ABSTRACT
The feedback to parents and the report represent the most important steps in the entire evaluation process. The child’s parents are the critical link between the information gathered about the child and how that information will be used. Unless the parents have an in-depth understanding of the findings and how the results can be applied, they will not be able to function in the most effective manner as their child’s advocates. Therefore, the information must be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner that not only informs the parents about their child but also is conducted in a way that the most important information is presented with sensitivity and compassion, so that the parents can receive it. Thus, the feedback, in particular, takes on the role of a therapeutic intervention that will position the parents to understand some of the underlying issues contributing to their child’s cognitive, academic, behavioral, social and emotional profile. This is particularly relevant as it relates to the questions posed at the referral and intake, but it is critical in respect to how the parents can use the information to effect any necessary change in the child’s world.
