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Why We TestDr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly test to determine the precise nature of the psychological, language, and/or learning disability, so they can recommend appropriate interventions and accommodations.
Dr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly administer their own tests to personally observe individual differences in performance, a key component in identifying and correctly diagnosing issues. Clinical assistants/students are not employed. Who We Test Dr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly test students from early childhood to adulthood, including individuals in higher education. Dr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly have expertise in the areas of language-learning disabilities, nonverbal learning disabilities, childhood stroke, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, high functioning autism, dyslexia, and apraxia. Further, Dr. Ekelman has presented papers and published articles in these areas. Dr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly have been longtime board members of the International Dyslexia Association of Northern Ohio where both were past vice-presidents. |
What We TestThe language testing includes receptive and expressive measures of phonological (sound) processing, syntax (grammar), semantics (morphology, vocabulary, meaning of words and their relationships), pragmatics (social communication), and discourse (spoken language and written text beyond the sentence level). Higher level language, auditory processing, memory, and retrieval skills are also evaluated.
The learning portion of the testing includes measures of phoneme/grapheme knowledge, reading (word reading accuracy, rate/fluency, reading comprehension), written expression (handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity/organization of written expression), and mathematics (number sense, memorization of math facts, accurate/fluent calculation, and math reasoning). The psychological portion of the testing screens for behavioral issues such as attention, anxiety, or peer relation problems. The cognitive portion includes measures of memory, visual processing, and verbal/perceptual intelligence. Testing is customized based on the individual’s performance and learning profile. |
How We TestDr. Ekelman and Dr. Wonderly take a multidisciplinary approach to evaluating school aged students and young adults. Dr. Ekelman administers the language and learning tests. Dr. Wonderly completes the behavioral and cognitive assessments. Appointments are scheduled in a timely and flexible manner.
Test scores alone provide limited information. Observing the types of errors made by the individual provides valuable insight into the underlying cause of the specific language and learning disability. A final diagnosis is made based on the data collected through examiner observation, questionnaires, family history, and test profiles. Recommendations for interventions and accommodations are then offered. Speech-Language and Learning TherapyMr. Jonathan Plessner, M.A., CCC-SLP and Ms. Bridget Petitti, M.A., CCC-SLP provide therapy through Dr. Ekelman’s office. Both are licensed clinical speech-language pathologists and certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioners. Areas of expertise include treatment in the following areas:
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