We provide a range of assessments, treatments, and support to individuals struggling with mental health and neurological sensitivities. Through our services, we seek to understand the unique experiences of each person and work collaboratively with them to identify and achieve their goals. Our assessments use standardized measures to determine a diagnosis and provide recommendations for treatment. We offer various therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions, to meet the unique needs of each individual. Additionally, our neuropsychology services aim to evaluate and treat cognitive and neurological impairments resulting from a variety of conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, and dementia. Overall, we strive to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to improve the quality of life for our clients.
Neuropsychological assessment is a sub-specialty of psychology and is a field that requires additional training, education, and supervision beyond that of a clinical psychologist.
A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is typically sought out to evaluate an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. Physicians, educators, and treatment teams request evaluations to help confirm diagnosis, establish a baseline of functioning prior to a medical intervention or surgery, track changes over time, and adjust treatment goals or expectations. The evaluation process consists of paper-pencil tasks, computerized tests, and hands-on puzzles. The tests and measures administered are designed to assess the following areas:
Observation before Evaluation
It is often helpful to observe a child in his or her classroom prior to the start of an evaluation so that the doctor is able to get a direct view as to how the child interacts with other children, adults, and their environment. This is a rich source of information for understanding your child and their present challenges or strengths. Additionally, please provide us with any relevant medical records and academic records that can provide further information about your child.
How long does evaluations take?
Neuropsychological evaluations can be lengthy, lasting anywhere from 3-8 hours. You may be required to take your child out of school in order to complete the evaluation; testing your child after a full day of school may skew the results and not provide consistent data.
As the only professionals who receive extensive training in psychological and cognitive testing, psychologists are in a unique position to provide a proper and thorough evaluation and ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Psychological testing is useful for diagnosis of a psychiatric or mental condition, especially when there is a great deal of overlap of symptoms between disorders. Other mental health professionals may request psychological testing to aid in diagnosis or treatment planning. It is a shorter process than neuropsychological testing, but also relies upon paper-pencil and computerized tests. Psychological testing will examine the following:
Psychological testing may include evaluation of ADHD, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and other conditions, but also evaluation of depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and behavioral disorders.
How long does testing usually take?
Psychological testing may require between 2 to 6 hours of assessment as well as a feedback session to review your results. Dr. Daniel is able to provide psychological testing for adolescents and adults; results can be helpful in determining necessity for educational planning (i.e., IEP or 504 accommodations); assessing need for psychiatric medication; aiding in treatment planning for therapy and counseling services.
What We May Include In The Test.
Autism spectrum disorder testing may include use of the ADOS-2, GARS-3, ADI-R, and CARS-2, most of which insurance companies require prior to approval of services such as ABA. Neurologists and pediatricians may be able to complete basic screening forms for ASD but are generally not trained or experienced with standardized tests such as the ADOS-2 or ADI-R.
For children and adolescents who are in need of accommodations for entrance exams, Dr. Daniel will conduct a comprehensive evaluation and provide specific recommendations based upon the results. While there is no way to guarantee acceptance of the recommendations for accommodations, it can be helpful to have additional documentation provided to the testing board in addition to academic records or school counselor’s reports. If you or your child have a psychological, neurocognitive, or developmental disorder which may impact the ability to perform at one’s ability level on a standardized test, such as the SAT, accommodation assessment may be appropriate.
Accommodations vary based upon individual needs and testing-site limitations, but may include the following: extra time/time-and-a-half; preferential seating; separate testing environment; larger font; computerized testing; dictation use; additional breaks.
For additional information on test-specific requirements, please visit the appropriate website:
The assessment of learning disorders by neuropsychologists differs from school psychologists in that a school psychologist’s job is to determine if a learning disorder exists and if that condition makes the child eligible for additional services and supports. A neuropsychologist’s role is to determine if a learning disorder is present, what impact is may have on other aspects of learning, behavior, or socialization, and how it might best be addressed. School psychologists and neuropsychologists have a great deal of overlap in their test use and understanding of learning disorders, however neuropsychologists have specialized education and training in both brain and behavioral disorders, as well as emotional functioning and well-being; neuropsychologists are private practitioners whereas school psychologists work for the school district and may be limited in their assessments. It is not uncommon for school psychologists to refer children to neuropsychologists for additional evaluation and treatment; nor is it uncommon for one to be present at a child’s educational planning meeting.
Why Need An Evaluation?
Evaluations are helpful in identifying early signs of learning difficulties, determining why a child is not responding to interventions, planning appropriate educational goals, understanding the impact a psychological or medical condition has on learning and academic achievement, identification of giftedness, and differentiating between specific learning disabilities.
Insurance Disclaimer For Educational Testing.
Please note that educational testing is typically not covered by insurance, as it is not deemed as being “medically necessary”. Dr. Daniel’s fees for assessment are consistent with those charged by others with her level of education and experience.
ADHD can often times share common traits with other disorders, including anxiety, depression, auditory processing disorders, or learning disorders. Additionally, it is highly comorbid with multiple conditions seen in children and adolescents, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, and prematurity. A comprehensive evaluation that examines an individual’s performance across different domains of attention and concentration can help to identify if there is a true issue with attention, or if another condition or factor is occurring. Rating scales and checklists can be helpful screeners or adjunctive sources of information for clinicians to diagnose ADHD but caution should be used in relying solely upon their use for diagnosis and treatment planning. As the only professionals who receive extensive training in psychological and cognitive testing, psychologists are in a unique position to provide a proper and thorough evaluation and ensure an accurate diagnosis.
We utilize TOVA as part of our ADHD evaluations, in addition to other common neuropsychological instruments and measures. Read more about TOVA here:
Dr. Daniel and staff offer psychotherapy services for older children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. Our clinicians draw from various therapeutic approaches, tailoring our work and treatment to the needs and interests of the client while emphasizing the development and growth of a supportive, trusting therapeutic relationship.
Common reasons for seeking out therapy services include:
Why obtain an independent kindergarten readiness evaluation?
Many parents seek out an evaluation during the late spring or early summer in order to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement prior to the start of school in the fall. Others have concerns as to whether or not their child is learning the pre-academic skills at the same rate as peers, while others wish to get a head start on learning over the summer so that their child is familiar with kindergarten material on day one. Gaps or deficiencies in early skills may continue to worsen over the course of a child’s academic career; with early evaluation and intervention, children may overcome these gaps and be on track for academic success.
A thorough kindergarten readiness evaluation will assess ability in five areas commonly thought to be predictive of school success:
An evaluation is appropriate for children ages 4 years through 5 years, 11 months; evaluations are most helpful when conducted in the late spring or early summer so that your child may have the summer to address any areas of relative difficulty and further enhance areas of strength. The full evaluation will take 1-2 hours, which includes a developmental interview with the parent. Please note that this evaluation is considered to be academic in nature, and therefore not covered by your insurance.
Contact us today for an initial phone consultation.
| Dr. Colleen H. Daniel – Clinical Psychology & Neuropsychology | Developed by Web Ninjas
