My 2e DD will be turning 16 next month and our district has offered to fund a neuropsych/ psycho Ed eval so that adult testing instruments can be used and the results can be provided to colleges to help her qualify for accommodations. I have been asked to submit questions we want answered in advance of next week’s transition planning meeting. The district says the questions we ask will guide the selection of an evaluator.

Every few years I pose the same question here - is there an amazing 2e evaluator you would use if you could choose anyone? I was initially sent to the Eides in Seattle but they closed their clinic before I could get DD in. They sent me to Devon MacEachron who provided a very detailed report. There were a few issues, though, so the decision was made not to return to her. We were unable to identify an appropriate evaluator next time so the district waived re-evaluation and approved DD’s triennial qualifying her for services until graduation and offering this post 16 testing. So now the time has come and I have no idea who to request or really even what informations we need provided. I am less likely to travel in this Covid world than I had been previously but will consider anyone exceptional. Bonus points if they are located in the northeastern part of the US so we could drive rather than fly.

So I need to know just what information I should be seeking from this evaluation. What will be needed for DD to be successful in the post secondary world? We have done well navigating the K-12 system - in large part due to the advice and input I’ve received from these boards over the years. Now though I feel out of my depth. So please if you can tell me:

1. Is there a really good 2e evaluator you would recommend?
2. If not a specific person what have you looked for (or to avoid) when selecting an evaluator?
3, What questions should I be asking this evaluator to answer?
4. Are there any specific tests that should be done? Anything that would be considered inappropriate?
5. Any benefit to a neuropsych vs psychologist?
6. DD is a humanities kid who wants to go to film school. With all her various LD and processing issues I don’t know what is actually feasible for her. Would this be an opportunity to explore advice on careers she may not have thought of? What kind of testing would that include?
7. What will colleges be looking for in this eval? I think we will be looking for dedicated programs or college specifically geared towards LD students if that makes a difference.
8. With grade and subject accelerations DD is due to finish her HS credits very early. (She’s 15 and already a second semester Junior) so likely won’t be going through a full scale college application process right away. We are thinking of gap year and community college first to give her a chance to get her feet wet and enter college at a more typical age. Will this affect the usefulness of this testing? I think colleges want testing no more than 2 or 3 years old. Any ideas for working around this?

TIA