We are honored to visit again with Dr. Alexander Tan to discuss the integrity of evaluations and assessments of English-language learners. This topic aligns perfectly with our goal of helping all parents better understand the IEP process. Are we providing culturally- and linguistically-responsible evaluations? Do parents of different cultural backgrounds understand the numbers and data that we are using? Join us to learn more in today’s episode! 

Dr. Alexander Tan is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and supervisor at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). His expertise is in the assessment of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. He is an internationally recognized expert and frequent speaker about topics such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and mental health. He recently joined us for Episode 310: A Holistic View of Language and Cultural Context. 

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Tan’s role in the assessment process: to inform and educate the parents
• The value of conversations in context to equip and empower the parents
• Cultural and language differences can impact the integrity of assessments at the most foundational levels.
• The feedback session is the most important part of any evaluation.
• A holistic perspective of contributing factors and inconsistencies in evaluations is essential.
• The overriding question in my role is, “Are we as evaluators painting an accurate picture of this student and their needs?”
• Dr. Tan emphasizes the four major guidelines in test/evaluation fairness for diverse populations: maximizing comfort in evaluations, minimizing biases in tests and test items, maximizing accessibility in testing, and maximizing the validity of our interpretations

Links/Resources:

Connect with Dr. Alexander Tan: Website

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   

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