The JATP: What to Expect

What Can I Expect?

Cognitive evaluation is based on a single, one-to-one interaction of approximately 35 to 90 minutes on a particular day in a student’s life.

From the JATP website: During a JATP appointment, a licensed psychologist will administer a nationally standardized measure of cognitive functioning and mental ability on a one-to-one basis. Your child will be involved in many tasks that measure verbal, visual, and visual motor abilities. Depending on the child’s age and individual variation, testing time may range from approximately 35 to 90 minutes. After the test, parents will receive a summary of scores and each school will receive a more detailed report. To receive the detailed report and more fully understand your child’s results, we recommend scheduling the optional feedback session with the psychologist for further interpretation.

Research suggests that there are many kinds of intelligence and types of learning styles, so reports from the JATP testing must be kept in perspective. Many subjective variables which affect the scores can be present in young children. Mental ability tests of any kind – individual or group – measure convergent thinking (where there is generally only one acceptable answer), not divergent thinking (which leads to multiple answers and is often exhibited by highly creative children).