Professional Learning Opportunities: Assessment

Formal professional learning opportunities offered by the Diagnostic Center, Northern California (DCN). This is part of the 2026-27 Professional Development Catalog.

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Topic Areas: Assessment | Behavior | Dual Language Learners | Intervention & Instruction | Mental Health

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Processing Strengths and Weaknesses Workshop: Specific Learning Disability Eligibility (New!)

The Processing Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) Workshop will review the processing strengths and weaknesses model for determining eligibility under the Specific Learning Disability (SLD) category. The PSW model is an evidence-based approach that connects cognitive processing data directly to academic achievement. Using this model helps families and educators better understand the root causes of why a student is not responding to instruction and guides the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team in the development of targeted, individualized recommendations.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists

Sessions

  • AS073: In-Person (6 hours)

Participants Will

  • Explore cognitive processes and how they relate to academic achievement
  • Create a test battery for different populations
  • Analyze data to determine eligibility under SLD
  • Review recommendations based on PSW profile

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Girls with Autism: Tests and Measures (New!)

Accurate, comprehensive assessment is essential for understanding each student's unique profile. This second session of our three part series on Autistic girls provides an in-depth look at assessment tools, measures, and evaluation strategies that support the identification of Autistic girls and the development of meaningful profiles of strengths and support needs.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists
  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Education Specialists
  • General Education Teachers
  • Administrators
  • Occupational Therapists

Sessions

  • AS072: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS071: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Identify assessment tools and strategies that support accurate identification of Autistic girls
  • Develop comprehensive profiles of strengths and support needs
  • Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration during the evaluation process
  • Use assessment findings to guide meaningful and appropriate support

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Beyond the Standard Scores: Writing Meaningful Academic Reports (New!)

The gap between a standardized test score and high-impact instruction can feel vast. This training is designed to help educational teams bridge that gap. Participants will learn how to write up data from the Woodcock-Johnson, Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA), and Feifer assessments to best capture a student's profile and drive instructional goals. We'll examine reading, writing, and math domains to identify students strengths and weaknesses and learn how to write a clear academic report.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Resource Specialist
  • Special Day Class Teachers
  • Reading Specialist
  • School Psychologists
  • Administrators

Sessions

  • AS070: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS069: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn how to write up data from Woodcock-Johnson, WIAT, KTEA, and Feifer assessments
  • Learn some of the cognitive domains that underly academic developments
  • Learn how to identify student strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, and math domains
  • Learn how to write a clear academic report that can help drive goals and instruction

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Is It Childhood Apraxia of Speech? School-Based Assessment, Eligibility, and Next Steps (New!)

School-based speech-language pathologists are often asked to evaluate students with severe speech sound disorders and determine whether childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) may be present. However, differentiating CAS from other speech sound disorders and making eligibility decisions in school settings can be challenging. How do I know if the speech characteristics I'm hearing point to CAS? What assessment tasks best reveal motor planning difficulties? This training will explore these questions and more. Join us to learn practical strategies for assessing suspected CAS, making informed eligibility decisions, and identifying appropriate next steps for support and intervention.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

Sessions

  • AS075: In-Person (2.5 hours)
  • AS074: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Describe the core characteristics of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and how they differ from other speech sound disorders
  • Explain key considerations for assessing suspected CAS in school-based evaluations
  • Explore practical assessment tasks and tools that support differential diagnosis of CAS
  • Apply strategies for determining educational eligibility and identifying appropriate next steps for support and intervention

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Developing Confident Communicators: School-Based Assessment and Intervention for Students Who Stutter (New!)

School-based speech-language pathologists play a critical role in supporting students who stutter across a wide range of ages and communication demands. This course will provide practical, school-based strategies for evaluating stuttering in students with an emphasis on functional communication and participation in the classroom and other educational environments. Participants will examine evidence-based approaches to intervention that address the broader impact on educational performance, social interaction, and self-advocacy.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

Sessions

  • AS077: In-Person (2.5 hours)
  • AS076: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Examine the impact of stuttering on student confidence, participation, and communication identity across school settings
  • Evaluate best practices for conducting comprehensive, school-based fluency assessments that include both formal and informal measures
  • Examine student-centered goals that prioritize communication confidence, self-advocacy, and functional participation in academic and social contexts
  • Select and implement evidence-based intervention strategies that support communication confidence and classroom participation

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Best Practices in Assessment for Speech and Language Pathologists

Assessments are the foundation for the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process. However, myths abound about speech language assessment. How are students eligible? Who gets services? Myths like writing a report isn't necessary for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). It is fine to offer services without an assessment. A student needs to score below the 7th percentile for speech and language services. You can't serve students with a single articulation error. There is a "speech IEP." This seminar will tackle the requirements for assessment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the California Education Code. What to assess, what to include in the report, and how students become eligible will be discussed. The content is appropriate for speech-language pathologists serving students at all grade levels and disabilities who are new to school practice or those who want a refresher.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech language pathologists
  • Administrators

Sessions

  • AS044: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS024: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Describe what to include in an assessment of speech and language skills
  • List what to include in the assessment report
  • Discuss eligibility under Speech Language Impairment and the speech-language pathologist's role as a related service provider

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Assistive Technology Consideration

Assistive technology must be considered for all students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP). What does this mean for professionals supporting students in special education? What assistive technology should be considered? This training will describe the process of assistive technology consideration, examine commonly available assistive technology and explore how to effectively implement assistive technology.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Administrators
  • General education teachers
  • Special education teachers
  • Speech language pathologists

Sessions

  • AS053: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS052: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Describe the process of assistive technology consideration
  • Recognize the role of IEP team members in considering assistive technology
  • Support implementation of assistive technology

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Math Disabilities and Assessments for Teachers

Do you find yourself creating the same one or two math goals on your Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)? If you do, you are not alone. Creating a goal to work on math word problems and a goal to work on skip counting are the two most common math goals found on IEPs. This training will go over how to take a deeper dive in math to determine exactly what aspect of math your student is struggling in so that we can create math goals that are more specific and relevant to their needs. In this training we will go over what dyscalculia is. We will also look at formal math assessments that are currently being used and how to take the standard scores from the assessments and turn them into IEP goals.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Special education teachers (transitional kindergarten - high school)

Sessions

  • AS045: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS025: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Discuss the term dyscalculia
  • Understand that a math disability can be broken down into various components
  • Learn various formal math assessments that are currently being used in districts
  • Practice how to break down the assessment results and create specific SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) math goals from the data

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Screener Series 1: All About Reading Difficulties Risk Screener

California passed SB114 in 2023 a bill that will require screenings for kindergarten - second grade students throughout the state of California. This training will clarify California's definition of dyslexia and provide screening materials to help school teams identify and support students who may be at risk for reading difficulties such as dyslexia.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • General education teachers
  • Education specialists
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • School psychologists
  • Administrators
  • Para-educators
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of dyslexia and how it impacts student performance

Sessions

  • AS026: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS034: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn components of phonological processing
  • Learn how to screen a student's phonological processing and early reading skills
  • Learn how their screening data can inform components of a reading intervention program
  • Learn academic interventions for students at-risk for dyslexia

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Dyslexia Academy - Part 1: Dyslexia Assessment

Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP), and Test of Auditory Processing Skills (TAPS) oh my! What is orthographic processing anyway? How do I rule out exclusionary factors? This training will support educational teams in using their clinical judgment to make specific learning disability (SLD) dyslexia determinations.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • Administrators
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Education specialists
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of dyslexia and how it impacts student performance

Sessions

  • AS039: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS038: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn the components of phonological processing and orthographic processing
  • Learn formal assessment tools to identify Specific Learning Disability (SLD) dyslexia
  • Learn through case studies how to use their clinical judgment to decide if the student meets psychoeducational criteria for dyslexia
  • Learn how to talk to families and educational stakeholders about a student with a dyslexic profile

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Understanding Specific Learning Disability and Psychoeducational Evaluations for Teachers

Teachers receive psychoeducational evaluations about each of their students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). What do all those standard scores really mean? This training will discuss how the information in a psychoeducational report can support teachers with planning effective academic interventions and quality educational programs.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Education specialists
  • General education teachers
  • Reading specialists
  • Administrators
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of a psychoeducational report

Sessions

  • AS023: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS032: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn the cognitive processing areas a psychoeducational report evaluates and how they are assessed
  • Learn how information from a psychoeducational evaluation can inform educational strategies
  • Learn the basics of federal handicapping disability qualification for Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
  • Learn the difference between a discrepancy model and the Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) model and how educators can support the educational team in creating an assessment battery

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In a Galaxy FAR FAR Away - Using the Feifer Assessment of Reading

The Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR), provides school teams with cognitive clues to why a student is struggling academically especially in reading. How do we use these assessments to inform our teaching and support academic development.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Education specialists
  • Speech language pathologists
  • School psychologists
  • Administrators
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of how to administer and use the Feifer Assessments.

Sessions

  • AS055: In Person (2 hours)
  • AS054: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Review how to administer the FAR
  • Learn what indexes in the Feifer assessments indicate specific cognitive weakness
  • Learn through case studies how to identify students with dyslexia
  • Learn how to write up a quality academic report based on the FAR assessment

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Dynamic Assessment: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists

Dynamic assessment, you have heard about it but want to learn how to implement it in your practice. This training will provide participants with guidelines for how to conduct dynamic assessment.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Speech-Language Pathologists

Sessions

  • AS046: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS028: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Become familiar with the assessment framework of dynamic assessment.
  • Learn about guidelines and necessary components for designing and conducting dynamic assessment
  • Learn about tools that can be used to score your mediated learning experience
  • Learn how to integrate results into a written report

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Girls with Autism: Reframing Our Thinking

Autism is diagnosed far more often in boys than girls - but this disparity may reflect differences in recognition rather than true prevalence. Many Autistic girls do not fit traditional stereotypes of autism. Their strengths, coping strategies, and social presentation can mask underlying differences, making autism more difficult to identify. As a result, many girls are overlooked or misidentified and miss critical opportunities for support. Without accurate identification, these students may struggle to understand themselves, develop essential skills, and fully access their educational potential.

In this first session of our three-part series, school-based teams will learn how autism presents in girls and how these differences impact their educational experiences. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of how to recognize subtle or less stereotypical indicators and how interdisciplinary collaboration strengthens the identification process.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists
  • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Education Specialists
  • General Education Teachers
  • Administrators
  • Occupational Therapists

Sessions

  • AS027: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS035: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Understand how Autistic girls may present differently from traditional autism profiles
  • Recognize how these differences impact social, communication, and academic functioning
  • Learn how school based teams can collaborate to improve identification

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Executive Functioning Academy - Part 1: The Fundamentals

Executive Functioning (EF) refers to a set of processes that have to do with managing oneself and one's resources to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. It is now commonly believed that executive functions are essential for purposeful, goal directed behaviors and actions, and there is substantial evidence that academic achievement and appropriate executive function skills are correlated.
In this beginning level training, educators will gain a fundamental understanding of executive functioning and its impact on student learning and development.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • General education teachers
  • Education specialists
  • Intern and early career school psychologists
  • School counselors
  • Administrators
  • Para-educators
  • Any specialists who would like to gain a fundamental understanding of the executive functioning domains and how they impact student performance

Sessions

  • AS041: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS040: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Gain a fundamental understanding of executive functioning skills and how EF skills develop
  • Learn about the executive functioning domains, and how they impact student learning and behavior
  • Develop foundational skills needed to plan effective executive functioning accommodations and interventions

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Executive Functioning Academy - Part 2: Assessment and Analysis

Executive Functioning (EF) refers to a set of processes that have to do with managing oneself and one's resources to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation. It is now commonly believed that executive functions are essential for purposeful, goal directed behaviors and actions, and there is substantial evidence that academic achievement and appropriate executive function skills are correlated.

In this intermediate level training, educators will learn about the assessment and analysis of executive functioning skills.

It is recommended that participants have a fundamental understanding of EF to participate in this training. Participants are encouraged to take EF Academy Part 1 if they are early career practitioners, or if their understanding of executive functioning is at a beginner level.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists

Sessions

  • AS043: In-Person (3 hours)
  • AS042: Virtual (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn how to assess EF skills through formal and informal measures, rating scales, interviews, and observations
  • Develop an efficient EF testing battery
  • Learn about common EF profiles and assessment patterns
  • Discuss educational impact and decision making for Individual Education Plans (IEP) and 504 eligibilities

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Meaningful Measures: Beyond Standard Scores in Intellectual Disability Assessment

Comprehensive psycho-educational assessments are the cornerstone of any well-developed Individual Education Plans (IEP) and are essential for program planning. However, conducting assessments that are legally defensible and meaningful for students with significant needs can be especially challenging. Often, students with significant needs have difficulty participating in formal assessment measures and may even be deemed "untestable". This training will include strategies for how to gain relevant and meaningful information through a combination of formal and informal measures and the use of dynamic assessment.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School Psychologists

Sessions

  • AS029: In-Person (4.5 hours)
  • AS036: Virtual 1 of 2 (2 hours)
  • AS037: Virtual 2 of 2 (2 hours)

Participants Will

  • Discuss the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and special education eligibility criteria for Intellectual Disability (ID)
  • Learn how to conduct legally defensible assessments for students with ID that yield useful, meaningful information for goal writing and program planning
  • Discuss formal and informal assessment measures to help providers develop a well-rounded assessment battery
  • Learn strategies for dynamic assessment
  • Learn how to explain ID and the implications to parents

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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What It is, What It isn't, and What to Do About It

Results from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) from 2022 indicate that approximately 9.8% of children ages 3-17 have received a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This statistic suggests that 6.2 million children grapple with ADHD symptoms and the number is on the rise. This training highlights the historical implications of the current increase in this diagnosis, and offers information on how to accurately identify and assess for ADHD. This training also reviews best practice and evidence-based interventions to support students with an ADHD diagnosis in an academic setting.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • General education and special education teachers, especially those working with students who are hyperactive and/or inattentive
  • Mental health counselors

Sessions

  • AS022: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS031: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Gain a better understanding of the historical implications of the current rise in ADHD diagnoses
  • Learn strategies to assess for ADHD
  • Learn evidence-based strategies and treatment interventions for working with students who have an ADHD diagnosis

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Projective Assessment: Diving Deeper

Projective assessment measures can provide invaluable information regarding the social-emotional wellbeing of our students. These testing techniques offer youth an outlet to provide their own responses and additional information related to their internal processes. The measures go beyond "forced choice" responses on self-rating scales and that which can typically be obtained through behavioral observations. This training will review some of the more commonly used projective measures, and serve as a "refresher and update" for those who have had more exposure to these techniques during their graduate studies. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions pertaining to theory, research, and interpretation. Participants are encouraged to bring their own data, and case studies will be utilized to support skill acquisition.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) assessors

This is an advanced training for individuals who already have a foundational skillset in social-emotional projective measures.

Sessions

  • SP004: In-Person (2 hours)
  • SP001: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn theory relevant to the utilization of projective measures
  • Identify projective measures they can add to their social-emotional or ERMHS assessments
  • Refresh their skill set as it relates to projective assessment measures

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Write On! - Part 1: Understanding, Assessing and Improving Student Writing

Writing is more than just an academic skill--it's a lifelong tool for communication and success. Yet, many students struggle to put their thoughts into words. This three-part training series equips educators with the knowledge and tools to assess, support, and improve student writing.

  • Session 1: Build a strong foundation by exploring key writing models and instructional frameworks. Understand what language and cognitive processes are essential for writing, and common challenges students face.
  • Session 2: Learn how to effectively assess writing using both informal and formal measures.
  • Session 3: Discover practical, research-backed strategies to help students of all skill levels become confident, capable writers.

Sessions can be taken individually, but participants will get the most benefit by attending the full series, as each session builds on the one before it. Join us to gain actionable insights and strategies that will make a lasting impact in your classroom or intervention room!

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

Any educator interested in improving student writing including but not limited to:

  • Teachers
  • Speech language pathologists
  • General education teachers
  • Special education teachers
  • Administration
  • Reading specialist

Sessions

  • AS058: In-Person (1.5 hours)
  • AS057: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Describe the importance of written expression
  • Explore the connection between reading and writing
  • Explain the major components of written expression
  • Identify how students may struggle with these components of writing

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Write On! - Part 2: Assessing Written Expression

Written expression is not only a fundamental aspect of academic achievement, but it is also an essential life skill that plays a crucial role in personal development. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively through writing is a key asset in contexts, ranging from career advancement to everyday interactions. This second training in our three part series will explore both informal and formal assessment of written expression with a focus on the Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW). Learn to assess the many factors that impact writing including: graphomotor, spelling, language and executive functioning skills. Sessions can be taken individually, but participants will get the most benefit by attending the full series, as each session builds on the one before it.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Teachers
  • School psychologists
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Administrators

Sessions

  • AS060: In-Person (1.5 hours)
  • AS059: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Describe the elements of dysgraphia
  • Explore the implementation of informal and formal writing assessments
  • Explain the different components of the Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW)
  • Illustrate how written expression assessment data can drive instruction and goal development.

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Aligning Supports with Student Voices: Neurodivergent Affirming Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans for Intense Behavior

This training provides a comprehensive, neurodivergent (ND) affirming approach to behavior assessment, determining the need for aide support, and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) writing for students with complex behavior needs. It will provide a more in-depth application for staff who already have foundational knowledge of behavior assessment and BIP writing. Participants will learn how to move beyond compliance-based models by conducting assessments that capture student voice, identify underlying needs, and develop meaningful supports. This training equips Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), teachers, administrators, school psychologists, and related service providers with strategies to assess behavior accurately, determine when and how to provide aide support without over-reliance, and write BIPs that foster independence and opportunities for inclusion.

While in-person delivery is preferred to support collaboration and engagement, virtual participation will be limited to 10 participants to support an interactive and meaningful learning experience.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • Experienced School Personnel including:
    • BCBAs
    • School Psychologists
    • Special Education Teachers
    • Speech and Language Pathologists
    • School Administrators

Sessions

  • AS066: In-Person (6 hours)

Participants Will

  • Learn how to shift from compliance-based models to ND-affirming behavior assessments
  • Recognize how underlying factors such as anxiety, rigid thinking, and processing differences influence behavior
  • Explore ways to capture student voice and identify underlying needs in behavior assessments
  • Understand how to determine when and how to provide aide support while promoting independence
  • Discover strategies for writing meaningful, strengths-based BIPs that support inclusion

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Psychosocial Assessment: Emotional Disability Eligibility

Studies show an increased prevalence of children and adolescents experiencing mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and consequently there has been an increase in mental health referrals. To gain a better understanding of a student's level of mental health functioning, and the degree to which it is impacting learning, we need to conduct a thorough psychosocial assessment that examines social, emotional, and behavioral capacities. This training will provide a new model for gathering qualitative data that examines personality factors as well as mental health functioning to make informed decisions around eligibility under the Emotional Disability (ED) category and to determine whether school-based mental health services are warranted. By the end of the presentation, participants will feel more comfortable conducting ED and/or Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) evaluations.

Presenter(s)

Intended Audience

  • School psychologists
  • ERMHS assessors

Sessions

  • AS068: In-Person (2 hours)
  • AS067: Virtual (1.5 hours)

Participants Will

  • Understand which social-emotional tests to administer based on presenting questions or concerns
  • Gather qualitative data for a comprehensive social-emotional assessment
  • Analyze data in a cohesive, systematic format to guide teams towards appropriate goals and interventions

Visit our Special Training Opportunities web page for additional training opportunities!

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