Dyslexia & Learning Disability Testing in Fishers

Short waits, not months: consult calls within days · intake typically about 2 weeks out · book testing within weeks. Many major hospital systems have much longer waits. See current availability.

Some kids work incredibly hard and still fall behind. Others get labeled "unmotivated" when something else is in the way.

Dr. Kelsey Shively, PhD, HSPP, evaluates children and teens for specific learning disorders, including dyslexia, and gives you clear recommendations for school and home. Families come to our Fishers office from Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville, and greater Indianapolis, from public, private, and homeschool programs.

Book a free 10-minute consult · Call (317) 456-2321

Signs of a possible learning disability

Reading (dyslexia)

• Trouble connecting letters and sounds, or sounding out new words

• Slow, effortful reading, or avoiding reading aloud

• Spelling far behind other skills

• Forgetting sight words from one day to the next

Writing

• Strong ideas out loud that are hard to get onto paper

• Difficulty with spelling, grammar, punctuation, or organizing written work

Math

• Trouble with math facts, number sense, or multi-step problems

• Strong in other subjects but consistently struggling in math

Across subjects

• Homework that takes far longer than it should

• Frustration, anxiety, or low confidence about school

• A gap between how bright your child seems and how they perform in class

What we evaluate

Tailored to your child's concerns, it may include:

• Intellectual (cognitive) testing: to understand your child's underlying cognitive profile of strengths and areas that may contribute to learning challenges, often using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V).

• Reading: reading starts with understanding the basic sounds of language and how those can be manipulated to form words. We assess phonological processing, decoding, oral reading, and comprehension. These tests and measures may include the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition (CTOPP-2), and Gray Oral Reading Tests, Fifth Edition (GORT-5).

• Writing: spelling, sentence formation, and forming essays using the WIAT-IV.

• Math skills: from number sense and basic skills, to operations, fluency, and applied problem solving using the KeyMath-3 Diagnostic Assessment and WIAT-IV.

• Memory and executive functioning: visual and verbal processing and memory can contribute to learning differences and can be explored in a comprehensive evaluation using additional measures such as the Child and Adolescent Memory Profile (ChAMP) and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Advanced.

• Attention and behavioral health: ADHD or anxiety that may affect learning.

• A comprehensive written report and 60-minute feedback session with accommodations, intervention approaches, and what to ask your school for.

Dyslexia, explained

"Dyslexia" is the common term for a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading. It affects word reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling. Dyslexia is distinct from IQ, and many children with dyslexia are very bright, though there are often underlying cognitive correlates, such as phonological processing or memory, that a comprehensive evaluation can identify.

Indiana schools screen young students for characteristics of dyslexia, but a screening isn't a diagnosis. A comprehensive evaluation can confirm dyslexia, identify which skills are affected, and guide the right reading intervention.

Private schools and homeschool families

For private-school and homeschooled children, a private evaluation helps you advocate for supports, choose interventions, and plan accommodations. Public-school families use them too, for a deeper look or when needs aren't fully met.

Why families choose Hive

• Thorough testing. Private evaluations are often more in-depth than school testing, especially for a specific area of learning.

• Strengths-based. We highlight what your child does well so you can build on it.

• Collaborative. With your permission, we coordinate with teachers, tutors, and your school so testing isn't repeated unnecessarily.

• Experienced. Dr. Shively trained at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital.