Assessments
I offer comprehensive psychological assessments to children, adolescents, and adults to provide diagnostic clarification for academic, behavioral, emotional, and intellectual purposes. The purpose of the evaluation is to gather information across multiple modalities and environments in order to obtain a diagnostic picture and create individually-tailored recommendations to assist the client and their families to achieve their full potential. After completion of the evaluation, I can act as an advocate or liaison between you and your school/teachers in order to assist with implementation of recommendations.
**It is important to note that many times, social emotional difficulties can look like neurological ones, and vis-versa. My goal is to identify the root of what is going on in order to create an individualized set of recommendations that benefits you or your child in the long run. This is why with any assessment, regardless of referral, I always include a social-emotional-behavioral component in order to best understand what is going on.**
ASSESSMENTS PROVIDED:
- Behavioral/emotional evaluations
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) evaluations
- Learning Disorder Evaluations (Including Dyslexia)
- Cognitive Evaluations
- Academic Evaluations
- Personality Evaluations
WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT?
An assessment consists of 3 Sessions: Intake, Testing, and Feedback
During the intake session, I collect a comprehensive history and gather background information in order to get a full understanding of your concerns and determine which battery of assessments are best suited to meet your needs. For children, this meeting happens with just the parents. For adolescents, both parents and adolescents are present. For adults, the meeting happens with the individual, but I am happy to gather additional collateral information from others with appropriate consents.
Testing may include, but is not limited to, individual self-report assessments, individual performance-based assessments, family input, teacher and/or employer input, and behavioral observations. Tests are designed to assess for various measures of academic, neurological, and emotional/behavioral functioning. I utilize outside resources (teachers, physicians, special education teachers) in order to provide a comprehensive picture of an individual across multiple settings. No one test is ever used to make a determination; rather, results are analyzed in conjunction with other tests, background information, and collateral sources.
The feedback session is designed to discuss results, provide recommendations and next steps, and answer any questions you may have about how to use the information going forward. Once testing is completed, all results are compiled into a report that will be shared with you during a feedback session. These reports may be utilized by prescribing physicians, schools, universities, or places of employment to create accommodations or implement strategies designed to assist you. Recommendations may include (but are not limited to):
- Individual strategies that you or your child can use to help at home
- Individual strategies that your child’s teacher can use to help at school
- If appropriate, recommendations for accommodations within academic, standardized testing, and collegiate settings
- Referrals to professionals in the area to help with any identified challenges or further needs
- If appropriate and availability allows, I offer therapy for some individuals that I work with if that is something you are interested in
ADVOCACY/LIAISONSHIP
Many parents are unfamiliar with the school systems and the resources that may be available to their child, especially should he or she have a diagnosis of ADHD, a learning disorder, or emotional/behavioral concerns. As a psychologist, I can serve as an advocate for you and your child, working with the schools to ensure that all is being done to optimize your child’s potential and help them reach their goals.