Evaluations – Child Development Associates

Neuropsychological Evaluations

David Fischer — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:02:49 +0000

A neuropsychological evaluation involves a comprehensive testing process to identify the reasons a child or adolescent may be struggling in school or in other areas of their lives. It includes an intake session with parents, individual testing sessions, a feedback session, and the completion of a comprehensive written report. This testing provides an in-depth look at an individual’s cognitive processes necessary for learning—including attention and executive functions, their capacity to learn, their current academic functioning, as well as their social and emotional functioning. Using the results, evaluators help clients and their families understand areas of strengths and weaknesses; and, when appropriate, specific diagnoses as well as recommendations for accommodations and interventions are generated.

At CDA, we work with parents and educators to determine how we can use these findings to improve children’s academic performance, both at school and at home. We also help children understand the way they learn best and process information, and develop strategies they can employ to become more efficient in their studies. The ultimate goal is to help children and adolescents to feel more in control of their academic lives and more capable of mastering increasingly complex tasks.

Attention and Executive Function Assessment

David Fischer — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:03:58 +0000

In the later elementary and middle school years, many children who had previously been performing at or above grade level begin to experience struggles in focusing on and completing their work. Some continue to have strong academic skills, and do not display any weaknesses in reading, writing or mathematics. Teachers and parents may, however, begin to notice that they struggle to sustain their attention on their work in and out of the classroom, and to handle the increasing organizational demands of project-based learning and long-term written assignments.

CDA offers a brief assessment that targets areas of attention, executive functioning and organizational skills with a psychologist to determine if there are areas that are hampering a student’s performance. It includes a structured interview with the child and their parents, a review of any ongoing emotional and academic concerns, and a session of paper-and-pencil and computerized assessment. Based on the results of this testing, the evaluating psychologist determines if a child has a primary attention disorder, or if their struggle to focus is based more on emotional concerns or situational factors. When appropriate, we offer referrals for intervention and/or remediation in and out of school, and ongoing family support.

Early Childhood Assessment

David Fischer — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:06:25 +0000

Parents with young children are often concerned about the pace of their development. Sometimes there are questions about a child’s early academic abilities, or about their social interactions and communication skills. Parents may also have questions about their children’s behavior, activity level, attention or emotional responsiveness. Many families have ongoing support and guidance from their preschool teachers and pediatricians, who sometimes recommend an additional evaluation to determine if there are any areas of concern that might require more specific interventions or additional services.

At CDA we offer a holistic approach to early childhood assessment. Typically, we begin with a structured interview with parents that includes a detailed developmental history to determine if the current concern had been present over time or is more recent and situational. We explore patterns of behavior and emotional reactions, speech, language and motor functioning, educational history, family and peer relationships, and any recent or past family stressors or trauma. We then schedule two to three visits with the child that includes a mix of structured interview and play situations, and when indicated, brief cognitive or pre-academic testing. After that comes a feedback session with parents to offer recommendation for home and school, and possible additional services. We also discuss whether ongoing parenting or parent-child sessions would be helpful to the family.

Adult Evaluations

David Fischer — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 10:07:12 +0000

Young adults can sometimes struggle with the increased demands associated with the transition to adulthood. For some, juggling the more complex assignments in college with less structure and more daily living responsibilities can be overwhelming, leading them to want to learn more about what is impeding their progress. Other adults, including many who are already well established in their professional lives, may notice that their performance is impacted by gaps in their level of attention, focus on detail, or their organizational skills. Some people may have solid executive function and academic abilities, but their work output, task completion, and, at times, their relationships are affected by their struggles with anxiety, fluctuations in their mood, anger management or self-regulation.

A psychological evaluation with adults may entail comprehensive neuropsychological testing, a more targeted assessment of attention, or combination of projective testing and structured interviews to determine if there are any psychological or emotional processes that require additional intervention. In each of these models, the clients receive ongoing feedback and recommendations for next steps, and practical suggestions for how best to intervene to improve the adult’s functioning in school or at work, and in their home lives. Follow-up services may include ongoing psychotherapy, educational remediation or a consult for medication with a psychiatrist. CDA has working relationships with a large number of providers in the area, and the evaluating psychologist can continue to monitor progress, and provide advice, support or ongoing treatment.