Private School Consultation in Berkeley, CA

Navigate learning support planning with expert evaluation and advocacy

When your child struggles in their Berkeley private school, you need more than guesswork, you need a comprehensive understanding of their learning profile to guide effective support.

Many private school families face a unique challenge: knowing their child needs help but are uncertain how to navigate the school's resources or communicate their child's needs effectively.

At Mind Matters, we specialize in providing the clarity that Berkeley private school families need to advocate for their children successfully. Our comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations uncover your child's complete learning profile, their strengths, challenges, and the specific accommodations that will help them thrive within their school's framework.

Located on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, we understand the high academic expectations and competitive environment of Bay Area private schools. Our neurodiversity-affirming approach helps families work collaboratively with their school's learning specialists to create effective, individualized support plans that honor your child's unique potential.

Our Berkeley private school consultation service begins with a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation designed specifically to guide learning support planning within your child's current school environment.

We assess cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, executive functioning, and social-emotional factors to create a complete picture of how your child learns best.

Dr. Rebecca Murray-Metzger works closely with families to understand not only their child's learning profile but also the specific resources and limitations of their private school setting. This dual understanding allows us to provide practical, actionable recommendations that align with what your school can realistically implement through their learning specialist program.

Following the evaluation, we offer detailed consultation on how to present findings to your school's learning support team. Many Berkeley private schools have excellent learning specialists, but they need comprehensive data to design effective interventions. We help you communicate your child's needs clearly and advocate for appropriate accommodations within your school's framework.

Our collaborative approach extends beyond the initial evaluation. We provide ongoing consultation as your child's needs evolve, helping you navigate conversations with teachers and learning specialists throughout their academic journey. This partnership ensures your child receives consistent, informed support that adapts to their developmental changes and academic challenges.

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Key Benefits

Understanding your private school's learning support capabilities can be overwhelming for parents who know their child needs help but aren't sure how to access appropriate services. Many Berkeley private schools offer excellent learning specialist programs, but accessing these resources effectively requires comprehensive documentation of your child's specific needs and learning profile.
Our Berkeley location allows us to work closely with local private schools, understanding their individual approaches to learning support and accommodation. We've collaborated with learning specialists throughout the Bay Area, giving us insight into how different schools structure their support programs and what type of documentation they need to implement effective interventions.
When you work with Mind Matters, you receive not only a thorough evaluation but also strategic guidance on how to present your child's needs to their school's learning support team. We help you understand what accommodations are realistic within your school's framework and how to advocate effectively for your child's success. This targeted approach ensures your child receives appropriate support without overwhelming the school's resources or creating unrealistic expectations.
Private school families need evaluations that go beyond identifying problems, they need actionable insights that translate directly into effective learning support strategies. Our comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations are designed specifically to guide private school learning specialist interventions, focusing on practical accommodations and teaching strategies that work within independent school environments.
Dr. Murray-Metzger's assessment approach considers the unique demands of private school academics, including accelerated pacing, project-based learning, and high expectations for independence. We evaluate not only cognitive and academic abilities but also executive functioning skills, attention regulation, and social-emotional factors that impact private school success.
Each evaluation includes detailed recommendations written specifically for private school learning specialists, with practical strategies that can be implemented within typical classroom settings. We understand that private schools often have smaller learning support teams, so our recommendations focus on efficient, high-impact interventions that maximize your child's success while being realistic about implementation within your school's resources and structure.
Many Berkeley private school families struggle to communicate their child's needs effectively to school administrators and learning specialists, often feeling caught between wanting to advocate strongly and maintaining positive relationships with their child's teachers. Our expert advocacy bridges this gap, providing professional support that enhances collaboration rather than creating conflict.
As a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience in educational collaboration, Dr. Murray-Metzger understands how to present evaluation findings in ways that empower school learning specialists to provide effective support. We help translate complex neuropsychological information into practical teaching strategies and accommodation plans that work within your school's existing framework.
Our Telegraph Avenue Berkeley location makes us easily accessible for ongoing consultation as your child's needs evolve throughout their academic journey. We provide follow-up support for school meetings, helping you navigate conversations about accommodations, progress monitoring, and adjustment of support plans. This ongoing partnership ensures your child's learning support remains effective and appropriate as they develop and face new academic challenges.

Every child has a unique combination of strengths and challenges that impact their academic success, but private school environments often require parents to articulate these differences clearly to access appropriate support. Our comprehensive evaluations provide the detailed understanding you need to see your child's complete learning profile and advocate for their specific needs within their school setting.
We assess cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention and executive functioning, processing speed, memory, and social-emotional factors to create a holistic picture of how your child learns best. This comprehensive approach is particularly important for Berkeley private school students, who often face high academic expectations and complex learning demands that require nuanced understanding of their cognitive profile.
Our neurodiversity-affirming approach means we focus on your child's strengths and potential, not just their challenges. Many private school students are gifted learners who also have specific learning differences, which we call twice-exceptional or 2e learners. Understanding this complete profile helps your school's learning specialist design support that honors your child's abilities while addressing their specific needs, leading to more effective interventions and better academic outcomes.
Private schools vary significantly in their learning support resources and approaches, making it essential to provide recommendations that align with your specific school's capabilities and philosophy. We take time to understand your school's learning specialist program, classroom structure, and available accommodations to ensure our recommendations are both effective and implementable.
Our Berkeley practice works regularly with Bay Area private schools, giving us insight into different institutional approaches to learning support. Some schools have robust learning specialist programs with dedicated support time, while others integrate accommodations primarily within regular classroom instruction. We tailor our recommendations to match your school's specific model and resources.
Each evaluation report includes tiered recommendations that range from simple classroom accommodations to more comprehensive support strategies, allowing your school's learning team to implement changes gradually and sustainably. We focus on evidence-based interventions that have proven effective in private school settings, ensuring your child receives support that truly enhances their learning rather than creating additional challenges or stigma.
Learning support needs evolve as children develop, face new academic challenges, and transition between grade levels, making ongoing consultation essential for sustained success in private school environments. Our follow-up services ensure your child's support plan remains effective and appropriate as they grow and encounter different learning demands throughout their academic journey.
We offer parent follow-up consultations to address new concerns as they arise, helping you understand whether changes in your child's academic performance reflect normal development, increased demands, or need for adjusted accommodations. This ongoing relationship allows us to provide guidance on everything from homework strategies to communication with teachers, ensuring you feel confident in supporting your child's continued success.
For students we've evaluated, we also provide school meeting advocacy, attending important conferences with your child's learning specialist team to help explain evaluation results, clarify learning needs, and advocate for appropriate accommodations. This professional support is particularly valuable during transition periods or when academic demands increase, ensuring your child's support evolves appropriately with their changing needs.

Service Categories

Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluations

In-depth assessment of cognitive abilities, academic skills, attention, executive functioning, and social-emotional factors specifically designed to guide private school learning support planning. These evaluations provide the detailed information your school's learning specialist needs to design effective accommodations and interventions within your school's specific framework and resources.

Private School Consultation Services

Expert guidance on navigating your private school's learning support resources, including strategic planning for accessing accommodations, collaboration with learning specialists, and ongoing advocacy throughout your child's academic journey. We help translate evaluation findings into practical recommendations that align with your school's capabilities and philosophy.

School Meeting Advocacy

Professional support during critical meetings with your child's private school learning support team. Dr. Murray-Metzger attends meetings to help explain evaluation results, clarify your child's learning needs, and advocate for appropriate accommodations that work within your school's existing structure and resources.

Parent Guidance for Learning Support

Focused consultation sessions help parents understand their child's learning profile, navigate concerns about academic progress, and determine appropriate next steps for accessing private school support services. These sessions provide clarity on when a formal evaluation is needed and how to approach your school's learning specialist team effectively.

Follow-up Services for Ongoing Success

Continued support after your child's evaluation, including parent consultations to address new concerns, child feedback sessions to help students understand their learning profile, and advocacy during school transitions or when academic demands change throughout their private school experience.

Our Process

1. Initial Consultation and School Context Review

We begin with a detailed consultation to understand your child's current challenges, your private school's learning support structure, and your specific goals for the evaluation. This 60-minute session includes reviewing your school's resources, discussing your child's academic history, and planning an assessment approach tailored to guide effective learning specialist collaboration.

2.Comprehensive Assessment Battery

Your child completes a thorough evaluation over 2-3 sessions, including cognitive testing, academic assessment, attention and executive functioning measures, and social-emotional evaluation. We create a comfortable, engaging environment where your child can demonstrate their true abilities while we gather the comprehensive data needed to guide your private school's learning support planning.

3. Results Integration and School-Focused Recommendations

We analyze all assessment data to create a complete picture of your child's learning profile, with a specific focus on practical recommendations for your private school setting. Our report includes tiered accommodation suggestions, teaching strategies, and collaboration guidance written specifically for your school's learning specialist team.

4. Family Feedback and School Planning Session

We meet with parents to review evaluation results, explain your child's learning profile, and develop a strategic plan for presenting findings to your school's learning support team. This session includes practical guidance on advocating effectively within your school's framework and accessing available resources.

5. School Collaboration and Ongoing Support

We provide consultation on implementing recommendations with your school's learning specialist, offer school meeting advocacy if needed, and remain available for follow-up support as your child's needs evolve. This ongoing relationship ensures sustained success throughout your child's private school experience.

Our Approach

At Mind Matters, our approach to private school consultation is built on the understanding that every child deserves to be truly seen and understood within their educational environment.

We believe that effective learning support in private schools requires comprehensive evaluation that goes beyond identifying challenges to uncover each child's unique strengths, learning style, and potential for growth within their specific school setting.

Our neurodiversity-affirming philosophy means we view learning differences not as deficits but as variations in brain style that come with distinct strengths and capabilities. This perspective is particularly important in Berkeley's competitive private school environment, where children often feel pressure to conform to narrow definitions of academic success. We help families and schools recognize that different learning profiles can thrive with appropriate understanding and support.

Dr. Murray-Metzger's collaborative approach emphasizes partnership with both families and schools, recognizing that sustainable learning support requires buy-in from all stakeholders. We take time to understand each private school's culture, resources, and constraints, ensuring our recommendations enhance rather than burden existing learning specialist programs. This careful attention to institutional fit makes our suggestions more likely to be implemented effectively.

Our Berkeley practice is uniquely positioned to serve local private school families who need expert guidance in accessing and maximizing their school's learning support resources. We understand the delicate balance between advocating strongly for your child and maintaining positive relationships with teachers and administrators, helping families navigate these relationships with confidence and clarity throughout their child's academic journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mind Matters is a Berkeley-based psychology practice specializing in psychoeducational evaluations and private school consultation for Bay Area families. Led by Dr. Rebecca Murray-Metzger, we provide comprehensive assessments and educational advocacy from our Telegraph Avenue office, serving Berkeley families for over two decades.

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Consider evaluation if your child struggles with academic tasks despite adequate intelligence, requires excessive time for homework, shows inconsistency between verbal abilities and written work, or if teachers suggest learning support. In Berkeley private schools, early identification and support often prevent larger academic challenges later. We offer parent guidance consultations to help determine if formal evaluation is the appropriate next step for your child's specific situation.
Our Berkeley practice specializes specifically in educational collaboration and private school consultation. Dr. Murray-Metzger has over 20 years of experience working with Bay Area private schools and understands how to provide recommendations that align with independent school resources and philosophy. We focus on practical, implementable strategies rather than generic recommendations, ensuring your school's learning specialist can provide effective support.
The complete process typically takes 6-8 weeks from initial consultation to final school planning session. Assessment sessions are completed over 2-3 weeks, report preparation requires 2-3 weeks, and we schedule feedback sessions within one week of report completion. We also provide ongoing consultation and school meeting advocacy as needed throughout your child's academic journey.
Properly conducted evaluations typically strengthen rather than jeopardize your child's position at their private school. Most Berkeley private schools appreciate comprehensive information that helps them provide effective learning support. We help you present evaluation findings in ways that emphasize your child's potential and provide clear guidance for academic success within your school's framework.
Private school accommodations vary by institution but often include extended time for tests, alternative assessment formats, note-taking support, modified homework expectations, and specialized instruction in executive functioning or study skills. Our evaluation focuses on realistic recommendations that align with your specific school's resources and learning specialist capabilities, ensuring suggested accommodations can be implemented effectively.

Navigate Private School Support Today

Expert evaluation and advocacy for Berkeley families