Assessment
Our ADHD and Learning Disability Clinic accepts clients who are seeking an evaluation for a variety of concerns, such as problems at school or work, trouble focusing and concentrating, or changes in their memory. Often, clients wonder about what has caused a change in their daily functioning or in their child’s behavior.
Psychological assessment can be particularly helpful in discovering reasons for current problems and what to do about them. We take a strengths-based approach and make recommendations about next steps to take. You can learn more about how psychological assessment can help by reviewing Understanding Psychological Assessment.
We take referrals for assessments from mental health professionals, schools, physicians and parents, but most referrals come directly from clients. We provide assessments for children, adolescents and adults.
Our Process
Our assessments include a detailed interview followed by a full day of testing around two weeks later. Testing usually includes measures of intelligence (IQ), academic skills, personality, emotional functioning and behavior. For school-age clients, information from teachers or other caregivers is an important part of the process. For adults, we often speak to family members to gather history and context for your current concerns. The exact makeup of each assessment is based on your needs.
After the assessment, we’ll meet with you to go over the results and you will be given a thorough written report. Because we believe in the value of well-thought-out, carefully written reports, this process usually takes four to six weeks after testing is finished.
For VCU students seeking academic accommodations, we provide a brief letter after the intake interview summarizing your current concerns. This letter can be provided to the Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity office to help support you during the semester while the assessment process is underway.
Cost
We use a sliding scale fee for our assessments. Because we are a training clinic, our rates are significantly less expensive than most private pay clinics. The cost starts at several hundred dollars at the lower end of the sliding scale fee and increases at higher family income brackets. We ask for payment in full before testing can be scheduled.
We do not accept insurance for testing. You can reach out to your insurance company to seek reimbursement but we do not communicate with insurance directly. Some of the services we provide, like academic testing and learning disability assessment, are generally not covered by insurance.
Assessments Prior to Therapy
Many prospective CPSD clients ask if they need an assessment before beginning therapy. They may also wonder if a comprehensive assessment is needed to diagnose mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or PTSD.
The short answer is no. Assessment and therapy address different needs. Assessments involve an interview and one or two testing appointments. This process helps us efficiently gather a large amount of information to determine a diagnosis and treatment recommendations. While we assess for mental health concerns and personality traits as part of that process, the focus of assessment in our ADHD and Learning Disabilities Clinic is on cognitive, academic and executive functioning skills. A meeting to discuss the results is usually the end of your contact with the clinician.
Therapy, on the other hand, is treatment over a longer period of time. You do not need to complete an assessment before beginning our individual, couples or group therapy services. If your therapist has concerns about a specific mental-health diagnosis as you begin treatment, they can often incorporate assessment into your treatment plan.