Psychological Testing

Psychological Testing

What is psychological testing?

Psychological testing, often referred to as an “assessment” or “evaluation,” aims to uncover insights into the struggles faced by you or your child in school, at home, in social settings, and within relationships. Psychological testing also helps our providers identify strengths, cognitive processes, information-processing methods, and reactions in various environments.

What does psychological testing entail?

Your initial visit will involve an in-depth consultation. During this session, you can provide a comprehensive history of your or your child’s behavior and discuss any ongoing challenges in daily life.

If the clinician determines that testing could be beneficial, you’ll schedule a follow-up appointment or series of appointments. During these sessions, the clinician will administer a range of tests and assessments, which may focus on:

• Cognitive abilities
• Academic skills (reading, writing, and math)
• Visual and auditory processing skills
• Memory and learning
• Problem-solving and planning
• Social and emotional abilities

What can I expect after psychological testing?

Once the testing is completed, the Clinical Psychologist will review the results with you. Shortly afterward, you will receive a comprehensive written report, which includes score summaries, interpretations, diagnoses, and recommended treatment plans to guide your next steps.

In some instances, the testing process may lead to an official diagnosis based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, potentially opening up access to specific services or treatments for you or your child.

You can also share the test results with your child’s teachers and caregivers to ensure everyone in your child’s life can provide the necessary support.  Our team collaborates with you to create a tailored plan for the best outcomes, which may include interventions, accommodations, or further treatment recommendations.

Why Perform Psychological Testing?

When we are unable to determine your diagnosis from the psycho-social assessment, we need a more thorough way to analyze your symptoms There are two reasons for undergoing psychological testing – analyzing and diagnosing.

– Analyzing

The first step we take before beginning treatment or developing a treatment plan is to get a full understanding of your case and the causes and symptoms. The best way to accomplish this is to analyze your unique traits, behavioral patterns, and thought patterns. Putting these findings together helps us create a specific treatment plan based on your information and also helps us to make sure you are diagnosed properly. The best way to effectively treat mental health issues is to take a broad look at your case and apply both targeted and broad treatments.

– Diagnosing

Once we have undergone the initial psychological testing to better identify your symptoms and traits, we can then diagnose the problems. Without proper testing, the diagnosis could be wrong and result in mistreatment or prescribing the wrong medications. A rushed or guess diagnosis could result in your condition never being cured and could also cause it to worsen if treatment is not applied correctly.

Psychological testing can be helpful in diagnosing psychological disorders and analyzing unique personality profiles. The test provides a detailed profile that includes objective information about the patient’s condition and highlights specific issues that may benefit from more targeted interventions. Psychological testing is often recommended as an additional tool to more accurately evaluate for ADD/ADHD, bipolar and mood disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and personality disorders.