For families
An evaluation is not a test you can fail. It's a structured way of understanding how a person thinks, learns, and feels — so decisions about school, treatment, and daily life can rest on evidence instead of guesswork. Here's the whole process, start to finish.
Referral or self-referral, intake paperwork, records gathering, scheduling.
Structured activities and questions, usually a few hours, with breaks.
Results explained in plain language, with time for every question.
A comprehensive written report, shared only with your written permission.
Many families arrive with a referral from a pediatrician, therapist, or school — but a referral isn't always required to begin the conversation. The first step is a brief intake: what's prompting the evaluation, what's already been tried, and what question needs answering. You'll be asked to complete some paperwork and to gather records that tell the story so far — report cards, prior evaluations, IEP or 504 documents, and relevant medical records.
Testing itself is a series of structured activities: questions, puzzles, drawing, reading, memory games, and questionnaires. For children, it feels more like a string of one-on-one games than an exam — most kids leave having had a better time than they expected. Sessions often run a few hours, sometimes split across more than one visit depending on age, stamina, and the questions being answered. Breaks happen whenever they're needed. Parents and caregivers contribute too, through interviews and rating scales about daily life at home and school.
Once scoring and interpretation are complete, we sit down together and go through the findings in plain language: what the testing showed, what diagnosis (if any) fits, and what to do about it. This session belongs to your questions — nothing in the report should be a surprise after it.
You receive a comprehensive written report: the reason for the evaluation, the history, the results, the diagnostic conclusions, and specific, numbered recommendations for home, school, and treatment. It's written to be used — by an IEP team, a physician, a therapist — and it goes to them only with your written permission.
No. Testing shows patterns of strengths and weaknesses compared with others the same age. There is no passing score, and honest effort is the only thing that makes results meaningful.
Not necessarily — families can reach out directly. Some insurance plans do require a physician's referral for testing to be covered; see Fees & insurance for details.
From first appointment to written report is typically several weeks, depending on scheduling and the scope of testing. [typical turnaround to confirm]
With your written permission, yes — teacher rating scales are often part of testing, and reports are written so school teams can act on them. Consultation with an IEP or 504 team can also be arranged.
Yes, simply and without drama: "We're going to see someone whose job is figuring out how kids learn and think, so school can work better for you." Honesty lowers anxiety; mystery raises it.
The practice offers private pay, Medicaid, and commercial insurance options — details on the Fees & insurance page.