Cindy G. LaCost, Psy.D., Psychoeducational and Psychological Assessment

What is Assessment

Assessment services vary depending on the particular issues you bring forward and my proposed strategies for addressing them. There are many different methods I may use to evaluate and assess the question(s) you hope to have answered. Psychodiagnostic testing is not like a medical doctor visit. Instead, it calls for a very active and motivated effort on you and your child’s part. In order for the results to be valid and the recommendations to be optimally helpful, your child will have to make her/his best attempt at all tasks placed before her/him during our time together. This includes providing candid personal information, and permitting other individuals such as her/his current mental health practitioner, physician, teachers, or other caretakers, to provide me with information if appropriate.

Assessment is useful when a child’s pediatrician, treating psychologist, or therapist needs to “tease-apart” various observed behaviors and symptoms in order to clarify diagnoses and begin appropriate treatment. Assessment is also helpful when a family believes an independent evaluation of their child’s special needs will assist them in establishing eligibility for special education and related services with their school district, regional center, or insurance company. Finally, an accommodations assessment can provide the Educational Testing Service (ETS) with the necessary documentation to allow a student extra time on certain standardized tests relating to college admission.