Psychological and Behavior Services offered by Weinfeld Education Group include:

_Assessments determine

• The students’ educational strengths and needs?
• Does the client have a disability, which requires special education services?
• What are the specific recommendations for the client?

Neuro Psychological Assessments are often required for cases of significant complexity, which may have challenging congenital or other neurological concerns.  These concerns may be the result of difficult pregnancies or deliveries, possible toxicity during the pre-natal period, small birth weight and/or size, developmental delays in multiple areas, a history of seizures, very high temperatures, head trauma, rare disorders, and ongoing health issues, for example. 

Psycho educational Assessments are normally employed for relatively high frequency cases of learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Emotional Disorders, Social Adaptive and Behavioral Challenges without significant neurological involvement. 

Educational Assessments are sometimes required to supplement other assessment information in specific areas of educational achievement.

Assessment services may be available on a subsidized basis for qualified families through our partnerships with Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) and The Children's Law Center (CLC).

Admissions Testing
Weinfeld Education Group provides intellectual and achievement tests performed by licensed psychologists as required by many private schools in the DC metropolitan region.  These assessments are often briefer than comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations and are an affordable requirement for school entry. 

Psychological Consultation
Weinfeld Education Group offer psychological consultation services on an hourly basis for persons of all ages not requiring a full psychological testing battery but who may need clinical interviews for clarification of critical issues.

_The Weinfeld Education Group (WEG) offers a multi-disciplinary autism evaluation clinic for children age birth through six years.  The program serves families in the D.C. metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

When a child is suspected of having autism, it can be overwhelming to figure out which experts to see and what to do with differing information. In an effort to make the process more focused and family-friendly, WEG brings together specialists from many disciplines as a team to evaluate a child.  After consultation with a lead psychologist, evaluations from all appropriate experts are compiled into one comprehensive report.  This may include specialists in the fields of:
    Psychology
    Developmental Pediatrics
    Occupational Therapy
    Speech-Language Therapy
    Physical Therapy
    Behavior (including experts in Applied Behavioral Analysis)
    Assistive Technology

Afterward, the family will be invited to an interpretive feedback session where they will be presented with one report that integrates the results from all of the assessments and offers prioritized recommendations and a plan of action for further treatment and care.  Throughout the process, families will also have access to the services of a family navigator to help guide them and answer questions. WEG is committed to providing the multi-disciplinary assessment within six weeks of the first call from parents.

Subsidized funding may be available for qualified cases.  Families from the Jewish Social Services Agency and the Children's Law Center will be among those receiving services.  Spanish speaking services are available, as well as help with transportation to and from appointments.

Muli-Disciplinary Autism Evaluation Team members include:

• Director of Psychological and Behavioral Services - Dr. Stephan Silverman
• Team Leader, Early Childhood - Annie Glanville
• Psychologists - Dr. Amy Pacos, Dr. Paula Elitov, Dr. Tom Holman, Dr. Joette James, Dr. Jackie Iseman, Dr. Christine Golden
• Developmental Behavioral Pediatricians - Dr. Dan Shapiro, Dr. Karin Belsito, Dr. Polly Panitz, Dr. Robin Chernoff,  Dr. Chuck Conlon
• Occupational Therapists - Kristin Conaboy and Associates, Myania Moses and Associates, Bill McGrath   
• Speech and Language Pathologists - Dr. Linda Spencer, National Speech Language Therapy Center (Sabra Gelfond), Building Blocks Therapy (Kirsten Metzger)
• Behavior Intervention Specialists - Dr. Tamara Marder, Dr. Paul Livelli, Shanna Hirsch, Annie Glanville   
• Assistive Technology - Kristin Conaboy and Associates, Bill McGrath
• Family Navigators - Dr. Guillermo Brito, Doreen Hodges, Linda Layne
• Educational Consultants - Rich Weinfeld, Jennifer Engel Fisher, Janet Price, Bob Felton, Helaine Zinaman, Hayley Jacobson

For Information, please contact: Rich Weinfeld, Director of Weinfeld Education Group, LLC, 301-681-6233, rich@weinfeldeducationgroup.com

High-stakes tests” are those like the AP, SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, and NBME exams that are used as primary determining factors for making major decisions about program admissions or eligibility. If an individual’s disability is associated with significant functional limitations that impact test-taking, he or she may be eligible for accommodated testing.

Whereas students attending public schools are often eligible for testing accommodations through their IEP or 504 plan, it is the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) that requires testing agencies to provide reasonable accommodations to test-takers with disabilities that are associated with significant functional limitations that would warrant specific accommodations.

Examples of these might include:

• reduced distractions for a test-taker with ADHD;
• extended time for an individual with dyslexia and impaired reading fluency;
• use of a computer and marking answers on a large-block answer sheet for an individual with dysgraphia;
• extra breaks and multi-day testing for an individual with a recent concussion; or
• breaks as needed for an individual with a generalized anxiety disorder.

We provide specialized services for all stages of this process:

• Initial or updated comprehensive evaluations that document the individual's history, disability, learning strengths and weaknesses, and the functional limitations that suggest a need for accommodated testing;
• If testing has been completed elsewhere, I can review the existing documentation to suggest what, if any, accommodations, might be appropriate, and to guide you in crafting an effective application packet;
• If supplemental testing appears needed, I can provide that or provide you with suggestions to take back to your original evaluator;
• •   If the initial request has been denied, I can work with you to address the reasons for the denial, and to submit an effective appeal or request for reconsideration, if warranted.

A few points to keep in mind:

•  Diagnosis of a disability does not automatically entitle anyone to testing accommodations; rather, the disability must be associated with significant functional limitations that suggest a need for specific accommodations that mitigate the impact of the disability.
• Testing agencies may not consider the use of mitigating measures, such as medication, as a reason for denying accommodations.
• Most testing agencies want to provide a fair and thorough review of each applicant's request, but this is also a somewhat subjective process; if your request has been denied and the request is reasonable, appeals or requests for reconsideration that address the reasons for denial can be effective.
• Testing accommodations are not provided in order to allow an individual to perform to the best of his or her ability, or to demonstrate one's potential; rather, they are intended solely to "level the playing field," and to provide equal access to the test to individuals with disabilities.
• A history of receiving classroom accommodations does not ensure one's eligibility for testing accommodations on high-stakes tests, given the differences in these settings (and the applicable laws).
• The inability to finish a test within the time limits does not necessarily, in and of itself, suggest a need for accommodations or the presence of a specific disability.
• Test anxiety alone is not a disability, but is often demonstrated by individuals with other disabilities that impact test-taking.
• The burden of proof is often greater for gifted and talented individuals with a disability, given debates in the testing community about the extent to which these individuals' impairments suggest a functional limitation as compared to other test-takers. In these cases, qualitative information and supporting documents that supplement the neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation are particularly important.
• Even when an individual's primary difficulty is finishing a test within the prescribed time limits, extended time may not always be the most appropriate accommodation, and particularly for individuals with ADHD; in such cases, other kinds of accommodations may prove more effective.

               Weinfeld Education Group, LLC    104 Northwood Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901    (301) 681-6233    Fax  (301) 593-3333    Email rich@weinfeldeducationgroup.com