Students Are Struggling: What Comes Next?

The emergence of a vaccine has given new hope to the idea that things will eventually return to normal. Though it will inevitably be a long and complicated process, I’m hoping that by late spring or summer, we will all be taking a big sigh of relief and getting back to the things and people we miss. Fingers crossed!

As a Clinical Neuropsychologist who primarily works with children, my thoughts have turned to what the students I have worked with are going through now and how we can support them as things return to normal.

There is little doubt that COVID has taken a major toll on our children. Issues that were brewing before the pandemic (like focus, executive dysfunction, anxiety, and depression) have now taken on greater urgency and the impact has been profound. For many of the students I see, the hardships of online learning and social isolation have had tremendous ramifications on their emotional well-being. This has complicated and exacerbated strains within the family unit which, in turn, has compounded the strain that many parents are already experiencing.

Many of these same students are seeing their grades decline significantly.

Some are failing.

My concern is these students will get lost in the chaos of re-opening, even as schools do their best to recalibrate and reboot. At that point, what becomes of the kids who have been struggling? What choices do they have? I worry that these kids will be overlooked and left to their own devices, especially as budgetary constraints could make it challenging to get schools to agree to assess a child and agree to services.

One option for parents concerned about whether their child will struggle when they return to school is to consider an neuropsychological evaluation. Educational and neuropsychological testing allows for immediate and objective information-gathering about your child’s intellectual, academic, behavioral, and emotional levels. It provides unbiased information on your child’s current levels of functioning and identifies weaknesses and potential deficits. This information can be powerfully helpful when having initial conversations with the school and teacher about how to support the student effectively right from the outset, upon their immediate return to the physical classroom.

The accompanying report serves as a legal document that paves the way for the possibility of services and/or accommodations to support the student. It also captures the many incredible strengths, assets, and coping skills that make each student special and unique.

If your child is struggling and you think he or she may benefit from an assessment, I invite you to contact me here or call 973-908-4860.