Assess
At Pencil & Pathways, we provide comprehensive psychological, psychoeducational, behavioral, and speech-language evaluations for students across the Austin area. Our evaluations help families and schools understand a student's learning profile, identify areas of need, and develop practical recommendations for school and home.
We work with families and public, private, charter, and homeschool settings and provide Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs).
Psychoeducational and Psychological Evaluations
A psychoeducational and psychological evaluation helps identify a student’s unique psychological and learning profile, including their strengths, challenges, and how their brain processes information. These evaluations can clarify whether a student demonstrates characteristics of a learning disability or other condition affecting educational functioning and can provide information relevant to special education eligibility, Section 504 accommodations, and other school-based supports.
A comprehensive evaluation may examine cognitive abilities, academic achievement, attention and executive functioning, processing skills, and social-emotional or behavioral functioning. The specific assessment battery is individualized based on the referral question and the student's history and presenting concerns.
Evaluations may help clarify concerns related to learning disabilities and dyslexia, ADHD, autism, anxiety, other emotional concerns, executive functioning, and complex learning profiles.
Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA)
When behavior interferes with a student's learning, relationships, or participation at school, a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) can help identify the variables that may be contributing to and maintaining the behavior.
Using observation, interviews, record review, and behavioral data, we work collaboratively with families and school teams to develop hypotheses about behavioral function and identify appropriate supports. When indicated, findings can be used to develop or refine a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) focused on prevention, skill development, and reinforcement of appropriate replacement behaviors.
If your child frequently gets into trouble at school, an FBA can provide valuable insight and a path forward.
Speech & Language Evaluations
A Comprehensive Language Assessment evaluates a student’s communication abilities to determine if a speech or language disorder is impacting their success at school, at home, or in the community.
These evaluations assess:
Expressive Language (vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar)
Receptive Language (listening comprehension, following directions)
Pragmatic Language (social communication skills, often relevant in autism evaluations)
We also offer Targeted Language Assessments focused on specific concerns such as articulation, fluency, voice, or pragmatic language skills. These are often used to support targeted questions or informal concerns about a student’s communication.