Assessments 101
A parent’s guide to special education assessments.
That consent form your district sent home? It’s a list of acronyms with no explanation. Pick the test you’re seeing and find out what it actually measures, what scores matter, and what to ask the evaluator.
Filter by domain
Reading
CTOPP-2
Phonological Processing
The dyslexia foundation. Phoneme awareness, rapid naming, phonological memory.
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Reading
TOWRE-2
Timed Word Reading
45-second timed word + pseudoword reading. Catches the fluency gap.
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Reading
GORT-5
Oral Reading Test
Reading aloud. Rate, accuracy, fluency, comprehension on connected text.
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Reading
SDQA
Spelling Analysis
What spelling errors reveal about decoding skill. Phonetic-but-wrong is diagnostic.
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Achievement
WIAT-4
Wechsler Achievement Test
Reading, math, writing, oral language. Paired with the WISC for SLD eligibility.
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Achievement
KTEA-3
Kaufman Achievement Test
WIAT alternative. Sound-Symbol Composite makes it strong for dyslexia.
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Cognitive
WISC-V
Wechsler Intelligence Scale
The IQ test. Five indexes including the two ADHD-sensitive ones.
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Behavior
Conners-3
ADHD Rating Scale
The ADHD test. Parent + teacher + sometimes self-report. Cross-rater pattern is the diagnosis.
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Behavior
BRIEF-2
Executive Function Inventory
Working memory, planning, emotional control. ADHD’s invisible costs show up here.
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Behavior
BASC-3
Behavior Assessment System
Broad behavior + emotional + social rating. Catches more than just ADHD.
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Language
CELF-5
Language Fundamentals
SLP language battery. Receptive vs expressive. Recalling Sentences is the DLD canary.
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Language
GFTA-3
Goldman-Fristoe Articulation
Speech sound production. The articulation test for preschool/early-elementary kids.
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Motor
Beery VMI
Visual-Motor Integration
Copy-the-shape test. The handwriting/dysgraphia screen the OT runs.
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Reading & Literacy
Academic Achievement
Cognitive / IQ
Behavior & Attention
Speech & Language
Motor & Visual-Motor