Psychological Assessments & Testing

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 in either of these assessments.

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.

If your child is exhibiting a delay or difference in development, it may be helpful to conduct a Developmental or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluation. We understand how stressful this can be, and the work with parents to alleviate concerns and identify interventions and treatment options.

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

Often, pediatricians or child-care programs can suggest that children be evaluated due to behavioral problems such as tantrums or difficulties with self-regulation. In many cases, state programs exist to support testing in children under 3 and specialized developmental pediatric clinics are most appropriate for these types of assessments. The reliability of many forms of neuropsychological is limited in children under 5 and thus our assessment services at the Ross Center are more limited at that age. However, as early assessment can result in therapeutic interventions that can greatly improve a child’s progress and potential, our Director of Testing is available for an initial consultation to help navigate considerations for this population.

For children over 5 and above, we utilize the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), 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.

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 in school or 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, psychological 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.

If your child’s private or independent school requires an individually administered cognitive test of intellectual ability, we can help. Schedule an appointment with our testing team to ensure your child’s application can be considered for admission. We utilize the most commonly required tests, including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition, (WISC-V) and The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV).