Psychodiagnostic Testing

 

Why Pursue Testing?

Psychodiagnostic testing can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

  • Documentation of the need for academic accommodations at school for an IEP or 504 plan.

  • Diagnosing ADHD, learning disabilities, giftedness, and understanding learning styles so as to assist in the most efficacious educational approach for each individual.

  • Personality and projective testing to better understand underlying emotional issues that may be affecting daily functioning.

  • Clarifying diagnosis

The Process

Initial Intake Session: After your initial request for an evaluation, the first step is to meet for an intake session. This usually lasts 60-90 minutes and involves a thorough discussion of the testing candidate’s developmental history, academic record, any pertinent medical records, current functioning, and any specific questions or areas of concern. This is an opportunity to establish goals for what you want to learn from the testing measures as well as the purpose of the final testing report. *** While it is not possible to guarantee a certain diagnosis from testing, if the data supports a diagnosis, it will be included and explained in the final testing report. Similarly, accommodations in school cannot be guaranteed by a testing report. However, if they are indicated based on the diagnosis that results from testing, then they will be outlined in language that best supports appropriate and clear actionable recommendations. ***

Administration of Tests: Tests will be administered over the course of 3 to 4 sessions, each lasting up to 4 hours, depending on the person’s ability to tolerate prolonged engagement in the process. Occasional brief breaks are encouraged as needed. There are a core set of tests used in comprehensive evaluations. Based on the testing candidate’s performance on each of them, as well as specific presenting questions, other more specific tests can be incorporated into the testing process to supplement and more fully support diagnostic impression.

Scoring, Interpreting, & Writing The Report: After all of the testing sessions have been completed, I will score, interpret, and formulate a report of all of the data in clear language that includes scores, statistics, and simple explanations of their meanings. This process is time-intensive and can take on average 4-6 weeks from the time of the last session. If there are pre-scheduled meetings for which the test is desired in its completed form, please communicate this as early as possible so I can try to accommodate any requests.

Feedback Session: We will meet for a final feedback session, during which I will provide a completed, comprehensive testing evaluation that can be submitted for official purposes if needed. During the session, I will have a summary of the data that includes areas of strength, weakness, and an explanation of any qualitative observations I have made, including: examples of specific approach to learning or personalized methods of processing information; underlying emotional experiences that may be affecting current functioning; generalized approach to organizing information and perceiving the world; any apparent interpersonal themes that emerged; if indicated, a DSM-V diagnosis; and all pertinent recommendations supported by the testing data. This is an opportunity for an in-depth discussion in which you can ask clarifying questions and learn more about the testing candidate’s specific needs.