. It measures different types of reasoning, memory, and working efficiency. This is in contrast to learned knowledge, like math facts or vocabulary definitions. Pyschoeducational evaluations are most commonly recommended for students who are either gifted or having difficulty in school. However, the information in a psychoeducational evaluation is great for every student. Mindprint got started as result of the founders’ own frustration with the psycho-educational process. They wanted to help other families by offering the most helpful information you’d find in a  psychoeducational evaluation at a fraction of the time and cost.   In the following post, Princeton-based adolescent psychologist Dr. Carol Blum explains what a psychoeducational evaluation is, why it can require… Read More

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The School Says a Child is Fine, but a Mother Suspects More…

October 11, 2013

October is, among other things, National Dyslexia Awareness Month. But today’s blog post is timely no matter the date, because a delayed diagnosis of a child’s learning difference exhausts every resource a parent might have. If have a concern about dyslexia, we strongly encourage you to have your child tested. This is a service schools must provide if you request it. You can also do a relatively quick, at-home dyslexia screener, or find a child psychologist who can do a full evaluation.   Nancy Weinstein, the founder of Mindprint, starts us off with a brief introduction, followed by our Q&A. Nancy: Although each family’s situation is unique, this story is all too familiar. Parents know they have a bright child but something feels “wrong”…. Read More

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