An interview with Ellen B. Braaten and Gretchen Felopulos, authors of
"Straight Talk about Psychological Testing for Kids.

1. Why did you develop this book?  Who should read this?

We developed this book because we get hundreds of calls each year
from parents who want their children tested or who wonder if an
evaluation is needed, but who have questions about the evaluation
process.  Many parents have asked us over the years whether there
was a book we could recommend about this issue, but unfortunately
there was nothing to recommend.  We were as frustrated as the
parents that there was no place for them to get answers, so ultimately
we decided to write the book ourselves.  It’s written for parents who are
new to the evaluation process, as well as, those have previously had
their children tested but who would like a reference book that they can
keep on their shelf.  So far we’ve had very positive feedback from both
types of parents.

2. How do you know if a child needs testing?  When should a child get
tested?

These questions are more complicated than you might realize,
because they are so dependent upon each child’s presentation.  Most
of the time it begins with parents feeling that there’s something “not
quite right” with their child.  Generally, the concerns can range from
language/speech skills, problems with motor skills, learning and
academics, and behavior and emotional concerns.  There’s an entire
chapter in the book devoted to answering these questions.

3. What tips would you recommend for parents about the testing
process?

The number one thing they can do is to make sure the evaluation is
done by a competent professional.  Parents are often confused about
whether they should have the evaluation completed through the school
system or by a professional in private practice.  Again, there is not one
right answer to this question, so we review the pros and cons of each in
the book, as well as talking about how to go about finding a good
professional.  Another tip we’d recommend is “ask questions.”  
Professionals (ourselves included) often talk over parents’ heads and
our reports are often written at a level that can make it difficult for
parents to understand.  Thus, it’s important that parents ask the
professional to translate this information in a way they can understand
it, because, ultimately they (the parents) are their children’s most
important advocate.

4. What should every parent know about testing?  Are there any
common misconceptions?

Many parents are concerned that testing will “label” their child.  
However, labeling isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as the label is
appropriate.  A firm diagnosis can help focus the treatment.  For
instance, knowing your child’s inattention in school is due to problems
learning to read (which are a result of dyslexia) as opposed to an
attention problem, can direct treatment toward reading intervention
instead of medication.  Another misconception is that testing can
predict what a child is ultimately capable of.  However, testing is not a
crystal ball; it provides information regarding a child’s ability at a
certain point in time and is not necessarily predictive of a child’s
ultimate potential.

5. How does this book help parents and educators?

We feel this book fills a huge gap in the parenting education literature
in that it’s the first book of it’s kind that answers a broad range of
topics regarding what’s involved in different types of evaluations, what
are the commonly used tests, what to expect before, during, and after
and evaluation, and “cracking the code” of the test reports.  The book
also describes how testing is used to evaluate specific disorders such
as dyslexia, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Mental Retardation,
Giftedness, and other learning and emotional issues.  So, the book
not only answers broad questions about the process, it also provides
more specific information that parents will find useful.  Since we’ve
seen thousands of children and families over the years, we have a
pretty good idea of what kinds of questions they have – since most
families have similar questions.  

6. Are there any additional resources you recommend?

Our book is full of additional resources, including books, websites, and
videos.  Some of our most frequently recommended books include The
Explosive Child by Ross Greene, Straight Talk about Psychiatric
Medications for Kids by Tim Wilens, and Driven to Distraction by Edward
Hallowell and John Ratey.  They all happen to be written by our
colleagues at HMS, so we may be a bit biased, but they are great
books.

7.  Where can someone purchase the book?

Most major bookstores and online sites stock both the paperback and
hardback versions of the book. You can order direct from our
publisher, Guilford Press, or websites such as Amazon.com.