Assessment Protocols and Expectations
- This practice does not accept private‑pay arrangements for psychological or neurodevelopmental evaluations. All assessment services must be billed through an accepted insurance plan. Clients are responsible for verifying their coverage, benefits, and any applicable copayments or deductibles prior to scheduling.
- Evaluations may be conducted virtually or in‑office, depending on client preference and clinical appropriateness.
- I am not able to provide therapeutic services concurrently with an evaluation. When a client wishes to pursue both, the assessment must be completed first so that I can develop an informed understanding of their needs. Therapeutic treatment may begin once the assessment process has formally concluded.
- Evaluations require collateral information from individuals familiar with the client’s functioning across settings. This may include parents, teachers, partners, or close friends. At least two collateral informants must be able to provide information regarding the client’s early developmental period, which is essential for establishing developmental history and diagnostic accuracy. Clients will need to complete a Release of Information (ROI) for each individual.
- In addition to in‑session assessment measures and protocols, standardized questionnaires will be distributed electronically to both the client and their collateral informants. These measures are typically completed outside of session to ensure comprehensive, multi‑informant data collection.
- This practice is dedicated exclusively to the assessment and diagnostic clarification of Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Evaluation services are mostly limited to these two neurodevelopmental conditions, including differential diagnosis, co‑occurring presentations, and functional assessment related to attention, executive functioning, sensory processing, social‑communication patterns, and neurodevelopmental history.
- All components of the evaluation must be completed within a consistent evaluation window; extended gaps between appointments—particularly those exceeding one month—reduce the reliability of assessment data and may require discontinuing portions of the evaluation.
- Clients are expected to abstain from consuming caffeine (including coffee, tea, energy drinks, pre‑workout supplements, and caffeinated sodas) on the day of testing. Caffeine can alter attention, processing speed, and physiological arousal, thereby reducing the accuracy of performance‑based measures and overall client presentation thus limiting the validity of diagnostic conclusions.
ADHD + Autism Evaluation
- A combined ADHD and Autism evaluation is indicated when both neurodevelopmental conditions are suspected, when symptom presentations overlap, or when diagnostic clarification requires an integrated assessment approach. Expect 6 – 8 hours of testing time.
- The combined ADHD + Autism assessment includes multiple components, such as:
- In‑depth clinical interview addressing developmental history, sensory processing, communication patterns, social interaction style, executive functioning, routines, preferences, and masking/camouflaging behaviors
- Retrospective symptoms (childhood and early developmental history) relevant to both ADHD and autism
- Current symptoms across settings, including attention, executive functioning, sensory processing, social communication, and behavioral regulation
- Functional impairment in academic, occupational, social, and daily living domains
- Autism‑specific symptoms, including social‑communication differences and restricted or patterned behaviors
- ADHD‑specific impairment, including inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and executive‑functioning deficits
- Sensory processing differences, including sensitivities, preferences, and regulatory strategies
- Performance‑based testing of attention, working memory, processing efficiency, and related neurobehavioral functions
- Personality and comorbidity screening to evaluate overlapping or contributing conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma‑related symptoms, or other neurodevelopmental concerns
- Cognitive (IQ) assessment, when clinically indicated, to support differential diagnosis and functional interpretation
- Findings are synthesized into an integrated diagnostic formulation that clarifies the presence, interaction, and functional impact of ADHD, autism, both conditions, or neither. Individualized recommendations and, when appropriate, documentation for academic or workplace accommodations are provided.
Autism Evaluation
- An autism evaluation is a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment designed to determine whether an individual meets diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder and to identify associated strengths, support needs, and co‑occurring conditions.
- An autism evaluation includes approximately 7 hours of direct and indirect assessment.
- Because ADHD and autism frequently co‑occur and share overlapping features, all autism evaluations include, at minimum, an ADHD screening to ensure accurate differential diagnosis and identification of co‑occurring condition if ADHD has not already been diagnosed.
- The autism assessment includes multiple components, such as: In‑depth clinical interview addressing developmental history, communication patterns, social interaction style, sensory processing, routines, preferences, and masking/camouflaging behaviors
- Functional assessment of daily living skills, adaptive functioning, and environmental fit
- Personality and comorbidity screening to evaluate overlapping or contributing conditions
- Retrospective symptoms (childhood and early developmental history)
- Current symptoms across settings
- Functional impairment in academic, occupational, social, and daily living domains
- Autism‑specific symptoms, including social‑communication differences and restricted or patterned behaviors
- Sensory processing differences, including sensitivities, preferences, and regulatory strategies
- Social and communication differences, including interaction style, reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and social cognition
- Emotional and personality traits relevant to diagnostic formulation and differential diagnosis
- Findings are synthesized into a comprehensive diagnostic formulation with individualized recommendations and, when appropriate, documentation for academic or workplace accommodations.
ADHD Evaluation
- An ADHD evaluation includes approximately 4–5 hours of direct and indirect assessment.
- The ADHD evaluation assesses multiple domains, including:
- In‑depth clinical interview addressing developmental history, executive functioning, and masking/camouflaging behaviors
- Retrospective symptoms (childhood and early developmental history)
- Current symptoms across settings
- Functional impairment in academic, occupational, and daily living domains
- ADHD‑specific impairment and executive‑functioning deficits
- Performance‑based testing of attention, working memory, and processing efficiency
- Personality and comorbidity screening
- Cognitive (IQ) assessment, when clinically indicated
- Neurological and neurobehavioral functioning relevant to attention and regulation
- Findings are integrated into a comprehensive diagnostic formulation with individualized recommendations.