EDUCATION LOWDOWN PODCAST | EPISODE 6

The Whole Child Behind the Data

Assessments, IEEs & Understanding How Your Child Learns

With Erin Crawford, LEP — Founder of Crawford Educational Psychology

What happens when your child’s grades look fine, the school says they’re doing well, but something still doesn’t add up?

Maybe homework ends in tears. Your child holds it together all day and falls apart when they get home. Or you see challenges with attention, anxiety, friendships, executive functioning, or learning that aren’t showing up clearly in the classroom.

Sometimes the numbers only tell part of the story.

In Episode 6 of the Education Lowdown Podcast, Dylcia Hernandez Dell’Era sits down with Erin Crawford, LEP, founder of Crawford Educational Psychology, to talk about assessments, Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), twice-exceptional learners, masking, and what it means to truly look at the whole child behind the data.

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

A good assessment shouldn't simply produce another report for a parent to put in a binder.

At its best, an evaluation can help a family and educational team better understand how a child learns, where they're thriving, where they're struggling, and what may help them move forward.

That's especially important when a child's needs aren't immediately obvious.

Erin spent years working as a school psychologist before moving into private practice. In this conversation, she brings perspectives from both sides of the assessment process—and explains why understanding a child's full profile can be more important than focusing on any single test score or label.

When “Fine” Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

One of the recurring themes in this episode is a situation many parents will recognize:

The school sees one child. The family sees another.

A student may earn good grades, follow classroom expectations, and appear to be doing well during the school day while experiencing significant challenges elsewhere.

Erin and Dylcia discuss children who expend tremendous energy navigating the school day and then struggle once they're home. They also explore how attention, anxiety, social demands, learning differences, autism, and other factors can overlap.

This can be particularly complicated for children who are twice-exceptional, often shortened to 2e.

A twice-exceptional learner may have significant cognitive strengths or giftedness while also having areas of disability or support needs. Those strengths can sometimes make challenges less obvious—and challenges can sometimes prevent adults from recognizing a child's strengths.

That's why looking at the whole child matters.

Good Grades Don't Always Answer the Question

Parents sometimes hear:

“But they're getting good grades.”

Academic performance is important information, but it's not the only information worth considering.

How much effort does it take the child to maintain those grades?

What happens socially?

How are they managing attention and executive functioning?

What are parents seeing at home?

What does the child say about their own experience?

IDEA evaluation rules specifically require schools to draw from a variety of sources, including assessments, parent input, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior when determining eligibility and educational needs.

A report card is one piece of the picture—not the whole child.

What Is an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)?

One of the most practical parts of this episode is Erin's explanation of an Independent Educational Evaluation, commonly called an IEE.

Under IDEA, an IEE is an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the child's education. Federal regulations provide parents with rights related to obtaining an IEE, including circumstances in which a parent who disagrees with a public agency's evaluation may request an IEE at public expense.

Think of it, in simple terms, as an opportunity for an independent evaluator to take another look.

But an IEE isn't necessarily about proving that the school was wrong.

That's an important distinction Erin makes throughout the conversation.

Sometimes an independent evaluator reaches conclusions similar to the school district's evaluator. Sometimes the findings differ. The evaluator's role isn't to automatically side with either the family or the district.

The focus should remain on the child.

An IEE Isn't a Guaranteed Outcome

Another important point for parents:

Obtaining an IEE doesn't mean the school must automatically accept every conclusion or recommendation in the report.

When an IEE meets applicable agency criteria, IDEA requires the public agency to consider the results in decisions regarding the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

“Consider” is important.

An independent evaluation can bring valuable information to the table, but it remains part of a larger decision-making process.

That distinction is one reason parents benefit from understanding not just what an evaluation says, but how the information fits into the special education process.

Diagnosis and School Eligibility Aren't the Same Thing

This episode also touches on a distinction that can be confusing for families: a clinical diagnosis and special education eligibility are related concepts, but they are not interchangeable.

Under IDEA, having a disability category alone is not enough. The federal definition also requires that, because of the disability, the child needs special education and related services.

That means a child can have a diagnosis such as ADHD or autism without automatically qualifying for an IEP.

Likewise, school teams use educational eligibility criteria and educational data when determining whether a student qualifies for special education.

This is one reason conversations among parents, medical providers, private evaluators, and schools can sometimes feel like everyone is speaking a different language.

Sometimes Parents and Schools Are Using Different Words

Dyslexia. Specific Learning Disability. ADHD. Other Health Impairment. Autism. Twice-exceptional. Executive functioning.

The terminology can become overwhelming quickly.

And sometimes a parent and a school team may be discussing similar concerns using completely different language.

Erin talks about the importance of helping parents understand what an assessment actually says instead of getting lost in acronyms and terminology.

That's an important advocacy skill:

Don't be afraid to ask someone to explain a term in plain language.

You should leave a meeting with a better understanding of your child—not a longer list of acronyms to Google later.

Independent Doesn't Have to Mean Adversarial

One of the things I appreciate most about this conversation is that it doesn't frame special education as parents versus schools.

An independent evaluator can disagree with a district evaluation without turning the process into a battle.

Erin describes approaching these conversations with respect for school psychologists and other professionals while remaining independent in her conclusions.

That doesn't mean parents shouldn't disagree.

It means disagreement and collaboration can exist at the same time.

Everyone can come to the table with different information, perspectives, and recommendations while still remembering why they're there:

The child.

The Goal Isn't Just an Answer. It's a Game Plan.

Toward the end of the conversation, Erin describes one of her favorite moments in the assessment process.

It's when parents who have spent years wondering whether something was going on finally begin to understand what they've been seeing.

There can be relief in finally having language for it.

But understanding the what is only the beginning.

The more useful question becomes:

What do we do with this information now?

What could help at school?

What might help at home?

Are there other professionals or supports the family should consider?

What strengths can we build upon?

What barriers can we reduce?

That is where an assessment can become more than data.

It becomes a game plan.

And ultimately, that's the heart of this episode:

Your child is more than a score, a diagnosis, an eligibility category, or a report.

The purpose of gathering data should be to help the adults around a child understand them more fully—and make better decisions about what comes next.

IN THIS EPISODE

Dylcia and Erin discuss:

• Psychoeducational and school neuropsychological assessments

• Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)

• When and why families may consider an IEE

• Twice-exceptional (2e) learners

• Giftedness alongside ADHD, autism, anxiety, or learning differences

• Masking and differences between what families and schools may observe

• Why good grades don't necessarily tell the entire story

• Clinical diagnoses versus educational eligibility

• Understanding special education terminology

• The role of independent evaluators

• Parent-school collaboration

• Turning assessment results into practical next steps

ABOUT ERIN CRAWFORD

Erin Crawford, LEP, is the founder of Crawford Educational Psychology in San Rafael, California.

After years working in public school psychology, Erin moved into private practice, where her work includes psychoeducational and school neuropsychological evaluations for school-aged children through young adults. Her areas of focus include learning differences, autism, ADHD, and twice-exceptional profiles.

Throughout this episode, Erin brings both professional expertise and an understanding of what the assessment process can feel like for families trying to make sense of conflicting information.

Learn more about Erin and her practice at Crawford Educational Psychology.

NEXT STEP: NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT YOUR CHILD NEEDS?

If your child is struggling at school and you're not sure what comes next, you don't have to understand every acronym or know exactly what to request before you start asking questions.

Our free My Child Needs Academic Support guide can help you understand common school supports—including IEPs, 504 Plans, assessments, and practical next steps.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.

Disclaimer

The Education Lowdown podcast and related content are provided for educational and informational purposes only and are not intended as legal, medical, mental health, or other professional advice. The information shared reflects the experiences and opinions of the hosts and guests and may not apply to every individual or situation. Laws, regulations, policies, and educational practices may vary by location and change over time. Always consult an appropriate qualified professional regarding your specific circumstances. Education Lowdown's general educational content does not create a professional or client relationship.

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© 2026. Education Lowdown. All rights reserved. Education Lowdown provides educational and informational content only. Our content is not legal, medical, mental health, or other professional advice and does not create an advocate-client relationship. Special education laws, procedures, eligibility decisions, and school practices may vary based on individual circumstances and location.