The process of an evaluation typically involves these steps:
1. Fill out the necessary intake paperwork.
The first step is to fill out the necessary intake paperwork, located on the ‘Intake Forms and Questionnaires‘ tab. When all of this paperwork is completed in full (and pictures of insurance cards were submitted), our intake coordinator will reach out to you directly by phone or email, to schedule your first appointment, the Intake Assessment. If you do not hear from our intake coordinator, it is probably because one or more of these necessary forms is missing; please contact our office by phone or email to find out what is still needed.
1.a. For referring providers:
For those with MassHealth insurance, a referral letter from a primary care physician or mental health provider is required. Referring providers can use the ‘Important Documents Upload’ tab to the right, to submit their referral letter(s). A referral letter template, and more information, can be found by downloading this PDF attachment.
Our receptionist can give you more details about this process, and answer questions when you call us at (413) 584-0265 or email at learningsolutions@learningsolutionsls.com. Please note that receptionist availability is from 8-3pm on weekdays.
2. Intake Assessment Appointment
During this first appointment, the clinician will strive to listen and understand your concerns, and learn what your hopes are for a good outcome of an evaluation. The clinician will also gather past and current information about key aspects of functioning and development. This information, together with your goals for an evaluation, helps the clinician determine if, and which, evaluations are appropriate to recommend. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions about the process as well as the clinician’s initial diagnostic impressions. If your intake clinician and you decide to move forward with an evaluation one of our office staff will call you to schedule an appointment, discuss payment and insurance questions and, if appropriate, create an Agreement of Services contract.
Prior to the intake appointment, it is important to complete these two tasks:
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- Please have the client’s vision and hearing screened if any problems are suspected. Most individuals have this done as part of a regular physical,
and a separate appointment is not needed. - Click the link below and complete the documents on our Forms page:
- Please have the client’s vision and hearing screened if any problems are suspected. Most individuals have this done as part of a regular physical,
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Intake Forms and Client Questionnaires.
3. Evaluation Appointments
Evaluation appointments generally are scheduled in the morning in a three-hour block of time. Other than trying to get a good night’s rest and breakfast, no preparation is required. If you have been a regular prescription medication, please call our office to consult with a clinician about taking medicine on the day of your testing.
You’ll have the opportunity to take breaks during the assessment, so feel free to bring a light snack. The evaluation typically involves a number of questionnaires and rating scales, psychological tests, and more open-ended conversations with the clinician. Please arrive a few minutes early, with any updated information and a form of payment if there is a balance due. Following the last evaluation, our office staff will schedule your summary meeting. If you’d like to learn more about testing itself, click here.
Testing can be a bit mysterious, especially to children. We’ve prepared a handout to help parents prepare their children for an evaluation. Click here.
4. Summary Meeting Appointments
Summary Meetings are appointments when clients and their families hear the results and recommendations of the evaluation(s). They typically last forty-five minutes to an hour. Our team works to be inclusive and collaborative, so an important aspect of this meeting is your feedback to what you are hearing and learning. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions. Although this is generally the final meeting, we recommend, especially for children, returning every three years for an updated evaluation. Two to three weeks after this meeting the final report is sent to you.