Psychological Evaluations

Psychological evaluations examine an individual’s psychological, social/emotional, developmental, adaptive, behavioral and/or personality functioning. These evaluations are often conducted to provide diagnostic clarification, guidance for treatment of complex cases, and to make recommendations. Our clinicians specialize in conducting in-depth psychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.

When to Seek a Psychological Evaluation:

Psychological testing may be recommended by a health provider, parent, teacher, or through self-referral. A specific referral question is typically proposed at the outset of testing for our clinicians to answer. Examples of referral questions that warrant psychological testing include, but are not limited to:

  • Is my child suffering from anxiety, OCD, or depression?
  • Is my child on the Autism Spectrum Scale?
  • Are potential psychological disorders impairing my child’s social/emotional and/or academic functioning?
  • My child (adolescent through young adult) is not attending school or functioning age appropriately. What is my child’s developmental or adaptive functioning and how can we help him/her?
  • Are there aspects of my child’s personality that are negatively impacting their functioning at this time of their life?
  • Does my child view the world realistically? How does my child view themselves and others?
  • Why is my child struggling to get along with others?
  • Is my child experiencing social difficulties due to communication or interpersonal impairments?
  • Can we clarify my child’s primary diagnosis among all of their other diagnoses?
  • What is getting in the way of my child making progress in treatment?
  • My child needs to be placed in an out-of-district school, residential treatment facility, or wants to attend a therapeutic program and requires testing.

If you are having any thoughts related to the concerns listed above, your child may benefit from our psychological testing services. Our clinicians can make recommendations to provide diagnostic clarification, improve home life, to develop more effective treatment and school services, and to help you and your child gain insight into their psychological functioning.

What the Process Entails:

Initial Session:

  • A clinician will first hold parent and child/adolescent intakes to conduct clinical interviews. These are held on separate days. For adults, only one appointment may be necessary. These appointments will give you, your child, and your clinician a chance to discuss your concerns in person and explore why you are seeking an evaluation.
  • These sessions will also allow your therapist to gather information about you or your child’s personal and medical history to incorporate into their evaluation. We may also use parent, teacher, and self report measures as screening tools. All together, this information will help the clinician make the most appropriate recommendations for you or your child’s testing plan.
  • Upon completion of these sessions, the intake clinician will work with your family to determine the length and content of the testing sessions moving forward.

Testing Sessions:

  • Psychological evaluations range in the length of time needed for testing. At the first testing session, you will receive a written estimate regarding the evaluation. Testing is individualized for each patient but often will be completed over the course of a few visits. Testing is typically completed in the mornings/early afternoons so that our patients are refreshed and can perform to the best of their ability.
  • Evaluations can include a school observation.

Obtaining Report & Feedback Session:

  • After completion of all standardized testing, the report will generally become available around 4-8 weeks after your child’s last testing session (faster turnaround times may be available upon request).
  • Once the report is completed, your clinician will schedule feedback sessions with you (and your child) to discuss the results and recommendations.
  • After the feedback session, you will receive a copy of your final report which will describe test results and recommendations for you or your child. We will also provide any necessary referrals and consult with other professionals upon your request.

Confidentiality:

  • Lastly, your assessment results will remain strictly confidential. They will not be shared with anyone else without your written consent.
  • Parents may sometimes want to share a portion of the report with school personnel or a treatment provider. In this case, we will provide you with an edited version of the report for the recipient’s review.