When a bright, capable child continues to struggle in school, whether it’s with focus, organization, reading, or motivation, it can leave parents wondering what’s really going on. Is it just a tough year? Or could something deeper be interfering with learning?
To shed light on these questions, Ann Dolin, M.Ed., Founder of Educational Connections, sat down with Dr. Rachna Varia, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Co-Founder at MindWell Psychology in Chantilly, VA. Dr. Varia has spent over 25 years conducting Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological testing to help parents understand how their children learn, think, and feel.
When School Struggles Signal Something More
Occasional academic challenges are typical, according to Dr. Varia, but persistent frustration or emotional distress can signal something more significant.
“School is challenging for everyone. Everyone has areas of strength. Everyone has areas of weakness,” she said. “But when they’re not wanting to go to school, when they’re coming home exhausted, when they’re frustrated… that’s definitely a red flag that it’s gone beyond just a basic challenge. Something about their learning or their attention or their executive functioning might be getting short-circuited, and we want to find out what that is.”
While many parents take a “wait and see” approach, especially early in the school year, Dr. Varia says it’s important to take action if your child is regularly feeling anxious, worried, or frustrated.
What Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Testing Look For
Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological testing is far more in-depth than an academic skills test or screening from a pediatrician. It’s a comprehensive look at how a child learns, processes, and manages information.
“Testing is really a chance to learn about your child’s brain,” Dr. Varia explained. “I always tell families this is a chance to find out about how you learn, how you think, and how you feel. And every single kid learns, thinks, and feels differently.”
To help parents and their child make sense of the child’s learning profile, she uses a one-on-one, interactive assessment that combines computer tasks with conversation and writing.
“We’re going to be looking at how you approach problems, looking at patterns, doing puzzles, and some drawings. We’re going to be working on how you remember things. Is it easier for you to remember things when you hear it? Is it easier for you to remember things when you see it? There’s going to be reading, writing, and math.”
Dr. Varia notes that kids tend to respond well to the process once they realize it’s more like guided activities than a traditional test.
“In the 25 years I’ve been doing this, most kids really enjoy it. It’s tons of one-on-one attention. It’s a lot of conversation.”
How Results Bring Relief and a Path Forward
For many families, receiving results from Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological testing can be a turning point.
“Having ADHD or Dyslexia or Dysgraphia or any learning difference is one component of who that child is,” Dr. Varia said. “That child could also be a great soccer player, loves crafts, is a Netflix fan, whatever it might be. But this is one component of who they are. And usually, providing a diagnosis provides incredible relief. It creates context. It creates a narrative.”
The results are shared both in writing (which can be passed along to the school) and through an in-person parent feedback session with the psychologist.
“It really ends up being a discussion for the family and a real pivot of like okay now how are we going to move forward with this new information?” she explained.
By identifying the root cause of a child’s struggles, parents and educators can move forward with the right support, including classroom accommodations and seeking outside therapy, subject tutoring, or executive function coaching.
“Sometimes it can come as a surprise to the parents, like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that decoding words was so hard or staying focused on the writing was so hard.’ If we know the reason, then we know how to move forward with intervention,” she said. “It won’t necessarily make school easier, but it will make school more productive, something that the child is going to enjoy more, get more from the learning process, and not feel frustrated.”
How to Get Support
For two decades, MindWell Psychology and Educational Connections have referred families to one another to ensure students receive well-rounded support—from identifying learning differences through testing to building the skills they need to thrive academically.
Families in Northern Virginia seeking clarity about how their child learns can contact MindWell Psychology to discuss scheduling an assessment.
Schedule a call with MindWell Psychology:
🌐 mindwell.us | 📞 (703) 378-7998
And if your child needs one-on-one academic support for ADHD, Dyslexia, or another learning difference, Educational Connections’ virtual team supports students nationwide.
Schedule a call with Educational Connections:
🌐 ectutoring.com/get-started | 📞 (703) 934-8282