Psychological Evaluation
Ages 5.5 to 45
Intake, 1 to 2 testing sessions, Feedback, and Report with diagnosis and recommendations
Psychological evaluations allow you, through the help of a psychologist, to understand a person’s strengths, aptitudes, and areas of struggle. This assessment answers a question and is best used for straightforward cases, often where a doctor or counselor has suggested getting tested for one or two possible diagnoses. Sometimes, teachers or parents start to see where a child is having to work much harder than their peers and want to understand why and help give them the tools needed. For example, is there a mental health diagnosis for these specific behavioral concerns, or are my symptoms related to ADHD or another concern?
Who Should Receive Psychological Assessment?
The Oceanside Evaluations team offers Psychological assessments for people ages 5.5 to 45. These evaluations are helpful for individuals who struggle at home, school, work, or socially, and there is some direction for the need to do an evaluation. Psychological assessment helps people understand their areas of strength and vulnerabilities while providing valuable information and recommendations for those caring for this individual. This form of assessment is recommended to find an answer to specific referral questions from relatives, physicians, therapists, educators, or other providers if not related to autism or a learning disability.
What Happens During a Psychological Evaluation?
A psychological evaluation is broken up into four parts:
Intake – this initial session allows us to get to know you better. Usually, if the client is a child, only the parent(s) attend intake. We’ll answer questions, ask questions, review the health and psychological history, and likely start to fill out rating scales. We may also ask you to have people who know the client well fill out rating scales to give us an additional perspective.
Testing sessions – one to two sessions will take place where an individualized testing battery is administered to gain an understanding of the person’s skills and abilities as well as a deeper understanding of areas where they are struggling. A Psychological Evaluation includes an assessment to explore one or two vulnerabilities, such as possibly:
Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
OCD
Trauma
Bipolar
Feedback – during this session, your psychologist reviews the results of evaluations, asks any follow-up questions to get the information they need before writing their report, answers any questions you have, and discusses possible support resources. We consider the feedback session part of the evaluation process. Usually, children do not attend the feedback session.
Report – after your assessment is completed, a thorough report of findings will be provided for your information. This will arrive as a PDF around 15 business days after the feedback session through the messaging portal. You can download and share the report as you see fit. It can be used as documentation for your therapist, physician, school, and others who offer support and resources.
How Do I Get Started?
Whatever reason you have for considering psychological assessment, the Oceanside Evaluations team looks forward to hearing from you. Getting started with one of our knowledgeable psychologists is quick and easy. You can email our office at office@oceansideevals.com or call 757-771-0269. Our team looks forward to speaking with you soon.
