What does Psychological testing do?
For children with a complex constellation of symptoms, psychological testing provides insight into the roots of a child’s challenges and can provide clarity for therapeutic intervention. Testing starts the process of deeply understanding a child and provides essential data for work in therapy. We evaluate individuals from four years through young adulthood. Evaluations are performed by one of our experienced, licensed psychologists.
Assessments can address concerns such as
- Behavioral challenges
- ADHD
- Emotional issues
- Learning disabilities
- Educational placement issues
- Gifted and talented appropriateness
- Private school admission
Every evaluation is tailored to the specific child. However, the following is a list of the most common evaluations we perform:
Private School Admissions Testing
We provide the cognitive (WPPSI) testing that many children are required to have in order to apply for kindergarten at area private schools.
Cognitive Evaluation
A cognitive evaluation is typically a standardized IQ test (i.e., WISC, WPPSI, WAIS). IQ tests are used to assess a person’s intellectual aptitude or potential.
Psycho-Educational Evaluation
Typically this includes the cognitive evaluation and an achievement test. It is a more comprehensive evaluation that explores how the individual learns, remembers, and retrieves information. This evaluation is usually completed when a learning disability is suspected.
Social-Emotional Evaluation
A social-emotional evaluation typically consists of both projective and objective measures designed to help understand how an individual thinks and feels about him/herself. This type of evaluation may be used to differentiate between ADHD, anxiety, or depression or to explore self-esteem issues and interpersonal concerns. It is typically used in conjunction with the psycho-educational evaluation.
Full Psychological Evaluation
These evaluations are a combination of psycho-educational and social-emotional evaluations. Additional specialized measures will be included depending on the nature of the referral question.
Classroom Observations
Our clinicians conduct school observations to see how your child functions and interacts with his/her classroom environment. These observations include feedback to the parents and can inform a behavioral intervention plan or accommodations.