Frequently Asked Questions
+ When should I consider seeking an assessment for my child?
Difficulties learning basic reading, writing and math skills, challenges staying focused in the classroom, weak organizational skills, decreases in academic performance, behavior problems, or low mood and anxiety may all be reasons to seek an assessment. Sometimes, there are multiple areas of concern. A neuropsychological and educational assessment can help determine the root cause of your child’s challenges and develop a road map of interventions to support success. If you are unsure about whether you’d like an assessment for your child, please give me a call, send me an email, or schedule a free, 15-minute consultation.
+ What happens during the intake appointment?
During the intake appointment, I will ask you questions about what brings you in for an assessment. I will also ask about your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses, developmental history, relationships with family members and peers, and overall health. If you decide to move forward with an assessment, we will make a plan for the scope of the evaluation, review the entire assessment process, and schedule testing appointments.
+ Does my child need to attend the intake appointment?
No, your child does not need to attend the intake appointment. Sometimes, adolescents choose to attend intake meetings depending on the context of the assessment and referral questions.
+ What does “testing” look like?
Testing includes a variety of different components. Many of the tasks feel like brain games, such as creating puzzles, solving riddles, and remembering stories. Other tasks will feel like schoolwork in reading, writing, and math. Finally, your child will answer some questionnaires about their thoughts, feelings, friendships, and school experience.
+ What should I tell my child about the assessment?
I tell the children and adolescents I work with the following: “We will be doing many different activities together to figure out how you learn best. This will help your parents and teachers support you, and will also help you understand how your brain is unique. All of the tasks we are going to do may start off a little easy for you, and then get harder as we go, and that is because some of the questions I am going to ask you are for older kids. I just want you to do your best.” Middle and High School students may be more aware of specific referral questions (i.e. “I’m here to find out if I have ADHD or not.”). In any case, I will take some time at the beginning of the first session to make sure your child understands the purpose of the assessment, get to know them before starting any tasks, and help them feel comfortable in the testing environment.
+ How would this assessment be different than an assessment done by my child’s public school district?
School-based psycho-educational assessments are conducted for the purpose of determining if your child qualifies for special education services (Individualized Education Plan - IEP) or accommodations (504 Plan). While they can be helpful in determining your child’s cognitive and academic strengths and weaknesses, as well as accessing supports, they do not make clinical diagnoses such as ADHD. School-based assessments also lack the depth of the more comprehensive assessments provided in my practice. If your child has had a school-based assessment, the assessment report and documentation from any IEP or 504 meetings should be provided during our intake appointment and can be helpful in understanding your child.
+ Can this assessment be used to help my child get an IEP or 504 plan in school?
Yes. Schools often use outside reports to determine special education eligibility or the necessity of accommodations, but may do a more limited assessment (such as a record review, additional teacher questionnaires, and some cognitive or academic tests) as part of their process.
+ Can the assessment determine if my child needs accommodations on standardized testing (SAT, ACT, etc.)?
Yes. I will make recommendations for accommodations based on the assessment results and relevant diagnoses. Students and their families typically work with their school to apply for accommodations, as your child’s documented use of accommodations is often required for approval. It is important to be aware of the timelines for accommodations requests, as some institutions (i.e. The College Board) take up to 6 weeks to process such requests.