It is my pleasure to announce the addition of a new range of testing services to the clinical practice. In addition to our current therapeutic services for adults, children, families, and couples, we now offer a comprehensive collection of psychological testing and cognitive assessment services. Together with Dr. Ivan Lamourt, Psy.D, we offer the following testing to our clients:
- Comprehensive learning evaluations: These evaluations are valuable for assessing potential learning disorders or other psychological issues that might lead to academic underachievement.
- Psychological testing: Various psychological tests are used to identify, clarify, or rule out potential psychological issues and disorders.
- Cognitive testing: (IQ Testing) to identify and clarify intellectual strengths, weakness or potential learning disorders.
What is psychological testing and what is it used for?
Psychological testing is a tool used by psychologists to assess a specific problem or issues that needs better understanding. Much in the same way certain medical tests help doctors understand the cause and degree of certain diseases or condition, psychologists also employ certain tests to uncover psychological and cognitive occurrences that can lead to emotional disorders or learning disabilities.
What are some examples of psychological evaluations and how they might be used?
Psychological evaluations are typically used as a method to answering a specific referral question. An example might be if parents are concerned that their child may have a learning disability that hinders their academic success. Choosing a private testing option allows parents to maintain privacy, as well as provide them with valuable resources on how to remediate any potential issues. Additionally, if learning problems are identified, the child would be legally entitled to special education services. The test results would address specific weaknesses and provide concrete suggestions and accommodations.
How do you know when a psychological evaluation is necessary?
Psychological evaluations are performed when an independent and reliable source of information is needed for making important decisions. Psychological evaluations are also useful for developing a more comprehensive understanding of a person’s functioning, as well as to guide treatment planning and interventions.
The psychological evaluation process
The evaluation process begins with a detailed interview with the individual, and at times it may be necessary to interview other family members such as parents or spouses. This is necessary to develop an accurate clinical picture, and develop a complete understanding of the referral concerns, history and other referral related information. After the interview, the appropriate psychological tests are selected to get the information needed to clarify the issue being examined.
After scoring all the tests, the psychologist will then put together all the data to generate a cohesive report of that individual’s performance or psychological issue being investigated, and intends to answer the original referral question. Finally the psychologist will outline recommendations specific to that individual’s needs which is important for future treatment planning or obtain services that would help address the issues identified in the evaluation.
Evaluations offered include:
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
Wechsler Intelligence Scale-Children (WISC)
Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
Behavior Assessment System-Children (BASC)
Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)
BROWN ADD Scales
Beck Depression & Anxiety Scales
Problem Behavior Inventory