Evaluations

What Makes our Evaluations Unique

The ADHD Center Evaluations were developed by two Child and Adolescent Psychologists after many years of working with children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD, and often finding that the evaluations their patient’s had, provided little valuable information for treatment other than a diagnosis of ADHD. As therapists, they knew what information would be useful for treatment, as well as what their patient’s needed to understand about their own behavior and brain functioning. They put together a battery of tests which would provide this information, which we continue to use today.

Our Evaluations:

Measure ADHD symptoms from several sources, including self-report, observations of others (parent, teacher, significant other, sibling or friend) as well as empirically, using a continuous performance test. It allows us to better understand not only whether an individual has an attention deficit, but whether it impacts their auditory attention, visual attention, or both.
Rely on a Clinical Interview to understand an individual’s current functioning including difficulties they are experiencing in school, work, and at home. Learning about their past functioning, early school experiences or work history, relationship challenges within their family and with friends, as well as their medical, emotional and social history are all important components that contribute to a total picture of an individual and help us to make an accurate and well informed diagnosis.
Assess for anxiety and depression, two things which can look like ADHD behaviorally (through observation) and/or cause similar symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, memory issues, disorganization, forgetfulness, persistent sad or irritable mood, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness among others.

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Screen for learning disabilities, sensory difficulties, and other common child and adolescent developmental disorders, as well as those in adults, that may be present and affecting an individual’s overall functioning. While at times it may look like ADHD, symptoms observed may sometimes be due to these underlying issues.
Are cost effective and efficient, enabling individuals to complete forms through our secure patient portal prior to their evaluation, not requiring multiple sessions to assess.
Provide detailed information to help individual’s better understand how their brain works and how it impacts their day to day functioning.
Provide useful information and recommendations for school accommodations, and to develop an appropriate 504 or IEP Plan for the student.
Provide documentation of an individual’s clinical history, empirical evidence and diagnosis of ADHD to communicate to other providers (psychiatrists, pediatricians and primary care providers) to support the use of medication to treat ADHD if desired.

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ADHD Center Evaluations vs Psychoeducational Assessments and Neuropsychological Evaluations

To better understand what makes our evaluations at the ADHD Center unique, it will help to understand how our evaluations differ from a Neuropsychological Evaluation or a Psychoeducational Assessment.

If you are not sure which assessment is right for you, contact us and we will help you determine what best fits your needs, and provide you with referrals if requested, to obtain an alternative assessment.

Psychoeducational Assessment

Psychoeducational testing typically involves a comprehensive assessment of a student’s cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional functioning. Tests usually are standardized such that students’ scores are compared to other students of the same age and gender. Psychoeducational testing is typically performed by school psychologists or other learning specialists who usually work directly in schools. Students often are referred for an assessment by their teacher, psychologist, or physician based on concerns related to learning or underperformance in school or on standardized tests. These evaluations typically include formal assessments of a student’s intelligence (IQ) and academic achievement in addition to behavioral observations from the student’s teacher and parent, and depending on their age, the student as well. Psychoeducational assessments seek to understand a student’s general learning style, and then guide the development of classroom accommodations and supports from an educational perspective.

Psychoeducational assessments do not specifically evaluate for ADHD and do not obtain the level of data needed to fully assess, diagnose, and provide treatment recommendations for ADHD. A school psychologist may identify a student having difficulty with attention, concentration, and memory through psychoeducational testing, but cannot diagnose ADHD because it is considered a health disorder.

Our Evaluations provide a diagnosis of ADHD if appropriate, as well as recommendations for accommodations in the classroom, to support obtaining a 504 or IEP to best support the student throughout their academic experiences.

Neuropsychological Evaluation

Neuropsychological evaluations examine how an individual’s brain functions and how that functioning impacts their behavior and learning. They are administered by a neuropsychologist, which is a psychologist who specializes in understanding the relationship between the physical brain and behavior. Neuropsychological evaluations are typically much broader in scope than psychoeducational assessments and thus usually take longer to administer (typically 6-8 hours over multiple sessions, depending on the person’s age and referral question). Like psychoeducational assessments, neuropsychological evaluations typically include assessments of intelligence and academic achievement but also include formal assessments of the specific domains of cognitive functioning that are controlled by different regions of the brain, such as executive functioning, visual-perceptual abilities, information processing, attention and concentration, learning and memory, language, adaptive skills, and fine motor skills. Some areas of concern that may lead to making a referral for a neuropsychological evaluation include a brain injury or condition that may affect a person’s brain functioning, including symptoms or complaints involving memory, attention/concentration, sudden changes in mood and behavior or periods of disorientation or confusion. This may be due to any of a number of medical, neurological, psychological, or genetic causes.

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Our Evaluations provide detailed information related to disorders of attention for individuals who believe their difficulties are not related to a cognitive deficit, brain injury, or underlying medical condition but likely a deficit in attention. We approach assessments from the perspective of understanding why the individual is struggling currently, exploring what other factors might be contributing as well. Our evaluations are significantly less costly than a neuropsychological evaluation, and can be completed in less time, providing a diagnosis of ADHD if appropriate, as well as treatment recommendations, which for students may include accommodations in the classroom, to obtain a 504 or IEP, or register with college student disability services to support them throughout their academic experiences.

Our reports may be shared with your primary care provider or a psychiatrist should you be interested in treating your ADHD with medication.

What Comes After a Diagnosis of ADHD?

In a follow-up session, we will discuss things such as:

Treatment options, including medication, therapy, and neurofeedback
School accommodations for children, adolescents, and college students; including how to implement a 504 or IEP or access student disability services at college.
How to explain ADHD to your child in a way they will understand and can be positive
How to help your significant other, as well as other close people in your life, understand your ADHD and how it impacts your ability to listen, initiate and follow through with tasks, and regulate your emotions.

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