A comprehensive evaluation may include, but is not limited to the following:
- Parent Interview and History
- Review of Prior Records
- Review of School Progress Monitoring Data
- Teacher Interview
- School and/or Community Observation
- Child/Adolescent Clinical Interview
- Assessment of Intellectual Functioning (e.g., WISC-V)
- Assessment of Academic Achievement (e.g., WJ IV ACH, WIAT-4)
- Assessment of Information Processing (e.g., memory, attention, executive functioning, visual-motor integration, social-information processing, language, visual-spatial thinking, cognitive efficiency, etc.)
- Assessment of Social, Emotional and Behavioral Functioning
- Functional Behavior Assessment
- Behavior Rating Scales and Questionnaires
- Projective Personality Tests (e.g., drawings, sentence completion tasks, story-telling techniques, etc.)
- Assessment of Developmental Functioning (e.g., Battelle Developmental Inventory, Third Edition)
- Assessment of Adaptive Functioning
- Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS)
- Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)
- Specialized Rating Scales
Each assessment is individually tailored to each child and is guided by assessment results and hypotheses testing. Parents often ask when we know that our evaluation is complete. To that inquiry we respond, when we have answered all of the relevant questions. Once the evaluation is complete and the data have been analyzed, we prepare integrated written reports that include information pertaining to the reason for referral, relevant background information, assessment results and interpretations, and recommendations.
It is our belief that the psychological report exists for the recommendations. Providing diagnostic clarification is, by itself, not enough. This is why we develop, in collaboration with parents, teachers, and other stakeholders, recommendations for intervention, accommodations, and modifications for each child. We strive to include recommendations that are supported by research. But, most importantly, we include those recommendations that are linked with each child’s unique profile and assessment results.
Once a report has been prepared, a feedback session with parents/caregivers, and with the child/adolescent when appropriate, will take place. During this session, the report is presented and reviewed. Questions and concerns will be addressed. Parents/caregivers will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the interventions/strategies recommended and to make contributions. We want this to be a collaborative process and seek your expertise on your child. We know that those interventions/strategies that are most likely to be implemented are those that are collaboratively developed.