Our Services
We work with Parents, Children, Families, and Groups
School Neuropsychological Evaluations
and Psycho-Educational Evaluations
A psycho-educational evaluation assesses the child’s cognitive (intellectual) abilities, academic achievement levels, information processing abilities, and general emotional and behavioral issues.
The evaluation includes emotional and behavioral functioning, and their impact on the child’s academic skills.
This assessment will help determine if the child has a learning disability and how it’s impacting the child’s academic progress at school. In contrast with most licensed educational psychologist, I use the Pattern of Strengths and Weakens (PSW) model when assessing.
This model is based on Cattell-Horn-Carroll’s (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities. It is a hierarchical model of intelligence that is based on research and used to better determine overall intellectual ability.
CHC is regarded as the most validated model of intelligence, with years of research and review. I use research-based procedures to evaluate each child in order to accurately interpret all data.
We complete comprehensive evaluations for the following areas of need:
- Gifted
- Learning Disabilities ( Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia)
- Attention Disorders (ADHD)
- Developmental Delays
- College entrance examination accommodations (SAT, and ACT)
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Social-Emotional and Behavioral Functioning
- Cognitive/Adaptive Impairments
- Bilingual Assessment
Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
An IEE may evaluate any skills related to your child’s educational needs, such as behavior, social skills, cognitive, and academic skills. Sometimes, school districts request IEEs as well, when they lack the personnel or expertise to conduct a particular type of evaluation. A school district may also seek an IEE when parents are concerned with the fairness or accuracy of an evaluation.
Independent educational evaluations are a valuable tool for parents and school staff when used to determine a child’s educational needs. When completing an evaluation, I work closely with parents, the child, and school staff to further understand the child’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as to offer specific individualized recommendations on how to improve current academic functioning.
Consultation
Appointments are available for families in need of one-on-one consultation. Parents are provided a brief written summary of the discussion, including overall impressions and recommendations. Possible recommendations might include school-based classroom interventions, private tutoring or therapies, or a full psycho-educational evaluation.
Consultation can address a number of topics, including:
- Screening for developmental concerns or Autism
- Screening for Dyslexia
- Review of records and data to guide interventions
- Behavior management planning
- Helping parents understand 504/IEP plans.
Family Support
We offer the following additional support to parents and families:
- Child advocacy within school-based meetings
- Assisting families in choosing a school between the many PreK-12th grade programs available in the greater San Diego area.
Counseling/Coaching
- Social Skills Counseling
- Mindfulness Counseling
- Executive Functioning Coaching
- Academic Coaching
- Self Advocacy
Testimonials
JA
"Mrs. Veinbergs is an incredible human being who really cares about children. My daughter felt very comfortable at all times during the evaluation processes. The evaluation was detailed, professional, informative, and had relevant recommendations. Mrs. Veinbergs was flexible and went above and beyond to make our daughter feel comfortable. She even drove to go to our home on one occasion to assess our daughter who was hesitant about testing. Our home is bilingual and bicultural. Mrs. Veinbergs’s years of experience with bilingual assessments is evident. Being a native Spanish speaker herself, she was able to explain with detail the difference between typical second language acquisition development and a reading disability. Furthermore, she took the time to meet with the staff and us at my daughter's school to review the assessment results, collaborate, and to come up with the best educational support plan. I highly recommend Mrs Veinbergs!”
CC
I was so grateful to meet Karen Veinbergs, who quickly established a rapport with my 15 year old daughter, not an easy task with an uncommunicative teenager. She helped support her through a really tough few months of school, gave me guidance and valuable advice, as well as informed me on what resources are available through our school. Karen helped us navigate the assessment process and understand the outcomes. She made the whole process so much clearer, which reduced our stress and anxiety. Working with Karen was a really positive experience.
“Mrs. Veinbergs really went above and beyond to answer any questions or concerns and to make sure that I was empowered to make the most appropriate decisions about my child’s education. She was extremely responsive. Mrs. Veinbergs even responded over the weekend and took her time to answer my questions. Her positive disposition was breath of fresh air during this difficult process.”
NS
“We had an excellent experience with Karen Veinbergs. Our 17-year old daughter was originally reluctant to be evaluated, but due to Karen’s compassion and ability to easily connect with children/teens, our daughter automatically felt “safe” and optimistic. Karen has a remarkable ability to understand each student as a whole, integrating their educational, emotional and social needs. Receiving results about your child can be very stressful, but Karen was very supportive, responsive and made sure that we fully understood every detail. To the day (one year after having received the results) she continues to offer us support and is always available to answer any doubts we may have.”
JB
"We were concerned about our 8 year old son’s inability to focus on teacher-instructed tasks, complete quality assignments and stick with a plan. Enter: Sarah Vakharia! Sarah performed a multifaceted, in-depth School Neuro-Psychological assessment and was instrumental in getting our son the appropriate help he needed to thrive at school and at home. From beginning to end — from the start of the evaluation through to the detailed explanations of her findings, the ADHD-Combined diagnosis and recommendations, to the collaboration with our son’s school, Sarah was supportive, thorough, and sensitive to our son’s needs. With her unparalleled talent of working with kids and their parents, busy teachers and school administrators, it was clear that Sarah is the professional we needed!
Combining her years of knowledge and her true understanding of who our son is, Sarah was clear and confident. As only one example, she recommended occupational therapy as a part of his IEP. It was Sarah’s evidentiary support and training us on being better advocates that convinced the school that the service was warranted, which the school would not have otherwise considered. Through her great expertise and thoroughness, Sarah earns the respect of school administrators, and more importantly, shows that she is truly invested in your young one’s success!"
RK
“Our family had the privilege of working with Sarah Vakharia during the evaluation process of our daughter (age 10). From the beginning, Sarah clearly communicated what we could expect from the overall process and nuances of evaluation. Throughout the evaluation, it was clear that Sarah is both extremely passionate and knowledgeable about her work, as she took time to encourage and explain concepts to our daughter that were easily understood. This included empowering our daughter to better understand how her brain works, as well as her strengths and areas for growth. Further, Sarah gave our daughter (and our family) specific tools, resources, and strategies to use to overcome the various learning challenges she was diagnosed with.
During the reporting phase of the process, Sarah presented a thorough analysis of the data, but did so in a way that was easy to follow. Sarah also encouraged and welcomed questions for clarification. Her overall analysis, ability to communicate the findings, and her recommendations for next steps left us well-informed and incredibly grateful. It is without hesitation that we would recommend Sarah Vakharia to other families who are looking for the unique combination of an incredibly smart, passionate, and kind professional.”
DZ
“My daughter and I had an outstanding experience working with Karen Veinbergs to complete a private psychoeducational assessment. After the public school district determined my daughter did not qualify for an assessment, Karen worked with me to appeal their decision. Even though we were not successful with the appeal through the district, it was an initial glimpse into Karen's high level of professionalism and empathy. During the private assessment that Karen conducted, she calmed my daughter's initial butterflies and made her feel as comfortable as possible. Karen's final report was extremely detailed, useful, and she spent over an hour reviewing it with me to answer my questions. It was clear Karen has many years of experience. My daughter's school counselor commented that it was one of the most thorough reports that she had seen. I highly recommend Karen Veinbergs!"
Contact us
858-208-0639
admin@pecgroupsd.com
5405 Morehouse Dr.
Suite 230
San Diego, CA 92121