Photo by Adam Winger on UnsplashAssessment is the process of collecting information from multiple sources, including testing, self-report measures, collateral contacts, reviewing past records, and clinical interviews, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the individual.
The purpose of assessment can include:
- Diagnostic clarification
- Assess any particular area of functioning or disability
- Inform treatment interventions
- Provide a comprehensive narrative
- Medication management
- Make recommendations
- Identify strengths and weaknesses
- Validation
An assessment may be helpful when:
- There is a known or suspected neurological disorder (e.g., ADHD or autism) or learning disorder
- Social and emotional difficulties occur in more than one environment and/or interfere with school
- Executive functioning and/or memory difficulties interfere with daily life
- There is minimal progress toward educational goals
- Feeling “stuck” and not seeing improvement in treatment of executive functioning
- Therapeutic intervention
- Previous psychosocial interventions have been unsuccessful
- Cognitive difficulties
- Unexpected decline in academic or cognitive functioning
- Obtaining a baseline to monitor progress during medical interventions
Learning Solutions provides testing and evaluation services to assess psychological, neuropsychological, academic, learning, occupational therapy, and speech/language concerns.
Types of Assessment
Psychological assessments provide diagnostic clarification and inform treatment interventions around key aspects of development and functioning, thoughts, emotions, mood, behavior, memory, interpersonal relationships, social skills, socio-cultural influences, physical maturation, and health.
Neuropsychological assessments determine in greater detail things such as memory, attention, information processing, sensory perception, language, fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills, social perception/cognition, and other neurocognitive processes and provide recommendations for remediating any identified deficits.
Psychoeducational/Educational assessments identify strengths and vulnerabilities around core academic areas, including reading, writing and math in order to develop remediation strategies that can be implemented within the academic setting.
Speech & language assessments determine the presence of speech, language, and/or social impairments and provide recommendations for treatment or strategies that can be implemented within academic, employment, or home settings.
Occupational therapy assessments assess the functional, sensory, and cognitive challenges common to several disorders such as autism, ADHD, and dysgraphia that can impact learning, development, and everyday activities. Recommendations for treatment or strategies that can be implemented within academic, employment, or home settings are given.
Amherst College partnership: We have partnered with Amherst College to provide evaluations for their students. Please click here for more information.
Hampshire & Franklin Counties REACH collaboration: We have partnered with Hampshire & Franklin Counties REACH to offer autism evaluations for their clients under 3 years old. Please click here for more information.
Clinical diagnostic assessment: This assessment involves a comprehensive consultation and clinical interview, review of records, diagnostic impressions, and specifically tailored recommendations. This is appropriate for questions regarding emotional difficulties, adult autism questions where traditional testing may not be appropriate, trauma-related concerns and questions, and anxiety or mood-based difficulties. You can discuss this option during your consultation appointment.
Executive functioning assessments provide an in-depth and highly individualized look at critical cognitive processes such as decision-making, problem-solving, time management, and organizational skills. Executive functioning encompasses mental skills like working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control, essential for managing daily tasks and achieving goals. Our comprehensive Executive Functioning Assessment goes beyond executive functioning measures used for diagnostic purposes. It is designed to provide valuable insights into an individual’s strengths and areas for improvement as well as coaching to help implement recommendations and make impactful change.
Therapeutic assessments are geared towards self-discovery and typically utilized to inform therapeutic treatment. These evaluations are tailored for each individual and take place over several sessions. These evaluations are not considered medically necessary and are not typically covered by insurance. More can be learned about these evaluations here.
We specialize in comprehensive evaluations to evaluate the whole person to obtain a complete and integrated understanding of the individual in their environment. We place a primary focus on identifying the individual’s unique strengths, competencies, and potentialities. Recommendations are crafted to create a path that closes the gap between strengths and areas of vulnerability.