Comprehensive Psychological Assessments

The decision to have your child evaluated is an important one. Thus, choosing a provider to complete this evaluation is an important one as well. Our evaluations are comprehensive and include both psychological and behavioral evaluations conducted by a licensed clinical psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Testing is individualized and never conducted in a rushed manner. We strongly believe that meeting the child over several occasions will give us a better understanding of their behavioral, emotional, academic and cognitive functioning. Diagnosis of specific psychiatric disorders or developmental delays will be made when clinically appropriate.

There are a number of reasons parents and schools request an evaluation for a child. Our comprehensive evaluations will be helpful in answering questions regarding your child’s overall developmental profile and learning styles (including strengths and weaknesses), as well as emotional and behavioral functioning. Testing is done for many reasons. Common referral reasons are to provide diagnostic clarification regarding:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Learning Disabilities (i.e., dyslexia, nonverbal, processing, etc.)
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism, Asperger’s and PDD-NOS)
• Disruptive Behavior Problems (Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, etc.)
• Mood Disorders (Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar)
• Socials Skills/Functioning
• Study Skills, Organization and Executive Functioning
• Early Childhood and Developmental Concerns
  

Upon completion of the testing, extensive time is spent interpreting the results and explaining them in a manner that is understandable to the reader, thereby providing practical and useful suggestions. The written report will serve as a guideline for treatment to help your child succeed within a variety of settings.

At times, parents are unsure whether or not their child needs an evaluation. If you are unsure of this, an initial Parent Interview and History consultation can be set to gather history and assess whether or not an evaluation is needed. The initial evaluation fee would be applied to the testing fee if testing was recommended. Below is a breakdown and steps of what the evaluation entails.

Description		Approximate Time
Step 1.	Parent Interview and History - 1st Meeting This first meeting is a very important step in evaluation process. The evaluator will meet with the child’s parent(s) to obtain information about the child’s school, medical, and developmental history, and learn about any social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. This will provide a better understanding of the nature of the concerns and assist the evaluator in deciding which tests should be administered.	1 Hour
Step 2.	Evaluation Sessions - 2 to 4 meetings During the evaluation sessions, many areas will be measured depending on the referral reason, information gathered in the parent interview and the age of the child – Below are the different areas that may be measured and time frame needed:	6-8 Hours
	Intellectual Testing	1 - 2 hours
	Academic Achievement	1 - 2 hours
	Visual Motor Integration	.5 hour
	Information Processing Tests – These tests measure Memory Language, Attention, Auditory/Visual Processing, Executive Functions, etc.	1 - 3 hours
	Psychological and Emotional Testing – screener	1 hour
	Questionnaires and Behavior Rating Scales	1 hour
	Tests of Adaptive Behavior	.5 hour
	Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (if appropriate)	1 - 2 hours
	Direct Observations (in clinic)	1-3 hours
	Direct Observations (home and school)- **additional fees apply (IF NEEDED)	1-3 hours
Step 3.	Scoring, Interpretation and Written Report The questionnaires and tests are scored, analyzed and interpreted. Medical, psychological and school records are also reviewed. Findings from the testing, observations, and information gathered are all considered when the overall interpretations and conclusions are made. A written detailed report is completed.	5 Hours
Step 4.	Feedback Session with Parents/Caregivers An appointment will be made to review the results of the testing. During this meeting, a detailed written report is presented and reviewed with the family. The child's strengths and weaknesses are discussed, and intervention/treatment recommendations are provided to serve as a guide to help the child succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.	1 Hour

Following the Feedback session, some families may request that we attend a school meeting to help explain the testing results to the child’s school and professionals that are working with the child. We will assist in developing educational plans and accessing services that your child needs. This is considered an additional service and addional fees apply.

Below is a list of some of the tests we use in our office. If you have any additional questions before scheduling an appointment, please do not hesitate to contact the office.

List of Psychological Tests

Please note that tests are chosen based on the reason for the evaluation and your evaluator’s clinical judgment as to which tests will be most appropriate for an individual. In addition to the tests listed, other testing measures may be used.

Intellectual Testing (will include one)

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Forth Edition (WISC-IV)
• Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence – Third Edition
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Third Edition
• Leiter International Performance Test-Revised
• Differential Abilities Scale- Second Edition

Academic Achievement (will include one or two if needed)

• Woodcock Johnson III, Tests of Achievement,
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Second Edition
• Kaufman Survey of Early Academic Language Skills
• Nelson-Denny Reading Test
• Kaufman Survey of Early Academic Learning
• Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT)
  

Visual Motor Integration

• Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, 5th Edition
• Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test
  

Psychological and Emotional Testing* - screener (may include one or more of the following)

• Children’s Apperception Test
• Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent
• Conners Clinical Index
• House-Tree-Person and Kinetic Family Projective Drawings
• Multidimensional Anxiety Scale
• Piers- Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale
• Child Depression Inventory
• Rorschach Inkblot Technique
• Sentence Completion Test
• Social Anxiety Scale
• Children’s Inventory of Anger
• Conduct Disorder Scale
• Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children

*Additional charge if extensive emotional testing is requested

Questionnaires and Rating Scales (may include one or more of the following)

• Behavior Assessment System for Children (parent, self, and teacher forms)
• Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (parent, self, and teacher forms)
• Social Skills Rating System (Parent, Teacher and Self-Report Form)
• Children’s Problem Checklist
• Child Behavior Checklist
• Questions About Behavioral Function
• Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory
  

Tests of Adaptive Behavior

• Adaptive Behavior Inventory
• Vineland Adaptive Rating Scales-Second Edition
• Developmental Profile 3

Other included information (may include)

• Direct Observations (in clinic)
• Home and School Observations
• Review of School Records
• Review of Past Evaluations and Medical Records
• Telephone contact with teachers, professionals, other relevant individuals
  

Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R)
• Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory (PDDBI)
• Social Communication Questionnaire
• Social Responsiveness Scale

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