"The brain is wider than the sky." Emily Dickinson
EVALUATIONS
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The purpose of an evaluation is to determine the cause and extent of a problem. This helps in the diagnosis and treatment process.
Psychological evaluations tell us if there is a psychiatric, mood or personality disorder. They usually consist of both projective and objective measures that tell us about the person’s defense mechanisms and psychological functioning. By understanding your defense mechanisms, we can build on your strengths to develop more effective coping and living strategies.
Psychoeducational evaluations are used when you have a history of educational problems. They can help identify learning disabilities, processing difficulties or attention issues like ADHD, which may impede learning. They help in discharge planning and educational planning and to help in relapse prevention.
Neuropsychological evaluations are used to determine if there is neurological or cognitive impairment. These impairments may be due to substance abuse. They help determine the specific problem areas and the extent of these problems so that a recovery treatment and after care plan can be made.
Gifted Testing:
The purpose of gifted/IQ testing is to qualify for a “gifted” program, gain admission to specific schools or programs, or to better understand a child’s level of general cognitive abilities.
In order to qualify for a “gifted” program in Dade County public schools, a child must score at or above 130 on a standardized IQ test. Gifted testing involves (in most districts in Florida) the use of a standardized IQ test, usually the WISC-V or Stanford Binet-2. These measures do not assess achievement, rather, overall cognitive abilities.
If necessary, a separate achievement test will be administered. Included in this testing are suggestions on how to choose the best educational style and program for your child recommendations to help your child succeed in whichever program suits his/her needs the best.
A child’s cognitive abilities can increase or decrease substantially between the ages of 5 and 11. Knowing where your child’s strengths and weaknesses lie can assist you in tailoring his educational and home environment to maximize his intellectual development. This is important to remember, because although IQ tests measure general cognitive ability, there are many other facets of intelligence not measured by these evaluations, such as emotional intelligence and creativity. Additionally, many studies point to increased performance on IQ with proper early intervention.
ADHD Evaluations:
ADHD/Psychoeducational evaluations can be used for many reasons. They can help diagnose ADD or ADHD correctly, they can help determine other areas of deficits in achievement, or they can help identify specific areas within “attention” of difficulty to better design an intervention program. People with ADD/ADHD often have deficits in working memory, sustained attention, or vigilance, response inhibition, motor inhibition and verbal learning. Problems are also seen in planning and organization and complex problem solving. Our evaluation measures each of these for a comprehensive ADHD evaluation.
• Whether a child or adult meets criteria for ADHD/ADD
• How severe the impairment is
• How it can affect other areas of functioning
• Whether other factors are affecting behavior or cognitive functioning
• Recommendations for improvement in different areas of functioning
For example, anxiety, depression and processing disorders, to name a few, can manifest in very similar ways to ADHD.
ADHD Evaluations consist of tests that assess the following:
Executive Function
Behavior
Attention
Working Memory
Response Inhibition
Motor Inhibition
Sustained Attention
Verbal Learning
Complex Problem Solving
Children’s brains are very “plastic”, making neurological changes faster and easier than in adults. Because of this, early intervention is important!
Autism Evaluations:
We are proud to use the ADOS-II, the “Gold Standard” for Autism Testing. With this measure, we can obtain a standardized score to accurately diagnose Autism and Autism Related Disorders.
The purpose of a Developmental Evaluation is to accurately diagnose:
• Developmental disorders
• Level of developmental delays
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Specific strengths and weaknesses
• Overall neuro-developmental functioning
Our nervous system grows as we do, but not everyone grows in the same way or at the same rate. Where one child may be able to grasp abstract concepts quicker than another, another child may develop his fine motor coordination quicker. The way we process information affects every aspect of our being. This information processing system is our brain, and its main avenues of conduction are not fully constructed yet, making them inefficient at times. Being adaptive beings, people often compensate for deficits, either masking them or hindering continued growth. By understanding how a child currently functions, we can assist him in social, cognitive, and educational arenas. This allows us to tailor his environment to promote healthy development rather than allowing it to stagnate. With this understanding, clear goals can be set making your child’s experiences positive rather than frustrating.
This evaluation assesses:
Developmental levels
Cognitive levels
Neuropsychological functioning
Psychological functioning
It provides the parent and school valuable information on how to improve the child’s functioning.
Psychoeducational Evaluations:
Psychoeducational evaluations are used to help a student determine if there is a learning disability, how to correct the learning problem, and to measure improvement and effects of the intervention chosen.
It consist of tests that measure:
• General cognitive abilities
• Attention
• Specific areas of Achievement
• Processing
• Memory
• Learning
• Executive functions
• Psychological functioning
Neuropsychological Evaluations:
Neuropsychological evaluations are used for all ages to diagnose, treat or gain information on the level of cognitive functioning. Some instances for evaluations include:
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Stroke
• Spinal cord injury
• Alzheimer’s dementia
• Vascular Dementia
• Severe learning disabilities
• Factitious disorders
• Organic impairments
• Psychiatric problems
• To rule out ADHD vs. other neurological impairments
• Learning or memory deficits
Neuropsychological evaluations may include a comprehensive assessment of:
Cognitive ability
Achievement
Visual and auditory processing
Language functioning
Visual and auditory memory
Grapho-motor skills
Sensory perception
Processing speed
Attention and concentration
Executive functions
Psychological functioning
Psychological Evaluations:
The purpose of a psychological evaluation is to determine specific diagnoses and better identify the etiology of psychological or psychiatric issues. Accurate diagnosis is the key factor in effective treatment. With increased understanding, effective treatment can ensue; there is increased empathy, hope and a clear view of how to start fixing the problem.
Psychological evaluations may include:
• A general measure of cognitive ability
• Projective tests
• Objective measures
• Inventories
• Questionnaires
These help identify pathologies or simply healthy and unhealthy defense mechanisms. Specific neuropsychological assessments may be utilized as needed to gain a better understanding of etiology or effects of symptoms.