Evaluations
Every child is unique, and so is every evaluation. Each neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation is thoughtfully tailored to each child's individual strengths, concerns, and referral questions. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, I select assessment tools that best address your child's specific needs and the evaluation goals. Comprehensive, evidence-based evaluations are designed to provide a clear understanding of your child's cognitive, academic, behavioral, emotional, and adaptive functioning. By identifying both strengths and areas of need, I develop practical, individualized recommendations that help support your child's success at home, at school, and in the community. My goal is to provide families with meaningful answers, a deeper understanding of their child, and a roadmap for moving forward with confidence.
The Process
1
Intake
Every evaluation begins with a comprehensive intake interview to gain a thorough understanding of your child's unique strengths, concerns, and the questions you hope the evaluation will answer. During this appointment, we will discuss your child's developmental, medical, educational, and social-emotional history, as well as their current functioning across home, school, and other settings. The intake interview is typically attended by parents or primary caregivers only, as this allows for an open and detailed discussion. For adolescents and young adults, I encourage them to participate in the interview so they can share their own perspectives, experiences, and goals for the evaluation. Following the intake appointment, parents and other individuals who know your child well—such as teachers, caregivers, or other providers—will be asked to complete questionnaires. These rating scales provide valuable information about your child's functioning across different environments and help ensure a comprehensive, well-rounded evaluation.
2
Direct Assessment
The assessment session is typically scheduled for approximately three hours, though the length may vary depending on your child's age, needs, and the goals of the evaluation. During this appointment, your child will complete a variety of assessment activities designed to answer the referral questions and provide a comprehensive understanding of their strengths and areas of need. These activities may include cognitive, academic, behavioral, social-emotional, adaptive, or diagnostic measures, depending on the purpose of the evaluation. In most cases, the assessment session is completed individually with your child and the psychologist to promote standardized testing conditions. However, parents or caregivers may be asked to participate in portions of the evaluation when specific assessment tools or referral concerns call for their involvement.
3
Feedback
The feedback session is an opportunity to review the results of the evaluation in detail and discuss what they mean for your child and family. During this appointment, I will explain the assessment findings, review any diagnoses (when applicable), answer your questions, and provide individualized recommendations to support your child's success at home, at school, and in the community. My goal is to ensure you leave with a clear understanding of your child's unique strengths, areas of need, and practical next steps. For younger children, the feedback session is typically attended by parents or caregivers. Depending on your child's age and developmental level, an additional session can be scheduled to review the results with your child or adolescent in an age-appropriate and supportive manner. Following the feedback session, you will receive a comprehensive written report, typically within one week. The report includes a summary of the evaluation process, test results, diagnostic impressions (if applicable), and personalized recommendations that can be shared with healthcare providers, schools, and other members of your child's support team.
I strive to meet your evaluation needs based on each child's presentation. That said, I want to be transparent about my strengths and limitations. I specialize in evaluations in the following areas:
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ADHD
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Autism spectrum disorder
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Intellectual disability
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Learning disabilities (including dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia)
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Anxiety disorders
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Mood and depressive disorders
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder
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Disruptive behavior disorders
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Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)
Diagnostic decisions are made based on the criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR)
Assessment Components
There are various components of assessments that may or may not be included in your child's evaluation based on the referral concerns and goals of the evaluation. Several of the most commonly included components are described below.
Cognitive & Developmental Assessments
Neuropsychological Assessment
Achievement Assessment
Cognitive and developmental assessments help us understand how your child thinks, learns, reasons, and solves problems. For younger children, developmental measures evaluate progress across key developmental domains relative to age expectations. Together, these assessments provide a snapshot of your child's current level of functioning and establish a benchmark for understanding their learning potential and cognitive abilities. This information helps identify your child's unique strengths and areas where additional support may be beneficial. Cognitive assessment is a core component of most comprehensive evaluations and provides important context for interpreting academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and adaptive functioning. These measures also play a critical role in the identification of intellectual disability, giftedness, and other developmental or cognitive differences, helping ensure that recommendations are tailored to your child's individual profile.
Neuropsychological assessment helps us better understand how brain-based processes influence your child's thinking, learning, and behavior. A primary focus of these assessments is executive functioning—the mental skills that help children plan, organize, regulate their emotions and behavior, sustain attention, remember information, and adapt to changing situations. Executive functioning includes abilities such as attention, working memory, inhibitory control (self-control), cognitive flexibility, processing speed, and planning and organization. I evaluate these skills using a combination of standardized questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, as well as performance-based assessment tasks completed directly with your child. Assessing executive functioning provides valuable information when evaluating concerns related to ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions. It also helps us identify your child's unique strengths and challenges, allowing us to develop practical, individualized recommendations that support success at home, at school, and in everyday life.
Academic achievement assessments help to understand your child's current skills in reading, writing, and mathematics and how those skills compare to what is expected for their age and grade level. These measures identify areas of academic strength while also pinpointing specific skills that may require additional support. I may include academic testing when there are concerns about learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or other specific learning disorders. By comparing your child's academic performance with their cognitive abilities and developmental profile, I can determine whether learning challenges are consistent with a learning disability or are better explained by other factors, such as ADHD, anxiety, or limited educational opportunities. The results of these assessments help guide individualized recommendations for interventions, school accommodations, and educational planning to support your child's long-term academic success.
Behavioral Rating Scales
Because an assessment provides only a snapshot of your child's functioning during a single appointment, gathering information from the people who know them best is an essential part of the evaluation process. To develop a comprehensive understanding of your child's strengths, challenges, and day-to-day functioning, I ask parents, teachers, coaches, and other important individuals in your child's life to complete standardized questionnaires. I typically begin with broad, evidence-based rating scales that assess behavioral, emotional, social, and adaptive functioning, as well as your child's strengths. Based on the referral concerns, I may also administer more targeted questionnaires that evaluate areas such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, executive functioning, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or other developmental and behavioral concerns. By combining information from multiple informants across home, school, and other settings, I gain a more complete picture of your child's functioning. This multi-informant approach helps identify patterns of strengths and challenges, improves diagnostic accuracy, and ensures that recommendations are tailored to your child's unique needs.
Adaptive Skill Assessment
Cognitive testing helps us understand what a child is capable of doing based on their underlying thinking and learning abilities. Adaptive functioning assessment, on the other hand, examines what a child actually does in their everyday life. This includes practical daily living skills such as personal care and hygiene, communication, independence at home and in the community, social interactions, and how they manage leisure and daily responsibilities. Assessing adaptive functioning provides valuable insight into how your child applies their skills in real-world settings. By comparing your child's everyday functioning to what is expected for their age—as well as to their own cognitive abilities—I can identify areas of strength, recognize skills that may need additional support, and develop recommendations that are meaningful, practical, and tailored to your child's unique needs.
Autism Diagnostic Tools: ADOS-2
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is a standardized, research-supported assessment that requires specialized training to administer and is widely regarded as the gold standard for evaluating autism spectrum disorder. As part of a comprehensive autism evaluation, the ADOS-2 provides valuable information about a child's social communication, interaction, play, and behaviors through direct observation. At Bloom Child Psychology, the ADOS-2 is never used in isolation. Instead, it is integrated with a thorough clinical interview, standardized rating scales, developmental history, cognitive and adaptive assessments (when indicated), and information gathered from parents, teachers, and other important individuals in the child's life. This multi-method, multi-informant approach allows us to develop a comprehensive understanding of each child's unique strengths and challenges while ensuring diagnostic decisions are based on the full clinical picture rather than a single assessment tool. My specialized training in the ADOS-2, combined with expertise in child development and comprehensive psychological assessment, allows me to provide thoughtful, evidence-based autism evaluations using the most well-established diagnostic tools available.