Psychological Evaluations and Testing
IQ Testing/Gifted and Talented Evaluation
If you are a parent looking for a psychologist to test your child because you believe they are gifted or you are an adult that has always wondered about your intellectual abilities you may be considering IQ testing.
The process for this type of assessment entails approximately 75-90 minutes of IQ testing and completion of a half-hour background interview. The results are available to you within the next day or two. We either meet in person or virtually to review the findings in greater detail.
In the next step a written report is generated and sent to you within 2-3 weeks. The scores obtained and report generated can be used to determine eligibility for a special program for gifted children or adults. The total cost for an IQ or Gifted and Talented test is $700.
ADHD/ADD Evaluation
There are a number of reasons that you might be considering an ADHD or ADD evaluation. If you or your child is having notable difficulties succeeding in school, independently completing daily routines, keeping still or maintaining attention when it is expected it might be a good time to complete an assessment. Or maybe your child is struggling with making age-appropriate friendships or engaging fully in their relationships. These are some of the reasons you may choose to look into whether there may be the presence of ADHD or ADD.
This type of evaluation is intentionally comprehensive due to the complexity of this disorder. The test includes an IQ test, as well as measures of attention, hyperactivity, academic performance, mood, adaptive behavior, executive functioning skills, and visual-motor functioning.
It takes approximately 3-5 hours of direct assessment. It is never done in one sitting, instead it is typically broken into smaller time blocks and across different days to make the test process more comfortable. A detailed background interview will be conducted, along with behavioral observations. Questionnaires will also be administered to the individual (if he or she is old enough to understand and complete them independently), as well as to family members and school personnel.
After all the information is gathered, we will meet in person or virtually to discuss the findings, diagnoses (if any), and recommendations for next steps. A detailed written report is sent out within 3-4 weeks and can be used as part of the process of getting or adding to accommodations at public school, at college, and/or the workplace. The total cost for an ADHD/ADD Evaluation is $2,000.
Learning Disability Testing
When someone, despite their best efforts, is unable to reach their true potential in school, it can have a devastating effect on their self-esteem, self-confidence, emotions, and prospects for the future.
To help figure out the underlying cause, measures are used to assess an individual’s academic potential, including IQ testing. Part of this assessment also includes an evaluation of academic skills possessed in areas such as reading accuracy, phonetics, reading comprehension, mathematical concepts, mathematical problem-solving, spelling, writing, information recall, listening comprehension, and performance under time constraints.
By breaking down and exploring all the abilities needed to thrive in an academic setting, we can gather information to help you or your child experience more success in school
Testing for a Learning Disability takes place over the span of 3-4 hours, with the assessment phase typically broken up across minimally 2 separate days. A detailed background interview is conducted as well. A week after the evaluations are completed, we discuss the results, diagnoses (if any), and recommendations. A detailed written report is sent out within 3-4 weeks, which can be used as part of the process of getting public school or college-based services, accommodations, or modifications. The total cost for Learning Disability Testing is $1,200.
Testing Accommodations
So much importance these days is placed on standardized testing, including the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, and MCAT. Most people don’t know that the process of getting necessary testing accommodations, such as extended time and a quiet location to complete an exam, starts well in advance of the actual test day. Many are also surprised to learn that making the request for special accommodations does not guarantee that someone will get them, even if it is listed on a current IEP or 504 plan.
To help yourself or your child receive what is needed to even the playing field on these types of high-stakes exams, updated testing and written documentation to justify what is being requested may be required as part of the application process. This can include assessment to confirm the current presence of a diagnosis that had been made in the past. The total amount of time needed to complete this type of evaluation can vary depending on which testing accommodations are being requested.
Once testing is completed, approximately a week later, the results are shared virtually or in person. A detailed written report will be available for submission to the testing agency within 3-4 weeks. The cost of an assessment for Testing Accommodations can vary, depending upon the types of measures that were administered to establish need.
Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
As part of federal Special Education law, parents who do not agree with their school district’s psychological or psychoeducational evaluation of their child have the right to pursue an Independent Educational Evaluation. These are completed by an impartial evaluator who is not employed by the school system. You can choose any qualified professional to perform this assessment. Note that the school district does need to be informed of who it is and his or her credentials.
Often, an Independent Educational Evaluation will occur at no cost to you, as the school will pay for the new assessment. However this is not always the case as it depends on what happens during the course of Due Process. Parents can also choose to have an independent evaluation conducted and pay for it themselves, which provides them the option of not having to share the results with the school district.
The amount of direct testing to be completed and the cost varies based on the original evaluation conducted by the school. Once the new testing is completed, the results, conclusions, and recommendations will be discussed with you in detail. A written report is sent out soon after.
OPWDD Eligibility
As part of the process of determining eligibility for supports and services through New York State’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), updated psychological testing can be provided.
Occasionally, supplemental testing is requested by OPWDD for someone previously diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. This type of specialty report, which includes diagnostic support documentation, can be done with rates that are dependent on the assessment measures OPWDD wants completed.
All reports are generally sent out within 2-4 weeks.