A Patient Centered Focus
Personalized and Comprehensive
Psychologists at The Ross Center conduct individually administered, personalized, and comprehensive assessments in order to obtain detailed information about a person’s social/emotional, behavioral, intellectual, and academic functioning. Our evaluators have extensive experience assessing all age groups, and formal assessment is conducted for individuals ranging from early childhood (as young as 12 months) through adulthood.
Our evaluators are highly sensitive to the fact that, for some, going through the assessment process may be stressful and challenging. Our aim is to provide a relaxed atmosphere for children and adults alike where we can discover patterns of strengths and weaknesses unique to each individual. Our evaluators ensure that the testing process is engaging so that it allows each individual the opportunity to perform their best.
One of the unique features of testing at the Ross Center is that we take advantage of our multidisciplinary team to provide truly individualized testing batteries. Our Director of Psychological Testing and Evaluation is dual-board certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Clinical Psychology (only about 0.5% of licensed psychologist achieve this distinction of having multiple board certifications!) and brings over 15 years of experience in psychological testing to offer a personalized individual consultation session prior to beginning testing. We recognize that psychological testing is a significant investment and there can be many questions.
With our consultation service, we are able to hear about your unique circumstances and needs and provide a personalized recommendation for a testing battery that is tailored to you. It also provides you an opportunity to have your questions answered about psychological testing and ensure you are comfortable moving forward with a wide range of psychological testing options and given a realistic timeframe and what to expect. Furthermore, this consultation also allows us to personalize and match our experienced team of psychologists to your unique needs to ensure the best fit for this important service.
A Multidisciplinary Approach
Our approach to testing is multidisciplinary, and consultations with staff psychiatrists regarding diagnosis and recommendations are often regular components of the assessment process. Additionally, many of our evaluators hold dual licensure and training in both School and Clinical Psychology and have experience working in a variety of school, medical, and clinical settings. All evaluations are completed by licensed psychologists who have completed supervised training in neuropsychological testing.
Read this helpful article to learn more about the confusing array of testing terminology you may hear when your child has been referred for an assessment.
Although our individual consultation will help build a testing battery that meets your specific needs, the following are examples of the kinds of psychological testing our team can offer – and remember, these options will be personalized to you!
Admissions Testing
Many private schools require that an individually administered test of intellectual ability be submitted as part of consideration for admission. The most commonly required tests are The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition, (WISC-V) and The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV).
We offer comprehensive testing to determine whether your child has ADHD. Some children are primarily inattentive, but able to sit still, which can often delay diagnosis. Other children exhibit hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, which brings them to clinical attention earlier because of disruption in the classroom or at home. Some children present with both types of symptoms. Although treatment is similar with each type of ADHD, we’ll test your child to identify the optimal treatment plan for long-term success.
ADHD testing is often necessary in adult patients in order to clarify and confirm an initial diagnosis of ADHD. The testing can serve as a way to assess the severity and extent of presenting symptoms, as well. It can also clarify whether psycho-pharmacological intervention is warranted. Additionally, ADHD testing provides specific insight into symptom presentation, which can guide individualized treatment planning and recommendations across multiple settings. With a positive diagnosis, a treatment plan can be developed with a member of our clinical team.
A neuropsychological evaluation is recommended when there is suspected impairment in one or more domains of functioning due to a potential medical or psychiatric condition.
Generally speaking, this type of evaluation includes:
- assessment of cognitive/intellectual ability
- academic ability
- attention
- executive functioning
- language, memory
- visuospatial
- visual-motor abilities
- fine motor skills
To deepen the insights through a formal assessment, we will often include a variety of measures including social/emotional evaluation, interviews, questionnaires, and personality measures. In some instances, when a full neuropsychological evaluation is not warranted, a psychoeducational evaluation can provide targeted insight into an individual’s intellectual abilities, basic academic abilities (reading, writing, and math) and visual-motor abilities. A behavioral screening may also be included.
Additionally, a neuropsychological or psychoeducational assessment may be required as part of an initial school assessment to determine eligibility for special education services, as part of a student’s IEP triennial evaluation, or to determine what general academic or behavioral supports may be needed in a school setting.
Psychological testing can also be used to better understand an individual’s social and emotional development. This can be informative for diagnostic clarity as well as to better understand someone’s overall functioning, whether that is in school or for adults, in the workplace. It can also help to clarify treatment goals for behavioral health treatment. Often, social and personality assessments will be included as part of other neuropsychological testing, but can also be administered on their own when appropriate.
In some cases, this type of testing can be helpful in court-ordered and court-involved circumstances. This type of forensic testing has unique considerations and our team at The Ross Center has experts who can provide this service but it is important to understand when this may be the primary focus of the assessment to ensure that our team is adequately prepared to meet the needs of all parties.
When children exhibit a delay or difference in development that causes concern for parents or caregivers, it may be helpful to conduct a Developmental or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluation. Evaluations can be conducted for children as young as 12 months of age, to identify delays in milestones in the following areas:
- motor skills
- social communication skills
- cognitive skills
- adaptive skills
- social-emotional development
Children can also be referred for evaluations due to behavioral problems such as tantrums or difficulties with self-regulation. Early assessment can result in therapeutic interventions that can greatly improve a child’s progress and potential. A comprehensive report will include actionable recommendations for parents.
We utilize the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, considered the gold standard tool to diagnose autism spectrum disorder. The provider, specially trained in the ADOS, will engage your child in play-based tasks and questions to build a profile of areas of strength and areas for growth. This will allow the provider to create recommendations for goals that can be used by parents and caregivers, schools, and other specialists, such as speech and language therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.
We try to make the experience as easy as possible for families, with age appropriate observation and in-person sessions to make your child comfortable. The assessment also includes parent interviews, questionnaires, and reviews of medical and developmental history (including available records from previous evaluations, other specialists, or school reports). We may also recommend a combination of neuropsychological tests to understand what’s going on for your child and how you can best support the child’s development.
Trusted for over 30 Years
Clinicians who provide Testing and Assessment Services
