EVALUATION INFORMATION BY TYPE OF REQUEST
Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (Atypical Autism): Autism is part of a spectrum of disorders characterized by significant difficulties in social, behavioral and communication skills. These impairments reveal themselves early on in development and often include problems with eye contact, limited facial expressions, a lack of pretend play and insistence on sameness/routine and resistance to change or transition. Children may demonstrate stereotyped motor behaviors (rocking, hand flapping) and/or they may also have a particular interest (restricted) that dominates their play behavior and conversation. Often times, there is delayed or deviant language development and marked difficulty using language for social purposes. Evaluations for Autism/PDD-NOS evaluate these different areas of functioning as well as cognitive skills, adaptive functioning (everyday independence) and academic performance, when relevant. Given the significance of problematic language development in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and the high frequency of sensory processing difficulties in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, children referred for these evaluations are also often referred for concurrent speech/language and occupational therapy evaluations.
Learning Disabilities: Learning disability evaluations are appropriate for children who are experiencing a lack of success in school or problems in a particular area of academic achievement (reading, writing and/or mathematics).
A reading learning disability, or dyslexia, is the most common type of learning disability. Many children with dyslexia have trouble with the basic sounds of speech (phonemes). They often have difficulty connecting the speech sound to the letter symbol. Difficulties with phonological processing make it difficult for children recognize, pronounce, spell and write words. As a result, these children often have trouble reading storybooks, literature or textbooks in school. Because they consequently read less material, the growth of their background knowledge and vocabulary becomes limited.
Early detection of dyslexia is imperative for effective remediation. Warning signs in preschool include a history of delayed acquisition of language, difficulty pronouncing and rhyming words. In kindergarten and first grade, warning signs include difficulty mastering sound/symbol associations, difficulty identifying the separate speech sounds within a word and difficulty sounding out simple words. In elementary school (2nd grade and up) and middle school, warning signs include poor fluency, continued difficulty with decoding skills, letter reversals, difficulty reading or pronouncing unfamiliar words and trouble finding the right words to express a concept or name an object.
Evaluations for learning difficulties typically include an assessment of cognitive ability, academic achievement, visual motor integration, and visual perceptual skills, if necessary. In addition, behavior rating scales are administered to rule out any behavior and /or emotional difficulties that may better account for or contribute to the learning difficulties observed at school.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD): Although every child is restless and inattentive on occasion, these qualities are more pervasive and problematic in children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). In order for a child to be diagnosed with AD/HD these behaviors must be present to an extent above and beyond what is considered developmentally appropriate and thes behaviors need to cause significant difficulty in multiple environments e.g., home, school or with friends. Children diagnosed with AD/HD have problems in at least one of the following three symptoms areas:
- Inattention, which includes difficulty sustaining attention, listening, following through on directions, and attending to detail
- Impulsivity, which includes blurting out answers, interrupting or intruding on conversations, difficulty waiting turn in school or in play, and a tendency for getting in trouble for acting without thinking
- Hyperactivity, which includes being in constant motion, fidgeting or squirming, talking excessively, constant running and/or climbing
Accordingly, there are three subtypes of AD/HD: Predominantly Inattentive Type, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type and Combined Type.
Because children with AD/HD are at high risk for other problems (e.g., learning difficulties, anxiety and depression) academic achievement testing and emotional screening instruments are often administered in addition to an assessment of current cognitive functioning and behavior rating scales.
Emotional/Behavioral Assessment: Emotional and/or behavioral difficulties can significantly impact a child’s functioning and often times necessitate professional intervention to help the child and family improve overall functioning. There are a myriad of behavioral and emotional difficulties that have the potential to impact functioning. Please phone for an estimated cost of assessment.
Other:
Gifted Evaluations: Evaluations for recommendations for gifted programming begin with a parent interview and include assessment of cognitive functioning, academic achievement screeners, parent input, teacher input, and a review of records.
SAT Accommodations/College Accommodations: In order to take the College Board tests (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) with accommodations for a diagnosed learning disability or other psychological condition, the College Board requires a thorough and recent evaluation documenting the presence of a psychological condition that impairs learning and necessitates accommodations. These evaluations typically include comprehensive intellectual evaluation, achievement testing and sometimes include behavioral/emotional evaluation. Typically, these evaluations need to be completed well in advance of the desired testing date to ensure adequate time for the College Board to review the application and render a decision. It is important to plan accordingly.
Similarly, academic advising departments at colleges and universities also require a thorough and recent evaluation documenting the presence of a condition that impedes learning and requires accommodation in order to provide related adaptations of college coursework and evaluation. It is often helpful to review the eligibility procedures of the specific college, prior to scheduling an appointment so that you are familiar with their requirements.
