You might be wondering what a psychological evaluation entails and how it might be helpful to you or someone you care about. At Wasatch Learning & Wellness, we know deciding to pursue a psychological evaluation can feel daunting. This article provides an overview of what an evaluation is and what to expect at different stages of the process.
A psychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment that can provide diagnostic clarity for a child, adolescent, or adult. Evaluations can identify learning disabilities, mental illnesses, neuropsychological deficits, autism, attentional difficulties, and more.
You might consider pursuing an evaluation if you notice that you, or a loved one, are struggling with social, emotional, behavioral, occupational, or academic functioning. Life can be difficult at times for everyone, but some individuals experience these difficult times more intensely. Fortunately, there are many ways to support these individuals and a psychological evaluation can help identify why an individual continues to have a hard time despite attempts to resolve the problem. An evaluation can also provide you with access to resources that might make life easier or more enjoyable, such as medication, therapies, or accommodations at school or in the workplace. It can also be a very insightful process to help individuals understand how they learn, process information, and interpret the world around them.
At Wasatch Learning & Wellness, each evaluation is individualized to the client based on the referral concern(s). Common areas of assessment include cognitive testing, academic testing, executive functioning testing, and tests of memory. During an evaluation you can expect to engage in a lot of different types of activities. Some of the activities include completing questionnaires, manipulating blocks, completing patterns, reading passages, copying images, or acting out a story.
As a parent/guardian, it might feel overwhelming, or confusing, to share with a child that they are going to be participating in a psychological evaluation. It can be helpful for parents to describe testing as an opportunity to understand how their brain works, how they think, and how they learn. Parents can also explain that testing can offer ideas about how to help them in school or how to make social interactions easier for them. It can be very validating for children to feel like their caregivers understand the struggles they are experiencing and are seeking help to support them. If a child seems worried or resistant to engaging in testing, parents can reassure them that there is no grading process or “good” or “bad” ways to perform in a psychological evaluation and all that matters is doing their best. The psychologist that you work with can also be a great resource to talk to about any apprehension you have when telling your child about the process and you can share insights into how the psychologist can make the process more comfortable for your child.
To start the evaluation process with Wasatch Learning & Wellness, you will complete an evaluation inquiry form. Once you complete the inquiry form, you will schedule an intake phone call with our assessment coordinator, and you will have the opportunity to provide more details about the concerns you are experiencing. During your intake phone call our assessment coordinator will suggest the type of testing that best fits the referral concerns.
If you decide to move forward, you will schedule test sessions with the assigned psychologist. The test sessions will take place at the Wasatch Learning & Wellness office in Sandy, Utah. The psychologist may also request input from other individuals (e.g., teachers, tutors) who know the client well. The parent or adult client will provide permission before we request input from others. If the client is a minor, the parents/guardians will participate in an interview with the psychologist, which can be completed virtually or over the phone. When all the data has been collected and analyzed by the psychologist, a comprehensive report will be provided, which will include a detailed history, testing results, diagnostic conclusions, and recommendations tailored to the client’s needs. The psychologist will meet with the parents/guardians or adult client for a feedback session to provide a more detailed explanation of the results and answer questions. After the evaluation is complete clients are always welcome to reach out to Wasatch Learning & Wellness with any questions they have or to request recommendations for treatment providers within the community.