This post will discuss what may happen once you decide to
contact a private practice clinical psychologist to conduct your child’s assessment.
I will also share with you some final thoughts on this topic.
Contacting a Psychologist:
As stated above, a licensed clinical psychologist can offer
your child comprehensive educational and psychological testing in one
setting. When researching psychologists,
I would advise you to conduct a brief phone interview prior to scheduling an
appointment. Relevant information to
assist in your decision making would include areas of expertise, availability,
who conducts the actual testing, interpretation, and report writing,
approximate number of face-to-face hours required, and turn around time. Ultimately, note your level of comfort during
the call. Does this person seem like
they could be a “good fit” for your child?
The next step is generally a consultation, also known as an
intake. There is no hard and fast rule
regarding this step. The purpose is to gather all relevant history. In my practice I prefer to have the parents
alone during this session so that they feel free to openly discuss any
sensitive issues that may be relevant to the testing but not appropriate for
their child to hear. I ask parents to
bring with them report cards, any previous testing, and samples of their
child’s artwork and completed spelling and math assignments. This session serves as a framework for test
selection, duration of sessions and approximate costs. Some psychologists would prefer that the
child is present at this point. You
should decide which option feels most comfortable to you.
The pace of the testing sessions is based upon the child’s
ability, stamina, and focus.The goal of testing is to explore your child’s strengths as
well as weaknesses; therefore sensitivity to their threshold of fatigue is
essential. Often testing is conducted over several sessions. In my practice, I personally administer all
the tests, interpret the results and write the report. If a psychologist employs graduate level
interns, they may conduct the assessment under the psychologist’s supervision.
A basic comprehensive assessment will include tests of
cognitive functioning, academic as well as neurological and psychological screening.
Based upon initial screenings, more extensive neurological and psychological
assessment may be included. Once testing
is completed, a comprehensive written report is provided to the parent that
includes all test results, interpretations of those results, any relevant
diagnoses, and relevant treatment recommendations. At the parent’s discretion, these results may
be shared with their child’s pediatrician, the school, and/or their child’s
therapist.
Cost:
An assessment is an investment for your child’s future
academic and personal success. Each assessment is designed to uncover probable
explanations for your specific concerns.
They may be cognitive in nature such as how information is learned and
retained, or possibly achievement – at what grade level is your child
performing? Perhaps psychological issues
like the impact of family stressors are impacting focus and attention. Frequently it is a combination of factors that
require evaluation. Therefore, the cost
may range from $500 to $4000 depending on the complexity of the
assessment. Costs are generally
determined by the amount of time the assessor spends reviewing relevant
documents, administrating, scoring and interpreting the tests, as well as
treatment recommendations and report writing.
Conclusion:
Ultimately the decision to label your child as lazy is yours
to make. Whether underachievement is due
to psychological issues and exhibited as oppositional behaviors, or masking an
underlying learning deficit or even giftedness on which side would you prefer
to error? I continue to assert that
laziness is a manifestation of resignation.
As a parent I would want to know from where it originates.
As you know I am a licensed clinical and consulting
psychologist. One of my areas of specialty is assessment. I am passionate about every step in the
process. If you would like to schedule a
consultation on behalf of yourself or your child, feel free to contact me through
my blog. It is completely confidential.
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