Person-Centered Psychological Testing Services for Adults and Children
Offering Neurodiversity-Affirming Autism and PDA Evaluations for Adults, Adolescents, and Children, Pre-Adoption Evaluations, and Testing of ADHD, Learning Disorders, and other needs.
In the back of your mind, you know something is different.
You have always felt like you had to work harder than everyone else. Other people just seem to pick up on things that you have to spend hours analyzing and memorizing. You’ve figured out strategies to get by and accomplish what you need to, but it you’re constantly exhausted afterwards. Privately, there are things about yourself that you share with almost no one.
Whether you have been wondering about a particular diagnosis for years, traits have recently been brought to your attention by others, or it is something you are newly considering due to a family member’s diagnosis, having answers can be life-changing. The adults we work with often want to know if they have Autism or ADHD for their own peace of mind. Many have taken online tests or quizzes or found information online about Autism, PDA, or Asperger’s that has resonated with them.
We understand that teens and adults with a lifetime of masking look different than the typical stereotypes of autism and ADHD. We are proud to offer neurodiversity-affirming evaluations to people who want to better understand themselves. We take the time to understand what you are experiencing, and we specialize in adult autism evaluations for those who have been previously undiagnosed. Having information may help you understand yourself and also how to approach differences with others. It can help with choosing a career path, being able to discuss difficulties with friends and partners, and lead to accommodations in school or work.
You are not alone. And all that hard work and masking has gotten you where you are today—but maybe things could be easier and better.
If you are a parent who is searching for answers for your child, you are tired of seeing your child struggling. Without knowing how to help them, they are falling through the cracks. It might be the way they interact with other kids, information they seem to be missing when listening or reading, difficulty in a particular school subject, debilitating anxiety, or extreme behavior either at home or at school. You might be getting notes home from teachers about your child’s behavior or attention, or your child may hate school and refuse to go. If the school does not recognize or understand why your child is acting in a particular way, they cannot provide the supports they need to be successful.
Your child is not getting the help they need, and every day they are falling further behind. You have tried to support your child, but without knowing exactly what the difficulty is, it’s been a lot of effort for minimal results. You need to get to the bottom of things so you can form a plan and get your child back on track. Many of the families I’ve worked with have wondered about diagnoses like Autism or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), but haven’t known where to turn. Others have gotten evaluations but felt that they were “cookie cutter,” failed to miss more subtle symptoms, or were not personalized to their child’s needs.
When done well, psychological evaluations can be powerful and help change the trajectory of one’s growth and development. Comprehensive evaluations can identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and justify IEP goals in particular areas. They can provide information and evidence to determine whether a school is the best fit for a student’s needs, or whether adaptations or accommodations are needed so a child or adult can be competitive with their peers. They can also identify the most effective interventions and take the guesswork out of it.
Appointments are available over telehealth and in-person.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
An Evaluation From The Help & Healing Center Can Help
The right evaluation at the right time can lead to years of treatment and help, additional resources available to you and your family, and insight that can dramatically impact both prognosis and self-esteem. It can help you advocate for the tools in school or work that you need to be successful, and if you are stuggling due to a mental health condition, it can help detail your situation in an independant medical exam (IME) so others can understand your difficulties.
In addition to seeing clients on the Chicago North Shore, we are able to work with families who reside in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming! We offer both in-person and telehealth evaluations. We are also able to see California clients on a limited basis!
ABOUT HELP AND HEALING CENTER
Dr. Jessica Myszak, Licensed Psychologist
If you are looking for someone to complete a psychological evaluation, you want someone who can understand what you need and take the steps to look at all of the information and provide you with answers.
I have done thousands of evaluations for children and adults over the years for a variety of referral questions. This experience helps me understand the needs for different types of evaluations. The assessments used, the language of a report, and the recommendations can mean the difference between a good report and a great report.
Our Specialties
If you are wondering about autism, ADHD, or a learning disabillity for yourself or your child, a psychological evaluation can provide answers and guide for next steps.
If you have been wondering about autism, an evaluation can give you the answers you’ve been searching for.
A psychological evaluation can give you answers and help you determine which supports are important for your child.
An autism evaluation can identify supports both in and out of school that can help your child.
Psychological Testing Can Be Used To Determine Whether an Individual Has:
Autism
ADHD
Learning Disabilities
Intellectual Disabilities
Other Communication Disorders
Behavior Disorders
Other Psychological Conditions
Autism
Behavior Disorders
ADHD
Intellectual Disabilities
Psychological Conditions
See What Our Client Say About Us!
Everything about the process was great, regardless of the diagnosis. All of the communication, your approach, and your demeanor. I really commend you.
Thank you! This has been such a great experience. Thank you for all you do for families.
The intentionality and care in your practice is so appreciated.
This was a 10 out of 10. Thank you so much.
This is so much more detailed than I thought, and it’s fun to see all of it.
I was really intimidated to start this process but you made it easy and comfortable, so thank you.
Everything about the process was great, regardless of the diagnosis. All of the communication, your approach, and your demeanor. I really commend you.
Thank you! This has been such a great experience. Thank you for all you do for families.
The intentionality and care in your practice is so appreciated.
This was a 10 out of 10. Thank you so much.
This is so much more detailed than I thought, and it’s fun to see all of it.
I was really intimidated to start this process but you made it easy and comfortable, so thank you.
We brought our son to Dr. Myszak recently; she was patient, flexible and kind and helped him feel comfortable. At first he was very anxious but she was willing to do whatever he needed to feel relaxed for his appointment so that he could do the different things he needed to for the assessment. By the time we left he really didn’t want to leave and was asking “if we could come back sometime.” The evaluation process was very thorough and she took her time not only gathering information but also answering questions and explaining things in a positive and encouraging way. We highly recommend her!
Dr. Jessica made me feel at ease throughout the consultation and assessments. It has changed almost every aspect of my life – relationships, self esteem, how I go about my day to day, work and self care. It significantly lowered my anxiety, just to understand my neurodivergence and know that it’s not my fault.
Dr. Myszak was a great listener and was able to capture my experiences so well. I felt like all of the information gathering was very formal and professional while still being personal. I am able to help people I know with receiving testing. Additionally I have learned so much more about myself.
Dr. Myszak made me feel completely at ease during the assessment. I was so anxious about seeking an assessment, answering the questions, and getting a confirmation of what I suspected or a different diagnosis that I put it off for literal years and when I took the plunge Dr. Myszak was there to guide me through the process and help me come to terms with what my diagnosis meant for me and my future. Some positive impacts since receiving my diagnosis have been receiving accommodations at work; finding a new therapist and psychiatrist that specialize in my condition, and feeling better and more hopeful about the future.
I felt heard, understood, and not judged. It totally changed my life. It validated my experiences and took away the guilt and shame that my challenges were just because I am bad at everything or don’t work hard enough. There isn’t anything officially available to me that wasn’t before (at least not that I use or access at this time) but personally my own acceptance of myself and recognizing my own needs as valid has made a huge difference in my life.
She was very open and understanding. She worked with me and listened to everything I had to say. I was able to receive accommodations at work and genuinely helped me understand myself better. The resources of additional therapists in the area that had worked with neurodivergent individuals helped link me to my current therapist.
I felt safe to share my experiences. I liked how Dr. Long validated what I was sharing and she really listened to me. It has helped me understand myself a lot better. I have insight into how my brain works and I can plan my life in a truly authentic way for the first time ever.
Dr. Long was kind, open, easy to talk to, and smart. I’m so glad I got this assessment and diagnosis. I can believe myself now! Yes all those things actually *are* harder for me. Just knowing is amazing, but when I realize I need an accommodation and ask for it, it’s life changing. It’s been difficult too, it’s brought up a lot of hard stuff with my family of origin.
Dr. Myszak was patient and professional. I didn’t feel rushed. I wasn’t expecting the diagnosis I received but she was kind and thorough in explaining the conclusions and rationale. The report was also very thorough. Learning that I was neuro diverse (ASD/ADHD) at 58 was more jarring than I expected and I’ve gone through a range of reactions (disbelief, denial, anger, acceptance). It made me reconsider a bunch of my past experiences and look closer at challenges in my relationships. I understand things now in a way that I didn’t before. I am getting counseling that is neuro diverse specific and taking some medication to help me. Both of these have had positive impacts.
Dr. Long was very respectful of my experiences and thoughts. She took into consideration my thoughts on my potential (at the time) diagnosis. She also diagnosed me with PDA, which is something I had not even heard of but now know about myself. It has helped me tremendously with understanding myself and helped explain this part of myself to my loved ones. Dr. Long was very compassionate and helpful throughout the whole process. I am able to receive accommodations at school now and I am proud to say that I am enrolled in college again. It has given me the courage and motivation to pursue higher education again now knowing I am able to be accommodated. I feel more confident in who I am and confident explaining who I am. I no longer feel ashamed for my past/history but wear it as a badge of courage. I had a rough life but it was worth it at the end once receiving my diagnosis.
The experience felt validating, compassionate, and non-judgmental. I was able to reveal information that I wasn’t comfortable revealing to previous psychologists. I’m continuing to process my diagnosis and how I will navigate my life going forward. I’ve suspected for years that I might be somewhere on the spectrum. However, it didn’t seem all that important to get assessed because I seemed to be living a relatively “normal” life. Then, in my early 40s, I was just plain struggling. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be in life. I didn’t understand why I had so much difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. I didn’t understand why I felt like I was such a defective person. I didn’t understand why I felt like I was a bad person, despite not having done anything terrible to anyone and always working so hard to help others. Then, with the diagnosis, BOOM. Everything made sense. Not only did it make sense, but I realized that, technically speaking, I have a disability. (We could get into a whole discussion on what constitutes a disability and the medical vs. social models, but I actually find it helpful to know that I have a disability.) As someone with a disability, I don’t need to feel afraid or ashamed to speak up for myself and my needs. I don’t need to be afraid to ask for accommodations if I’m in an uncomfortable setting. I can feel assured that it’s not my fault that certain things are simply far more difficult for me than for most “normal” people, and I don’t need to beat myself up for being different. Again, I’m still in the process of getting to a point where I can fully and unashamedly accept myself for who I am. It’s much easier said than done. But I do feel that getting an autism diagnosis was a critical part of setting me in that direction.