Meghan’s educational assessment began in kindergarten with an interview and an observation.
On registration day, Meghan and her mother came to school and were interviewed briefly.
A teacher rated Meghan’s cognitive and social-emotional skills.
Her development was judged normal, and she attended kindergarten.
During the year, she had difficulty paying attention to the teacher and participating in group activities, although she was neither aggressive nor hostile.
She was given a “readiness test” at the end of kindergarten and performed as an average child.
Her teacher recommended that she continue on to first grade, but her parents balked: They didn’t think she was ready.
They took her to a child guidance clinic and requested further psychological assessment.
The clinical psychologist administered an individual intelligence test and a “projective test” in which Meghan was asked to tell a story about what was happening in each of a set of pictures.
The psychologist interviewed her, her parents, and her teacher.
The psychologist described her as normal, both in cognitive ability and in social-emotional development.
Her parents withdrew her from the school she was attending and placed her in another school to repeat kindergarten. Later, they reported that whereas her first experience was difficult for her, her second kindergarten year was a great success.
In their view, a teacher who was particularly sensitive to Meghan’s needs helped accelerate her cognitive development.
By the end of the year, she had also become more confident and regularly participated in group activities.