What to Expect

The purpose of an evaluation is to determine why a student is experiencing cognitive, social/emotional and/or behavioral challenges in a school or work setting. After identifying the areas of need, a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 diagnosis will be provided, if criteria is met. While my evaluations are tailored to the student’s specific needs, the following provides a general outline of what I offer:

Intake/Developmental History: I offer a free 20 minute intake over the phone to hear more about areas of concern and to ensure that we are a good fit. I will then gather background information on the student’s developmental and educational history and provide parents or adult students with an intake form and rating scales, as appropriate. I will interview family, teachers, and any outside medical or educational providers involved.

Observation: I will observe students at school to gather a better picture on how they interact within the educational setting, both academically and socially.

In-Person Testing: Standardized, one on one testing sessions, are scheduled over two to three dates for up to three hours each session. Tests are chosen specifically based on areas of concern presented in the referral or as they arise during testing sessions. I will assess areas such as cognitive ability, problem solving, visual processing, auditory processing, fine motor coordination, memory, planning and organization, emotional processing, reading, writing and math.

Written Report and Meeting: A written report that will include an interpretation of results, an analysis of the student’s learning profile and my recommendations will be provided to the family approximately two to three weeks after the final testing session. A diagnosis will be provided if criteria is met. An hour long meeting will be scheduled in person or virtually to review the report and recommendations with parents and adolescents/young adults. For younger children, we will talk about how they learn information best and what may be more difficult for them during the last testing session.

Follow-Up: I provide a 30 minute consultation meeting for free to schools to review evaluation results and ways the school can support a student’s need. I will also follow-up with you on the student approximately six weeks after our meeting to answer any questions that may arise after reviewing results, and to make sure the recommendations are effective.

My goal is to help you understand the educational system and the options available in supporting your child. I take a collaborative approach when working with parents and school teams because when everyone is working together, it provides maximal support for the learner. I can usually answer your questions and provide consultative support in one to two consultation session.

School consultation services are aimed to support groups or individuals within school systems in carrying out evidence based practices in meeting the needs of students. I work with general education and special education teachers, support staff and administrators to provide training tailored to the specific challenges being faced. I also meet with individuals within the school system, such a teachers and school psychologist, to provide consultation directly.

Intervention services are aimed at developing and improving strategies to enable students to feel confident in their learning process. Here is what to expect:

Intake: I will complete a free twenty minute intake over the phone to gather more information about the referral concern and ensure that we are a good fit for one another. We will then determine how many sessions the services will include. I offer 4, 6 and 8-week packages for intervention services.

Goals: The sessions are goal oriented and I will work with the student and parent to develop a goal(s) that we are looking to accomplish within those sessions.

I can support students in the follow areas: Planning, Time-Management, Initiation of Tasks, Attention, Emotion-Regulation, Anxiety, and Depression.