On Episode 50 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Jenna & Kristen reconnect with a guest from season one, pediatric occupational therapist, Tara MacKenzie and discuss Tara’s first-hand experience with academic testing and psychological assessment for her own daughter Jameson. Together, they examine the early developmental signs of learning inconsistencies that ultimately led to a full neuropsychological testing and evaluation when Jameson was 7 years old and what the process looked like not only for Jameson, but for the entire family.
Episode 50: Academic Te...
On Episode 50 of the Mainspring Family Wellness Podcast, Jenna & Kristen reconnect with a guest from season one, pediatric occupational therapist, Tara MacKenzie and discuss Tara’s first-hand experience with academic testing and psychological assessment for her own daughter Jameson. Together, they examine the early developmental signs of learning inconsistencies that ultimately led to a full neuropsychological testing and evaluation when Jameson was 7 years old and what the process looked like not only for Jameson, but for the entire family.
Episode 50: Academic Testing & Psychological Assessment with Pediatric Occupational Therapist Tara MacKenzie
02:12
Episode introduction.
03:23
Introduction of guest, Tara MacKenzie, pediatric occupational therapist.
04:29
Tara discusses the early signs she witnesses in her daughter Jameson that pointed to possible neurodifferences.
06:09
Tara describes feedback from Jameson’s teachers in kindergarten.
06:42
Tara explains how her and her husband arrived at their decision to have Jameson evaluated.
07:52
Tara describes what testing looked like for Jameson at 7 years old and some of their consideration as it relates to academic testing and assessment.
08:54
Tara shares how she frontloaded the idea of testing with a young child and how to cater that conversation to the personality and preferences of that child.
10:23
Tara describes the differences in receptivity to testing for Jameson and her son, how her two kids differed in their reactions to the idea of assessment.
12:42
Tara shares about her daughter not feeling “smart” and how she explained to Jameson about being “differently smart.”
13:02
Tara discusses the value of looking at assessment results with the focus on the child’s revealed strengths.
13:59
Tara and hosts delve into parents’ reluctance to have their kids evaluated, some of the common emotional fallouts that come with getting assessment results.
16:22
Tara and hosts discuss the prevalence of neuropsychological differences that seem to be on the rise with the younger population and why that might be.
18:45
Tara shares on how to create an action plan upon receiving testing and assessment results.
20:00
Tara describes her first-hand account on their approach with Jameson’s treatment and how it impacts the entire family.
22:59
Tara recounts her conversations with Jameson regarding her test results and also how important it is to have the entire family support Jameson’s treatment journey.
25:18
Jenna shares a story about her son’s reaction to his testing results and the powerful act of empathizing and validating a child’s frustration.
27:13
Tara updates on Jameson’s progress since the diagnosis and what they’ve learned as a family.
30:00
Jenna relates the family lessons learned back to the previous Mainspring Podcast episode with Dr. Andrew Hahn about parental trauma, and the importance of separating the trauma from parenting.
32:10
Tara summarizes the power of testing for her and her family as it relates to connection with her children, and why she advocates for parents to consider assessment in building their relationship with their kids.
33:30
Jenna & Kristen’s breaks down their key takeaways for the episode.
35:33
How to connect with Mainspring Family Wellness, Jenna & Kristen!
End of episode.
Keywords:
Occupational therapy, therapist, parenting, academic testing, learning, strengths, challenges, pediatric, psychological assessment, neuropsychology, neuropsychological evaluation, dyslexia, ADHD, diagnosis
GUEST: Tara MacKenzie
Tara MacKenzie is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at Learning In Motion Clinic who has served children in Dallas, TX., Newport Beach, CA., and currently in Paradise Valley, AZ. Graduating from Creighton University with a Bachelors in Occupational Therapy in 2002, Tara has 20+ years of experience providing quality pediatric treatment, evaluation, and consultation to children of all ages. Tara’s expertise primarily focuses on sensory integration and helping children meet their full physical, academic, social, and emotional potential. Tara has a wide array of experience in sensory processing issues, handwriting challenges, gross and fine motor delays, learning disabilities, autism, anxiety, and attentional disorders. Tara is SIPT (Sensory Integration Praxis Test) certified and trained in a variety of programs including the following: Handwriting Without Tears, Alert -How Does Your Engine Run, Therapeutic Listening, The Whole Brained Child, Astronaut Training, Zones of Regulation, Executive Function Strategies, Superflex Social Thinking, Picky Eating, and Reflex Integration.
Connect with Tara MacKenzie & Learning In Motion
Website: Learning in Motion
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Connect with Kristen & Jenna:
Kristen: LinkedIn
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