Finding the Specific Reason Why Effort and Output Don't Match
When Hard Work Isn't Enough
Your child studies. They try. They spend twice as long on homework as their peers. But the grades, the test scores, and the teacher feedback don't reflect the effort.
This gap between ability and production is the hallmark of a specific learning disability — and it's invisible to everyone who isn't looking for it. A child with dyslexia who has strong verbal skills can compensate for years before the cracks show. A bright child with dyscalculia might memorize math facts through sheer repetition while completely missing the underlying concepts.
A learning disability evaluation identifies the specific processing breakdown that's creating the gap — and gives you the information you need to get your child the right support.
What We Test For
Dyslexia — difficulty with reading that stems from differences in phonological processing, decoding, fluency, or comprehension. We assess not just whether your child struggles with reading, but exactly where in the reading process the breakdown occurs.
Dysgraphia — difficulty with written expression, which can show up as illegible handwriting, extremely slow writing, poor spelling, or a dramatic gap between what a child can say and what they can put on paper.
Dyscalculia — difficulty with math, including number sense, computation, math facts, and mathematical reasoning. We identify whether the challenge is in basic calculation, conceptual understanding, or both.
Processing differences — auditory processing, visual processing, and language processing challenges that affect how your child takes in, makes sense of, and uses academic information.
How We Evaluate
Our learning disability evaluations measure both the gap and the reason for it:
Cognitive ability — your child's overall reasoning, verbal skills, visual-spatial skills, processing speed, and working memory. This establishes their potential.
Academic achievement — standardized measurement of reading, writing, and math performance compared to age expectations and to your child's own cognitive ability.
Processing skills — phonological processing, rapid naming, visual-motor integration, auditory discrimination, and other specific mechanisms that underlie academic skills.
Executive functioning — planning, organization, working memory, and self-monitoring, which affect how learning disabilities play out in the classroom even when the child understands the content.
The diagnostic question isn't just "are they behind?" It's "is there a significant, measurable gap between this child's cognitive ability and their academic performance — and can we identify the specific processing difference that explains it?"
That specificity transforms intervention. "Your child has trouble reading" leads to generic tutoring. "Your child has a phonological processing deficit impacting decoding, with strong comprehension when text is decoded for them" leads to targeted, evidence-based instruction and specific school accommodations.
What This Changes for Your Child
At school: An IEP or 504 plan with accommodations matched to the specific deficit — not generic modifications, but precisely targeted support backed by evaluation data.
With intervention: The right type of help. Orton-Gillingham for phonological-based dyslexia. Occupational therapy for motor-based dysgraphia. Specific math intervention for dyscalculia. Matching the intervention to the deficit is everything.
At home: A framework that replaces "why aren't you trying harder" with "your brain processes this differently, and here's what helps." For both parent and child, this shift is transformative.
For your child's self-concept: Perhaps most importantly, an explanation that makes sense. They're not lazy. They're not stupid. Their brain handles certain information differently — and now everyone knows how to support that.
Schedule a Free Consultation
If your child works harder than their peers but the results don't show it, a learning disability evaluation can tell you exactly what's happening — and what to do about it.
Napa | Folsom Dr. Kirsten Kuzirian | Licensed Clinical Psychologist | PSY26368
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