Understanding Your Child's Evaluation Results
You have received your child's psychoeducational evaluation report, and it is full of numbers, percentiles, and standard scores. As a Licensed Educational Psychologist, I know these reports can feel overwhelming. Let me help you understand what those numbers mean and how to use this information to support your child.
Standard Scores: The Foundation of Test Results
Most psychological and educational tests use standard scores with a mean (average) of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Here is what different score ranges typically indicate:
- 130 and above: Very Superior range (top 2-3% of population)
- 120-129: Superior range (top 7-9%)
- 110-119: High Average range (approximately 75th-90th percentile)
- 90-109: Average range (approximately 25th-75th percentile)
- 80-89: Low Average range (approximately 9th-25th percentile)
- 70-79: Borderline range (approximately 2nd-9th percentile)
- Below 70: Extremely Low range (bottom 2%)
"Average" Is Not a Bad Word
Scores in the average range (90-109) mean your child is performing similarly to most other children their age. This is exactly where we would expect most students to score. A profile of average scores does not mean a child is struggling — it means they are right where they should be.
Percentiles: Comparing to Peers
Percentile ranks tell you what percentage of children the same age scored lower than your child. If your child is at the 75th percentile in reading, they scored higher than 75% of children their age and lower than 25%. The 50th percentile is exactly average.
Important: Percentiles are NOT the same as percentage correct. The 50th percentile is average — it does not mean your child got 50% of the questions right.
Why We Care About Patterns, Not Just Single Scores
A single score in isolation tells us very little. What matters is the pattern across scores — the relationships between cognitive abilities, academic skills, and processing measures.
For example, a child with strong verbal reasoning (120) but weaker working memory (85) and processing speed (88) may struggle in school despite being objectively bright. The discrepancy between what they understand and what they can demonstrate efficiently in a classroom is where the difficulty lives — and that pattern is what guides recommendations.
What to Look For in the Report
Cognitive Profile
This section describes how your child thinks and reasons. Look for the relationship between verbal and nonverbal skills, working memory, and processing speed. Significant differences between these areas often explain why a child may seem capable in conversation but struggle on timed tasks.
Academic Achievement
This compares your child's actual academic skills to their cognitive ability. A significant gap between cognitive potential and academic skills is one indicator of a possible learning disability.
Behavioral and Social-Emotional Findings
Rating scales from parents and teachers, along with direct observation, contribute to understanding attention, anxiety, mood, and social functioning. These domains often interact with learning in important ways.
Diagnostic Conclusions
If diagnoses are given, they should be clearly explained — including the criteria met, the evidence supporting them, and the rationale. Diagnoses should never feel like labels imposed; they should feel like clarifying frameworks that match your lived experience of your child.
Recommendations
This is the part of the report that should actually change your family's life. Look for specific, actionable recommendations — not generic platitudes. Recommendations should address school accommodations, intervention needs, therapy referrals, and home strategies tailored to your specific child.
Questions to Ask at the Feedback Session
- What surprised you most about my child's profile?
- Where are the most important areas to focus support?
- What should I bring to our next IEP or 504 meeting?
- What should I be watching for over the next year?
- Are there any specific therapies or interventions you would prioritize?
A good evaluation should leave you feeling clearer, not more confused. If something in the report does not make sense, ask. The numbers are tools — your understanding of your child is the actual goal.
Have questions about your child or your own evaluation?
Every engagement begins with a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Jessica speaks with each prospective client personally.
