Our Services

Psychological Testing

Psychological testing is a way of evaluating a person's functioning in one or several areas by obtaining a large amount of information in a relatively short period of time. Information is gathered from interviews with the client and significant others, such as parents or spouses, and by the administration of tests, many of which are objectively developed in order to compare the individual with others his or her age. We provide testing, for children and adults, to help evaluate ADHD, learning disabilities, nonverbal learning disabilities, Asperger's Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, intellectual abilities, personality functioning, social and emotional functioning, depression, severe psychological impairment, and parenting skills. Our evaluations are often used to determine an individual's eligibility to obtain accommodations or modifications for special education, academic support, and community services, from preschool through college. We are often asked to differentiate between different areas of difficulty when there has been uncertainty about an individual's diagnosis. We provide evaluations for individuals throughout the lifespan.

     ADHD EVALUATIONS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is often difficult to diagnose. It is often difficult to tell the difference between normal variations in attention and a problem that is clinically significant. Furthermore, there are many problems and conditions that can cause attention problems or in which attention problems can be just a part of a larger picture, like depression, anxiety, mood disorders, Asperger’s Disorder and learning disabilities. When we evaluate for ADHD, we conduct a comprehensive clinical interview in which we review your individual and family history to see if your problems fit the pattern of ADHD or if they may be indicative of other concerns. We then get information from the client and, when possible and useful, parents, teachers and other significant individuals to get a more complete understanding of how the individual functions in his or her various roles in life. We often do some psychological testing that gives us additional, objective information about intelligence, attention, organization and information processing. Once we have all the information, we meet with the client, or the parents if the client is a child, and review all the information and let you know whether a clear diagnosis can be made. We then write a report making recommendations for the client, his or her parents, and the school (in the case of a child) to follow up on.

     LEARNING DISABILITIES EVALUATIONS

The evaluation of learning disabilities begins with a comprehensive interview in which the client’s problems and history are reviewed in order to learn as much as possible about how the he or she is functioning, how he or she functioned in the past, and how the problem developed over time. Information is taken about home and school functioning and, in the case of an adult, occupational functioning when appropriate. We then provide psychological testing specifically geared to the problems the individual is experiencing. We typically assess the individual’s intelligence, attention and organizational skills and compare these to a person’s abilities in the academic areas of concern, such as reading, math and written language. Often an individual will have learning or processing problems that transcend specific subjects, such as a language-based learning disability or a nonverbal learning disability. Individuals with these types of learning disabilities might struggle academically in more than one area. Our evaluation assesses these areas as well. We then have a meeting in which we provide feedback and write a report giving providing recommendations.

     AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER EVALUATIONS

Autism Spectrum DIsorder is often difficult to diagnose, even with the best evaluation, because children and adults who have these conditions often function well in many areas and can do well at home and at school. Children with Autism often have attention problems and are often misdiagnosed with ADHD. They can meet the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD, but the Autism is often overlooked, resulting in these serious conditions going unrecognized and not being attended to properly. Autism can also look like other types of learning or processing problems, and these have to be sorted out in order to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. We do our best to gather a comprehensive history and a description of how the individual is functioning at home and at school and, in the case of an adult, at work. We often give questionnaires and rating scales to the client, parent and teacher to complete, which help clarify the symptom picture. Often, additional psychological testing is recommended. We also evaluate Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults and provide consultation to the individual and his or her spouse, when appropriate. A feedback meeting is held to provide information and a diagnosis, when warranted, as well as recommendations to help the client and family deal with the condition productively.