What to Expect from an Evaluation:

Diagnostic evaluations take place over several visits and often include an interview with a parent/ caregiver or other close family member or support person, questionnaires, direct testing session(s), information from other sources as relevant (e.g., teachers), and a feedback session to discuss results and recommendations. You will also receive a written report summarizing test results and recommendations.

For child testing visits, parents may prepare for testing sessions by encouraging the child to get a good night’s sleep during the previous night, eating a balanced meal before testing, and taking any prescribed medications on the testing day.  You are welcome to bring snacks or drinks to have during breaks during the testing session, as well as a comfort item (e.g., stuffed animal) or another item of interest that your child would like to share with the examiner.

A Note on Testing Terminology and “Neuropsych" Testing

Many families contact us asking about neuropsychological, or “neuropsych,” testing. In everyday conversation, this term is often used broadly to describe comprehensive evaluations of learning, attention, social development, and emotional functioning.

Technically, the title neuropsychologist refers to clinical psychologists who have completed a specific postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology. Because of this, you may see different terms used for similar types of comprehensive assessments, including psychological assessment, psychoeducational evaluation, neurodevelopmental evaluation, diagnostic evaluation, or learning evaluation.

At CAPSS, our clinical psychologists provide comprehensive evaluations designed to answer questions about an individual’s development, learning, attention, and emotional functioning. All of our psychologists have completed postdoctoral fellowships in child clinical psychology and have extensive training and experience in psychological assessment and diagnosis.

Our team specializes in autism, ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, and related developmental concerns. We focus on understanding how people think, learn, and develop, with careful attention to cognitive, academic, and social emotional functioning.

Our evaluations are designed to answer the practical questions families care most about: understanding a child’s strengths and challenges, clarifying diagnoses when appropriate, and providing clear, actionable recommendations for home and school (or work). In other words, if you are looking for a thorough, individualized evaluation to better understand how you or your child learns, thinks, and feels, and what steps may be helpful next, you’re in the right place.

Request Testing at CAPSS:

If you are interested in testing or diagnostic assessment for yourself or your child, please complete the New Client Inquiry Form.

In addition to diagnostic evaluations, we also offer IQ testing (e.g., private school applications, DDA eligibility, etc), which can be self-scheduled on our IQ Testing page.