Concerns and Questions
COVID-19 precautions:
In efforts to maintain the health and safety of everyone involved, most services take place via video or telephone. When in-person interaction is necessary (e.g. testing), it can take place in our offices, an outdoor setting, or the child’s school. Safety practices will be maintained during testing and will be discussed in more detail at the time of scheduling. All testing equipment will be thoroughly sanitized before and after the testing session.
Privacy and Confidentiality
The information you provide, education records, test scores, data, reports, etc. are confidential. Reports containing results and recommendations are provided ONLY to the client or parent and not shared with any other person or entity. There are very few exceptions to this high level of confidentiality including cases of child abuse, dependent adult abuse, and court orders.
Consultation:
Some clients would rather discuss their concerns first, as they may not be sure of what services are needed. In these instances, we can schedule a consultation session to discuss your concerns and review your options. This consultation session will be billed at the provider’s hourly rate. If you then decide to schedule an evaluation or follow up within the next three months, the amount you paid for the consultation will be deducted from the evaluation fee.
How do I prepare my child for an evaluation?
Letting your child know about the upcoming evaluation can help reduce anxiety and encourage full participation. If possible, wait until 1-2 days before the evaluation to inform your child about it. This helps reduce the amount of time they spend thinking about it. When discussing the evaluation avoid the words “evaluation” or “testing” as these tend to provoke anxiety. Instead, explain to the child that he or she will be asked to complete different tasks and answer different questions in order to help us figure out which way they learn best. Everyone learns in different ways and it important for parents and teachers to know which way works best. Psychoeducational evaluations are not something you study for. They are not something to fear and there is no “pass or fail.” The information obtained from a psychological evaluation helps determine the best way to help your child succeed. Some people may be tempted to look up psychological tests, practice for them, and prepare their children to respond in specific ways. We strongly discourage this, as it usually backfires! When kids try to respond to questions in a certain way (rehearsed, memorized, etc.) the answers tend to be inconsistent. At best this leads to inaccurate results that are not useful. At worst, this leads to the child appearing to have significantly more difficulties and deficits than they actually do.
Where and how are the psychoeducational evaluations completed?
The parent interview and feedback sessions can be completed via telephone/video; however, the testing session with the child must be completed in person. This is typically completed at the child’s school (with parent and teacher permission to remove the child from class for approximately 2 hours). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help maintain the health and safety of everyone involved, the in-person testing can be completed in an outdoor setting (such as a nearby park) at the parent’s request.
How long will a typical psychoeducational evaluation take?
The evaluation process includes parent interviews (approx. 1-2 hours), child testing (approx. 2-3 hours), and feedback session (approx. 1 hour). Each part of the process typically takes place on a different day. The total amount of time is usually about 6 hours. About the same amount of time, if not more, is needed to score the tests, interpret the results, and write the report. You can expect the report 1-2 weeks after testing is completed (this may vary during times of high demand). The feedback session will take place at this time and the parent will receive a copy of the written report.
Why is the cost so much lower than a typical psychological evaluation?
We are able to offer these lower prices temporarily due to a grant directed at fulfilling the psychoeducational testing needs of students in the area. Additionally, the evaluations we are providing at this time are more focused and briefer than traditional psychological evaluations. Not every concern requires a full evaluation, for example questions related to academic achievement and areas of strength and weakness, can be addressed by a focused psychoeducational evaluation.
What if my child needs a more comprehensive evaluation?
There are times when a comprehensive evaluation may be more appropriate, particularly when disorders or disabilities are suspected. These evaluations typically include a full battery of tests and require 6-8 hours of testing (compared to the 2-3 hours of testing required for the brief evaluations). The cost for a comprehensive evaluation is usually $3000-$5000. Please note that we are not offering comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations at this time; however, we can provide you with a referral at your request.
Do you take health insurance?
At this time, we do not take health insurance. There are several reasons for this, primarily maintaining your privacy and ensuring you get the services you need, rather than what is requested by the insurance company. Please see below for clarification.
Privacy: All information and reports are kept private and confidential. When insurance companies are involved, they have access to your information. Many people prefer to keep sensitive matters, such as therapy and evaluations, private.
Diagnosis: Insurance companies require a diagnosis as part of the billing process. In many cases, this “forces” the provider to supply a diagnosis when there may not be one. This makes most services available through health insurances too restrictive and incompatible with people’s real needs.
Practice: This is a part time practice and not currently listed as an in-network provider on any insurance plans. We are not able to bill your insurance company. You are solely responsible for settling your bill prior to the time of service. We can provide you with a payment plan, should you require one; however, the bill must be paid in full prior to you receiving the services or the evaluation report, if applicable. If you would like to seek reimbursement from your insurance company afterward (out-of-network rates), please obtain the required forms from them and we will help you complete them. Please be aware that many health insurance policies do not cover psychoeducational evaluations, but they may in some cases. If you prefer to use health insurance, we can provide you with a referral.
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