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Assessment Services

 

Providing psycho-Educational and Educationally Related Mental health assessments (ERMHS) for school age children and youth, as well as adults, that address a wide range of learning and behavioral characteristics, including attention issues such as ADD/ADHD, Autism, Social-Emotional challenges, Dyslexia/Dysgraphia, and learning disabilities  in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Regions. These evaluations include in-depth records reviews, interviews, observations, and standardized tests. Once I complete the evaluation, I write a detailed report outlining my findings as well as recommendations for enhancing school performance. I also provide assessments for individuals seeking accommodations for standardized tests such as the SAT, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, etc., and for those individuals enrolled in a college or graduate program who are seeking accommodations, such as extended time on tests, in their educational program. 

 

Purpose of the Assessment:

 

Each assessment is designed to answer the following questions: 1) What is impeding the student/adult from being successful in an educational setting and why is this difficulty happening?  and 2) What is the educational impact of the difficulties the student is experiencing? and 3) What steps need to be taken to help the student eliminate or reduce the impact of the impediment and reach his/her full potential?

 

Assessments identify any DSM-V or Special Educational disabilities present such as:

 

  • Learning Disabilities including Reading (Dyslexia), Writing (Dysgraphia), Math (Dyscalculia), and Expressive and Receptive Language disorders

 

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

 

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

 

  • Emotional Disturbance (e.g., depression, withdrawal, anxiety, school phobia)

 

  • Intellectual Disability

 

  • Executive Functioning Skills

 

  • Processing Disorders

 

Other areas identified could include:

 

  • Gifted students 

 

  • Learning profiles in order to highlight which instructional methods are most and least effective with the child

 

  • Need for accommodations for SAT, ACT, AP and graduate school exams

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment Process

 

The Assessment may include the following:

 

  • Testing (e.g. cognitive, memory, language, psychological processing, sensory-motor, academic, social/emotional, attention, and executive functioning)

  • Clinical interviews and observations

  • Review of educational and other pertinent records

 

After a thorough assessment of the student's strengths and areas of need, a verbal explanation and written report of the assessment findings will be provided. 

 

The written report will include:

  • Background information
  • Clinical observations
  • Diagnostic test scores with analysis and educational implications
  • Identification of any DSM-IV or Special Education disabilities revealed through the assessment process
  • A list of treatment recommendations, including suggestions for educational planning and remediation strategies

Assessment services for:

  • Special education eligibility/DSM-5 diagnosis of disabilities

  • Gifted student designation for GATE and other programs

  • Accommodations for tests like SAT, GMAT, GRE, AP Exams

Contact for more information:

(510) 592-4419

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

 

HOW LONG DO ASSESSMENTS TAKE?

 

The duration of the assessment period is dependent upon the age and ability level of the client, the areas that you would like assessed, and the availability of the client.  Typically, testing is conducted over one to four sessions, ranging from 2-3 hours each session.  All clients receive an initial initial consultation, where intake information will be gathered and used to generate an appropriate assessment plan that will meet your needs.  A fee agreement will then be developed based on the assessment plan and level of testing needed. 

 

WHAT ARE THE AGES/GRADES OF THE CLIENTS YOU ASSESS?

 

Ages:3 years old to adult, provided the adult is enrolled in or wanting to enroll in an educational program or wanting accommodations for entrance exams for educational programs.  Grades-Preschool through Graduate School. 

 

HOW CAN THE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT RESULTS DOCUMENTED IN YOUR WRITTEN REPORT HELP ME OR MY CHILD?

 

Depending on what the assessment results show, psychoeducational reports are often used to:

 

  • Supply information that can be used by educational planning teams to identify necessary accommodations and services for the student; that is in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504.

 

  • Apply for accommodations on tests, such as extra time, small group testing, and use of a word processor.  These include high school tests (AP), college entrance exams (SAT, ACT, CLEP) and graduate school exams (GRE, MCAT, GMAT, LSAT, etc.).

 

  • Show evidence that the student is gifted so that he/she can apply for particular magnet schools and Gifted and Talented programs.

 

  • Serve as an independent educational evaluation (IEE) to help mediate differences between school district and parents.

 

  • Identify learning strengths and challenges, in order to utilize instructional modalities that maximize learning strengths and minimize learning challenges.

 

  • Assist service providers to develop effective remediation programs targeted to meet the needs of the student’s individual cognitive profile.   

 

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