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Academic Screening Test
Hello,
We were told by our son's school that he needs to take an academic screening test in English. The Community Help Services (CHS) was mentioned to us as a place that does this test. We need some guidance on specific experts in CHS or any other centre / expert that can administer the same test. Your recommendations will be most welcome. Thank you.
Have you looked at the CHS website?
The website gives you information on the team and their specialisms and qualifications.
http://www.chs-belgium.org/home/index.php/about-chs/the-clinical-team
If your child is educated in English this is really the best place in Belgium for the testing. The have awareness of what assessments are required for each system and the format of reports for the school.
At CHS they have a very wide range of assessment between them so they are able to tailor the assessments to the child to get a full diagnosis.
If you were to consider a full private assessment in the UK. The equivalent assessments would cost you a lot more.
For example BDA (British Dyslexia Association) does an assessment for only Dyslexia that costs: £600.00 + VAT
I do not work for CHS or have any personal connection but work with many special needs children in Brussels.
Hi Tanner it depends on language, I know of people who have had their children assessed via the Belgian system. However it's long winded and if your child isn't fluent then it's not ideal. If you're looking for that I believe you have to approach your family doctor for referral. I believe some of f it maybe paid by mutelle but we never found a way to access this. I also believe it takes a really reLly long time to do from what I have been told.
CHS is more straight forwards. To use them have to ring and speak to the office help number, you ask for someone to assess and explain why. They take down your details.
Then when they have a team meeting your situation is discussed by the psychologists Team. They then allocate you a person, you don't choose who. If your child went previously you can state who tested but they don't have to offer the same person, although I think sometimes hey do that.
The cost is pretty high it was about €900 per report I think. I know this because I've had to have all my children assessed there over the years. These reports are valid usually for three years.
However for that you get a full educational psychological report. These are pages long and contain many areas of assessment. The child and parents have to go a few times the child for longer. They speak to the parents for a short time and give you questioners and also some for school. You have to leave the child there for three time one hours I think over a few weeks. If your child has issue relating to attention, dyslexia etc there is an ADHD support group who might be able to offer some guidance. http://www.adhd-edu.be/Web/
All the best
Tanner what school is your child at? A local school or an international school?
I'm also not aware of anyone else doing this testing locally in English except CHS, as I said we've had to fork out numerous times for these. That said it has allowed our boys to be better supported by their school. They are in ISB and I have to say that from what we hear the support hey get is better than that offered in other international schools. The European schools don't see to be fab from what we hear. I've met parents whose children were asked to leav BSB for having severe dyslexia type educational needs we can't fault ISB at all.
I can highly recommend Corinne Guibard. Her number can be found here: http://www.infobel.com/fr/belgium/people/bruxelles-1000/avenue_de_la_for...
She is a clinical psychologist who has her own practice in Brussels. She can test children in French and English and she speaks German as well.
We had a fantastic and extremely helpful experience with her in 2015. My daughter had been at BSB and the school refused to test her. My child is bilingual in French and English, but we decided that Corinne would begin just by testing her in English, as the process is quite intensive. It was also costly (€800!). In retrospect, we might have been able to have it covered by insurance- so do investigate this first.
I had multiple follow-up meetings with Corinne as well as an in-depth report and guidance on how to deal with my daughter's dyslexia. My daughter, after feeling quite traumatized at school, absolutely loved working with Corinne and actually asked if she could return to be "tested" more. As an expat, I greatly appreciated Corinne's deep understanding of both the international and local school systems, as well as her vast network of colleagues in Brussels.
Good luck!
there are heaps of alternatives in English to the expensive CHS independents.
