Unlocking the Mystery of Psycho-Educational Evaluations by Shari Meserve

Adult program listed below. Youth Ambassador Paige Bani will do activities with the youth. Subs, chips and drink provided.
Have you ever looked at your child’s special education evaluations and wondered what all those numbers mean?

When you’re sitting at IEP meetings and the psychologist is explaining the results to you,
do your eyes just glaze over with confusion?

Have you ever wanted to make a point and wished you could use some of the data to support what you’re saying?

If you said “yes” to any of these questions, then this workshop is for you!
Key Points of the Presentation Include:

•How to know which tests to request based on your concerns
•Basics of test interpretation– IQ, processing, and achievement
•Patterns to look for that might suggest concerns
•Advocacy strategies to use if you don’t agree with the school team’s decision
•Key questions to ask the evaluators

The presentation will include look-alike examples of the most common tests (Wechsler, Woodcock, and Woodcock) and will provide parents with a solid understanding of the testing process and interpretation. Shari Meserve is a school psychologist who has worked in the public school system and for a pediatric neuropsychologist, in private practice. Out of a growing desire to use her skills to help a wider range of children and families obtain appropriate services and supports, Shari now works as a Clinical Consultant and Advocate for Matt Cohen and Associates, a special education and disability law firm in Chicago. Shari has a long history with Tourette Syndrome and TS organizations. In 1976, at the age of 15, Shari was the 3rd person in Illinois, and the 1st female in Illinois, to be diagnosed with TS. The diagnosis came after many years of complicated and confusing symptoms, as well as much frustration and fear due to conflicting diagnoses and many unanswered questions. During this time, Shari’s symptoms consisted of multiple and fairly constant motor tics as well as loud vocal tics such as barking, grunting, hissing, and echolalic shouting. After Shari’s diagnosis in 1976 her parents, along with several other families, started the Illinois Chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA-IL). In 2005, after 30 years of being involved in the organization, Shari began serving on the TSA-IL Board of Directors during which time she presented numerous school in-services, conducted workshops, co-led the most active support group in Illinois, and organized many social events. Shari also served on the Tourette Syndrome Camp Organization Board of Directors for and was the camp mental health director for seven years. In 2014, along with several other members, Shari launched the Illinois Resource Network for Tourette Syndrome & Related Disorders. Shari enjoys sharing her knowledge with parents and other professionals and has presented workshops for a number of professional agencies including the Legal Assistance Foundation, Rush University Medical Center and the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Chicago. Shari speaks on topics such as Understanding Psycho-Educational Evaluations, Special Education Eligibility in a Response to Intervention Model, Executive Functioning. Advocating for Children with Special Needs, Classroom and Parental Behavioral Management Techniques, Writing Effective Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Plans, and of course many topics related to Tourette Syndrome. Shari and her husband, Dennis, have three adult daughters each of whom has TS and/or various related disorders. Shari points to her own family members and countless other well-adjusted adults with TS to remind parents of younger children that there IS life beyond Tourettes.