Psychological Assessments
Offering Psychological Assessments in California
Understanding Psychological Assessments
Psychological assessments are essential tools used to clarify diagnoses, provide meaningful treatment recommendations, and connect families to supportive services. Our practice specializes in assessing neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), along with co-occurring conditions like anxiety. Our assessments focus on identifying an individual’s executive functioning strengths and areas of difficulty. We have a particular expertise in evaluating children and teens who exhibit low levels of symptoms and have learned to mask their challenges, as well as neurodiverse girls who often present differently and are frequently misunderstood.
A psychological assessment helps individuals and families better understand how someone thinks, feels, and behaves. Through various tools like structured questions, puzzles, and activities, we can identify strengths and challenges, ultimately providing valuable insights for learning and daily life.
Who We Help
We provide psychological assessments for individuals aged 2.5 years through 25 years. Our clients seek assessments for a range of concerns, including ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, OCD, Trauma, Learning Disorders, and Processing/Memory concerns. While we consider academic difficulties, our focus is on issues that occur alongside other challenges; purely academic assessments are typically best handled by schools. We also offer virtual ASD assessments for verbal children.
Our specialty lies in assessing autistic children and teens with nuanced, low-severity symptoms that standard assessment tools may overlook.
Signs that an individual may benefit from an assessment include but are not limited to:
Emotional Dysregulation
Social Difficulties
Impulsive Behaviors
Ongoing challenges that persist despite interventions.
Assessment Process
Our comprehensive assessment process includes:
Psychological Assessments for children and teens in California:
A parent interview (video), 2-3 in-office or virtual testing sessions, and a feedback meeting.
Psychological Assessments For Adults in California:
A clinical interview, 2-3 testing sessions, and a feedback meeting.
We use a variety of methods, including standardized clinical interviews, gold-standard psychological assessment tools, play-based observations for children, and collateral reports from parents and providers. Our process is tailored based on an initial phone screening, and adjustments are made as needed throughout the assessment to ensure thorough and accurate findings.
Clients can expect a mix of activities during testing sessions, such as puzzles, storytelling, memory games, and questionnaires. Assessments typically last a combined total of 2-3 hours. Following the assessment, we provide a comprehensive report and a feedback session to review findings and recommendations.
Our Unique Approach
Our approach stands out because we tailor each assessment to the individual's needs rather than using a standard battery. We take a nuanced approach to diagnosing autism, especially in individuals whose symptoms may not align neatly with traditional diagnostic criteria. Our team understands that building rapport with children and teens takes time, and we adapt our methods to ensure comfort and accuracy.
We specialize in working with individuals with co-occurring conditions, incorporating flexible strategies such as movement breaks, play-based assessments, and sensory-friendly environments. Caregivers and families play an integral role in the process, providing crucial background information and insights.
Challenges Addressed with Psychological Assessments
Psychological assessments can help answer important questions, such as:
Why does my child struggle to understand social situations?
Why aren't typical parenting strategies working?
Why do I have difficulty maintaining relationships or completing tasks?
Assessments provide valuable insights that inform therapy planning, educational accommodations (e.g., 504 Plans, IEPs), and workplace support, helping individuals navigate their daily lives more effectively.
What Clients Can Expect
We strive to schedule assessments within one month of inquiry. The full process, from the first appointment to receiving results, typically takes about 45 days. Clients are encouraged to submit any relevant records beforehand to aid the assessment process.
Long-Term Benefits of Psychological Assessments:
Undergoing a psychological assessment provides clarity and actionable steps for support. Clients gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and challenges, receive meaningful recommendations, and can pursue appropriate interventions in therapy, school, or the workplace. We also offer follow-up sessions to help families implement recommendations and navigate support systems.
Adapting Assessments to Your Unique Needs
We strive to accommodate unique needs, such as sensory sensitivities or language barriers. While we can make some modifications to our assessments, significant changes may affect validity, and in such cases, we may refer clients to other providers. When language barriers exist, we recommend seeking evaluations in the client's native language but can arrange for interpreters if needed.
Special Considerations or Exclusions
Our practice does not provide assessments for legal purposes, such as court-ordered evaluations, government services (e.g., disability claims), or workers' compensation. Additionally, we do not assess non-verbal individuals, as we lack the necessary tools for these evaluations.
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Other Services:
Child Psychology Center offers neuro-affirming, culturally competent, evidence-based therapy for children (ages 0+), teens and caregivers. We offer virtual therapy for people throughout all of California, and we offer in-person therapy in Carlsbad, CA. Our services are available in both English and Mandarin. Our licensed psychologists offer psychological assessments. While our therapists specialize in treating children, we also treat adults. We specialize in treating anxiety, child behavioral problems, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), ADHD, autism (ASD), and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We offer parent coaching and consultation. We would love to support you along your journey. Reach out for a free 15-minute consultation today!