Assessment

Psychological assessments are provided to both children and adults.  Evaluations are altered dependent on the specific needs related to the person being assessed.  Assessments are utilized to assess ADHD, various learning disabilities, mood regulation, and various personality characteristics.  A strengths-based approach underlies the evaluation as a means to identify individual strengths, which will be incorporated into recommendations to assist the child or adult in their future.

When is an Assessment Likely to be Helpful?

Assessments are often helpful when it appears that some learning, attention, or mood difficulty is negatively affecting a child's or adult's success at school, work, or home.  An assessment is an opportunity to gather information in a variety of areas to gain a more complete picture of how a person's strengths, weaknesses, personal learning style, moods, and environmental context are impacting their success.

Unfortunately it is all too common for physicians to provide medication for attention difficulties after a brief evaluation, without any testing being completed.  The person's response to medication is then used as evidence as to whether the person really has ADHD.  Treating attention difficulties with medication (without first completing an assessment) is not recommended because in many cases what appears like ADHD is really symptoms of other emotional or learning difficulties that at times impact attention.  In addition, best practice standards for assisting both children and adults with attention difficulties establish that altering school/work environments to support a person in their environment can substantially decrease difficulties.  In many cases, these behavioral interventions for the individual and their environment improve things to the point that medication is not needed.   

Assessment of Children:

Fee for a child's assessment: $1200*

*At times this fee will be reduced on a case by case basis dependent upon the presence of previous relevant testing.  In addition, further charges may be applied if more testing is needed to provide an accurate diagnosis.   

Assessment of Adults:
Adult evaluation includes an assessment of attention difficulties and mood regulation, as well as a report complete with evaluation results, a review of the person's strengths, and recommendations to assist the person.  Reports written for adults are generally helpful in assisting adults in their therapy or treatment with therapists and physicians.  In many circumstances, reports are tailored to assist adults with receiving helpful accommodations in academic environments such as college or university settings.  Many times an individual would benefit from accommodations in test taking situations.  Examples of test taking situations that can be altered include the GRE or LSAT.  

Fee for a general ADHD assessment for an adult: $750*
Fee for an extended ADHD/Learning Disability assessment: $1050*

*At times this fee will be reduced on a case by case basis dependent upon the presence of previous relevant testing.  In addition, further charges may be applied if more testing is needed to provide an accurate diagnosis. 

Payment:
Psychological assessments are provided on a private payment basis (no insurance companies will be billed).  An itemized payment receipt will be given which can be turned in by the individual to their insurance company to determine whether the person can be reimbursed for the assessment.  Sometimes insurance companies are more likely to pay for the evaluation when the assessment has been prescribed by a person's physician.