A clear picture of how your child thinks and learns.
Private cognitive ability assessment for families who want to understand their child — not because of a problem, but because understanding helps.
Understanding, not labeling.
Most parents already know their child better than anyone. What an assessment adds is a careful, individual look at how that child takes in information, solves problems, and learns — put into language you can actually use.
Some families come with a specific question in mind. Others simply want a fuller understanding of the child in front of them. Both are good reasons.
Every child is met where they are. That matters most for children who are harder to assess well — a child who is nonverbal, a child whose home language and culture aren't reflected in most standard tests, or a child whose strengths and challenges don't line up in a tidy way.
Private assessment, and independent evaluations.
These are two different services for two different situations. One you seek out to understand your child. The other comes out of the school system, when you disagree with a district's evaluation.
Private assessment
- A parent's own choice, to understand their child
- Not tied to any school dispute or process
- Paid privately
Independent evaluation (IEE)
- A right you have when you disagree with the district's evaluation
- Part of the special-education / IEP process
- Often conducted at the district's expense
Nearly 25 years spent understanding children.
Nearly 25 years in schools and clinical settings
I've spent almost 25 years working with children and the adults who care about them — across schools, districts, and one-on-one assessment. Over that time I've developed a particular care for the children who are easy to misread: the quiet ones, the ones whose test scores don't match the child their parents describe, the ones who need an evaluator willing to slow down.
A good assessment isn't about fitting a child into a category. It's about seeing the actual child clearly, and describing what you see in a way a family can use. That's the work I care about, and it's what I've built this practice to do.
I have particular experience assessing children who are often served poorly by standard testing — children who are nonverbal, and children whose language and culture aren't reflected in the tests most evaluators reach for. Getting those assessments right takes patience and the right approach, and it's some of the work I'm proudest of.
My work is built on honesty as much as expertise. An assessment is only useful if a family can trust it and understand it, so I aim to hand back something clear and true — a real account of a child's abilities, in plain terms, that a parent can carry forward.
This work is personal, too. I raised a twice-exceptional child — a bright, curious son whose abilities came bundled with real learning and health challenges, and who never fit the path school laid out for him. I homeschooled him through middle and high school, watched him begin community college early, and saw him go on to earn a bachelor's degree in engineering. Raising him taught me, from the inside, how much of a child's potential can hide behind the things that don't fit a standard mold — and how much changes when someone finally looks at the whole child. It's a large part of why I do what I do.
What a private assessment looks like.
A cognitive ability assessment is a careful, one-on-one look at how your child thinks, reasons, and learns. It's unhurried and low-pressure, and it ends with a plain conversation about what it all means for your child.
We start with a conversation
Before any testing, we talk about your child and what you're hoping to understand. This is where you tell me what you're seeing at home and at school, and what questions brought you here.
Your child and I meet
The testing happens one-on-one, at a pace that works for your child — usually one or two sessions for a focused cognitive assessment, and two or three for a comprehensive evaluation. Sessions take place in a calm, comfortable setting: in your home, or a quiet reserved room at a local library. To most kids it feels more like a series of puzzles and activities than a test, and I use well-established instruments chosen to fit your particular child rather than a one-size-fits-all battery.
I score and make sense of it
Behind the scenes, I score the results and interpret them in the context of everything else I've learned about your child — not as numbers in isolation, but as a picture of a whole person.
We sit down with the results
We meet again so I can walk you through what the assessment found, in plain language, with room for your questions. Depending on the option you choose, you leave with either a brief written summary or a full written report you can keep and share with the people who work with your child.
Private assessments are paid directly by the family, not through insurance or a school district. Every child is different, so the right scope is set with you first — these are starting points.
A specific quote is confirmed with you before we begin, so there are no surprises.
Families come for all kinds of reasons: a parent who senses there's more going on with their child than school has captured, a family weighing a decision about grade level or program, or simply a wish to understand a child more fully. You don't need a diagnosis or a dispute to want a clearer picture.
Independent evaluations (IEEs).
An Independent Educational Evaluation is different from a private assessment. It's a formal step within the special-education process — a comprehensive evaluation by a qualified professional outside the school district.
Under special-education law, families have the right to request an IEE when they disagree with the evaluation their district conducted, and it is often carried out at the district's expense. Because it feeds directly into a child's IEP, an IEE has to be thorough, independent, and able to stand up in an IEP meeting or a due process setting.
I conduct comprehensive IEEs for families, school districts, and the advocates and attorneys who support them. If you've been told your child needs an independent evaluation, or you're weighing whether to request one, you're welcome to reach out and I'll walk you through how the process works.
I work with districts on a contract basis and welcome referrals from advocates and attorneys. IEE fees are quoted per case. For a current CV and fee schedule, or to discuss a specific matter, please get in touch directly.
Let's talk about your child.
Tell me a little about your child and what you're hoping to understand, and I'll take it from there. There's no obligation in reaching out.
Prefer to reach out directly? Email kristinaguileralep@gmail.com or call (925) 437-8616