Psychoeducational evaluation is conducted by Blue Sky Behavior Therapy’s Licensed Psychologist and is an assessment process that includes the identification of a student’s strengths and weaknesses to determine potential issues interfering with achievement in school. The process involves gathering multiple sources of information including but not limited to teacher and caregiver interviews, relevant rating scales, direct observations, and intelligence and achievement assessments. This information helps to inform a treatment plan, which includes targeted interventions aimed at improving identified issues. The results of the assessment lead to individualized, empirically relevant recommendations, for school-based supports in the form of accommodations that will enable students to reach their full potential within their academic environment.

The Emotional Disability Evaluation is conducted by Blue Sky Behavior Therapy’s Licensed Psychologist. This evaluation is a supplemental evaluation to the psychoeducation evaluation conducted by the school district and the psychologist specifically assesses for emotional challenges that are adversely affecting a student’s educational performance. The process may include but not limited to observations, administration of rating scales, a review of relevant history and records and interviews.

Parents/Caregivers may request for the school district to have the opportunity for their child to be evaluated by an independent assessor. Blue Sky Behavior Therapy, LLC Psychologist will conduct the assessment and follow the same standards as the Comprehensive Psycho-Educational Evaluation (see above).

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) looks to address the purpose and cause of a challenging behavior in the classroom setting. An FBA consists of information-gathering procedures that may include but not limited to teacher/caregiver interviews, direct observations of behavior, and review of history and records. The results lead to a hypothesis of the function of the behavior. The FBA is also beneficial in the identification of environmental antecedents (what happened before the behavior occurred) and consequences (what happened after the behavior occurred) that are maintaining the behavior. The information gathered is used to develop an effective and efficient behavior plan.

The Skills Assessment is completed by Blue Sky Behavior Therapy’s BCBA or RBT under the supervision of a BCBA. A criterion-based assessment that contains measurable learning and language milestones that are sequenced and balanced across developmental levels is used. The skills assessed include receptive and expressive language skills, motor imitation, independent play, social and social play, visual perceptual and matching-to-sample, linguistic structure, group and classroom skills, and academics. The results of the assessment are used to establish priorities for teaching and the most effective intervention program. A Skills Assessment provides a representative sample of a child’s existing verbal and related skills repertoire.