PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS FOR CHILDREN

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

A Psychological Evaluation Can Give You Answers And Help You Determine Which Supports Are Important For Your Child

You’re worried about your child. They aren’t doing the things you expect them to be doing. Maybe they aren’t talking yet or don’t seem to listen to you. They might have trouble getting along with other kids or might play with unusual things or in unusual ways. In the back of your mind, you think something might be wrong and you’re not sure what to do about it. Some kids need extra help to learn certain skills, and since children grow and learn so quickly, starting services early can really help. If children have delays in social skills or communication skills, the gap between what they are learning and what other children are experiencing can grow quickly. Early intervention is extremely important for kids with developmental delays and other types of psychological disorders, including autism. Sometimes pediatricians suggest a “wait and see” approach when children are falling behind in certain areas; however, this can cause delays in getting valuable services. Signs of autism can often be identified as early as 12 months. We do autism and developmental delay testing of your child.

Child Psychological testing can be used to determine whether a child has:

Autism
ADHD
Learning Disabilities
Intellectual Disabilities
Other Communication Disorders
Behavior Disorders
Other Psychological Conditions

Autism

Behavior Disorders

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ADHD

Students with an Intellectual Disability

Intellectual Disabilities

Psychological Conditions

How Psychological Evaluations Work

A psychological evaluation involves gathering information about the child’s behavior and abilities, from parent report, observations, and their performance on age-appropriate assessments. Though the type of information gathered varies according to the purpose of the evaluation, this typically involves an interview with the parent about the child’s background and functioning, rating scales completed by the parent about their typical behavior at home, a developmental assessment which looks at their receptive and expressive communication, cognitive development, and fine and gross motor skills, and a play-based assessment to evaluate social-communication skills. These assessments use books, toys and puzzles to see how the child plays and what they are capable of doing. We might do an observation with them at their school or daycare, if it would be helpful for me to see how they interact with other kids. By using standardized assessments, we can compare a child’s performance to the way other children the same age typically to see if there are any areas of concern.
Online evaluations work for many children, but for some families, testing may not be necessary or recommended at this time. For this reason, consultation appointments are an opportunity for a family to share information, discuss concerns, and form a plan with Dr. Myszak or Dr. Long which may or may not include testing. In some cases, a comprehensive evaluation might not be necessary. If you are looking to confirm or rule out ADHD, or if you need an updated evaluation to continue receiving existing services, a more specific evaluation may make more sense for your family.

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If you are looking for services for yourself or your child, send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Psychological testing can provide direction.

Did you know?

For many children, evaluations can be conducted online. Signs of autism and developmental delays can be evaluated through parent interviews, detailed checklists, and observations through video or telehealth. Dr. Myszak has more than 10 years of experience working with young children, and she is comfortable working with families online to help them identify areas of concern and recommended next steps.

COVID-19 has significantly changed the way that people interact with one another, and how safe people feel in public settings. Dr. Myszak recognizes that families may not want to bring their young children to unfamiliar settings right now, but she does not want this to prevent families from receiving needed care for their loved ones. Children who are showing early signs of autism and children who have already been identified with autism but are needing reevaluations to continue therapeutic services cannot wait months or years for help.

Online evaluations work for many children, but for some families, testing may not be necessary or recommended at this time. For this reason, consultation appointments are an opportunity for a family to share information, discuss concerns, and form a plan with Dr. Myszak which may or may not include testing.

In addition to seeing clients on the Chicago North Shore, she is able to work with families who reside in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin! She offers both in-person and telehealth evaluations.