Common Questions

• What is included in an evaluation/assessment?

• Assessments are individualized based on the questions you would like to answer. For instance, you may wonder: "Do I have autism?" or, "Does my child have ADHD, or anxiety?". We will identify these questions during our first meeting and then discuss the individualized plan for the assessment process. The assessment process can be tailored to you, guided by my clinical judgment (see below about my approach).

• What are the usual steps in an evaluation/ assessment?

• The first meeting is the intake where we review your questions and I can gather more information. This is usually 2 hours long. Then we will create a plan to move forward with testing sessions (often 6 or more hours). I will then spend time scoring results and integrate the information into a report, which we will then review at the conclusion of the assessment process during a feedback session. I will also review any relevant records-- such as medical or educational records (even for adults!)-- and for adults I will typically ask for have loved ones to complete observational rating scales as well.

• Are evaluations/assessments covered by insurance? What are the costs?

• Insurance benefits may include coverage for some aspects of testing, but usually they do not cover psychoeducational evaluations or achievement assessments. For children from birth until the completion of secondary school, educational evaluations may be available at no cost through Early Intervention (0-5) or your local school district. My out-of-pocket assessment fee is $200/hour for testing, scoring, and report writing. On average, a comprehensive evaluation will take about 10-15 hours of my time to complete. Insurance typically only reimburses a portion of this time. Because of this, there are also costs for the assessment materials that I utilize, and these fees are not covered by insurance, ranging on average from $50-$100.   

• How are comprehensive psychological evaluations for ADHD different than being diagnosed by a physician or psychiatrist?

• While some medical providers have training and screening tools to allow them diagnose ADHD, psychological evaluations help to provide information beyond whether a person meets criteria for a particular diagnosis. Everyone's brain is unique and standardized assessment tools used in psychological evaluations can help to identify unique areas of strengths and differences. This information can help with building understanding as well as treatment planning and identifying potentially helpful support services in our community.

• How would you describe your approach to assessments?

• My primary goal is to help you answer the questions that brought you in for an assessment. Completing a psychological evaluation is an investment in your time and money. In order to make sure we are being thorough, I will identify assessment tools that will help to answer these questions and any related questions. Since many diagnoses have areas of overlap, such as ADHD and autism and anxiety, it can be helpful to explore these areas of overlap and try to identify if any of these can be ruled out (if diagnostic criteria isn't met). 

My goal is to integrate a neuroaffirming approach in my assessments and report writing. My reports are strengths based and tailored to integrate information from assessments to help you better understand yourself or your child and include recommendations that may be helpful.