Psychoeducational evaluations can sound intimidating for families, but they are designed to do something very important: help us understand how a child learns. In this episode of More Than Words: Treating the Whole Child, host Tristen speaks with licensed school psychologist Megan Davis about what psychoeducational evaluations really are and how they help uncover the strengths and challenges that shape a child’s learning experience.

Megan explains how these evaluations look at the whole child by examining cognitive skills, academic performance, executive functioning, and social-emotional development. She also walks through what parents and children can expect during the evaluation process, how private evaluations differ from school-based testing, and when it might be the right time to consider an evaluation.

If you have ever wondered whether your child might benefit from an evaluation or felt unsure about what the process involves, this conversation helps remove the mystery. Megan reframes evaluations as a tool for understanding and advocacy, giving families a clearer path forward to help their child thrive.

🔎 What a psychoeducational evaluation is and the questions it helps answer about a child’s learning

🧠 The different components of an evaluation, including cognitive, academic, executive functioning, and social-emotional assessments

👪 What parents and children can expect during the evaluation process from intake to feedback

📊 Signs that it may be time to consider an evaluation for your child

🏫 How private psychoeducational evaluations differ from school-based evaluations

📚 How evaluation results can help families advocate for support at school, in therapy, and at home

💡 Why diagnoses are not about labeling children but about creating clarity and access to the right supports

Megan Davis, Licensed School Psychologist, is the co-owner of Counseling and Assessment Practice of Fairfax (CAP Fairfax). She has over 20 years of experience in school psychology, including 15 years working in public schools before transitioning into private practice. Megan specializes in comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations that help families better understand how their children learn and what supports will help them succeed.

In addition to her clinical work, Megan supervises graduate students at George Mason University, helping train the next generation of school psychologists. Her work focuses on providing clear, practical insights that help families navigate complex educational and developmental systems while supporting each child’s unique strengths.

Counseling and Assessment Practice of Fairfax Website: https://capfairfax.com

Social Media Instagram: @capfairfax Facebook: @capfairfax

More Than Words is brought to you by The Reading & Language Learning Center, where we believe in treating the whole child.

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What if supporting speech and language started with the body? In this episode, Tristen is joined by speech-language pathologist and yoga teacher Jennifer Schmid to explore how movement, breath, and regulation can directly support communication.

Together, they unpack why a calm, organized body creates better conditions for speech and language learning, how yoga-informed strategies can fit naturally into speech therapy, and what parents can try at home. This conversation is practical, grounded, and accessible for families and clinicians who want to better support the whole child.

• Why regulation is foundational for speech and language development
• How movement and breath support attention, motor planning, and communication
• What “yoga-informed” really means in a speech therapy context
• How speech-language pathologists can integrate yoga-based strategies without losing focus on goals
• Examples of yoga-informed activities used during speech therapy sessions
• Simple breath and movement routines parents can use at home
• Why supporting the body can help words come more easily

Jennifer Schmid is a speech-language pathologist and yoga instructor who specializes in integrating mind–body practices into speech and language therapy. She brings together evidence-based speech therapy with yoga-informed strategies to support regulation, communication, and learning in children. Jennifer is passionate about helping clinicians and families understand how the body and nervous system influence speech, language, and connection. Through her work, she supports a whole-child approach that is practical, accessible, and grounded in both clinical expertise and compassion.

Learn more about Jennifer and her work at jenschmid.com.

• Jennifer Schmid: https://www.jenschmid.com
• RLLC’s Website: http://www.readingllcenter.com

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Why does it feel like kids forget instructions the moment they hear them? In this episode of More Than Words, host Tristen is joined by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Erika Madison to unpack how executive function plays a critical role in memory. Rather than being a true “memory problem,” many everyday struggles with forgetting directions, losing materials, or blanking on tests are rooted in how the brain organizes, holds, and retrieves information.

Dr. Madison breaks down executive function in clear, relatable terms and explains how skills like attention, working memory, organization, and planning directly impact learning and recall. Together, they explore why memory demands increase as children get older and share practical, realistic strategies parents and educators can use to reduce memory load and better support kids at home and school.

What You’ll Learn

• What executive function is and why it acts like the brain’s “CEO”
• How working memory supports learning and following directions in real time
• Why kids can seem to “know it yesterday” but forget it during tests
• How executive function challenges can look like memory problems
• Why memory demands increase as academic tasks become more complex
• How organization and planning affect memory retrieval
• Practical strategies to reduce memory load and support executive functioning

About Dr. Erika Madison Dr. Erika Madison, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at MindWell Psychology, where she specializes in comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults. Her clinical focus includes executive functioning, attention, learning differences, ADHD, autism, and emotional regulation. Dr. Madison is known for helping families understand the “why” behind a child’s learning or behavioral challenges and translating assessment results into clear, actionable recommendations that support success at home and school. With a background that also includes forensic psychology, she brings a deep understanding of cognitive processes and behavior, along with a practical, compassionate approach to care.

Links & Resources

• Learn more about Dr. Erika Madison and MindWell Psychology: https://mindwell.us/

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