Evaluations

Comprehensive Psychoeducational
Evaluation

Comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations assess student strengths and needs related to academic achievement, including cognitive abilities, language, reading, writing, and math, gifted assessments, as well as attention and executive function. They are essential for diagnosing differences in learning, documenting student achievement, planning an effective instructional program, and monitoring a student’s progress. Psychoeducational testing provides educational recommendations that are individualized, research-based, and effective. Often these evaluations include testing for ADHD, dyslexia, and/or dysgraphia.

For adults, comprehensive assessments can help them overcome learning difficulties on the job, in college, or in demanding careers. They can also prepare individuals for high-stakes graduate school exams through evaluations for LSAT or MCAT accommodations.

Multidisciplinary Evaluations

These evaluations are for learners with complex learning profiles who would benefit from an evaluation that addresses concerns in multiple domains. In this type of evaluation, specialists from different disciplines work together as a team to fully understand an individual’s profile. For example, a clinical psychologist might partner with a speech and language pathologist to determine emotional difficulties, diagnose learning differences, and identify a wide range of effective treatment options.

Psychological Evaluation

These evaluations assess mental health, emotional, and social functioning. The results help answer questions as to whether attention, self-esteem, anxiety and/or impulse control may be affecting learning or quality of life.

Neuropsychological Testing

Most children and adults who have neuropsychological evaluations have had a change in academic or everyday functioning due to impacts on brain function from one or many factors (e.g., medical conditions such as brain injury, seizures/epilepsy, brain tumor, leukemia, chemotherapy/radiation, stroke, prematurity/low birth weight, genetic syndromes, developmental delays, or birth trauma). Neuropsychological evaluations provide a global assessment of brain function related to attention, memory, language, sensory/motor, executive functioning, behavioral, social, and thinking skills. Results help refine medical intervention and/or the robustness of behavioral, educational, and social programming. They also monitor and inform return-to-learn and return-to-play for athletes.

Academic Evaluation

Academic evaluations document achievement in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and/or math. They provide information on student performance in school, whether students are gifted, typical, or in need of support. They also screen for weaknesses in underlying skills that affect academic achievement.

Speech and Language Evaluation

Language skills are the foundation for academic achievement and social interaction. This series of evaluations provides a comprehensive assessment of communication skills. Evaluations focus on aspects of expressive and receptive language, as well as articulation, voice, and fluency. They may also cover issues related to social communication, such as understanding nonverbal cues from others.

Social Cognition Evaluation

This series of evaluations examines abilities in social cognition and language functioning, including language-based critical-thinking skills in conjunction with reasoning within contexts, social awareness, social communication, social motivation, theory of mind, joint attention, and perspective-taking skills. Social cognition evaluations are helpful when family members or teachers are concerned about social interaction skills and relationship development.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment

Children and adults on the autism spectrum often have unique abilities and challenges. Our testing for autism typically includes a comprehensive review of medical, family, and developmental history, caregiver reports of functioning across settings and the observation of social communicative behavior. Standardized assessments of intellectual functioning, social relatedness, adaptive behaviors, and speech-language functioning are also included. Attention, mood, or other aspects of mental health are examined as needed. Our assessments usually include standardized tests, such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition and Autism Diagnostic Interview.

Behavior Support Evaluation

A behavior support evaluation aims to identify underlying behavioral concerns that may impact a child’s school performance. These school-based evaluations typically include a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) designed to examine why undesirable or inappropriate behaviors occur. These evaluations are individualized; they may include multiple observations, consultation with school personnel and parents, and possibly testing. They do not involve diagnosis of underlying mental health concerns but instead offer a detailed behavior intervention plan and suggestions related to monitoring and evaluating progress.