Pediatric Psychological Testing Services

A Neuropsychological evaluation includes a review of your child's records, an interview with the parents, an interview with your child and the administration of tests that measure their abilities and functioning. Using these sources of information, a Neuropsychologist will provide you with a comprehensive report that summarizes the evaluation results and recommendations for school, home, and family life.

There is no single test for ADHD. The evaluation of ADHD should be comprehensive and rule out other possible reasons for difficulty with attention, concentration and impulsivity as well as a discovery of areas that are impacted. Symptom questionnaires such as the Vanderbilt are useful for identifying symptoms which could be ADHD, but not useful at identifying co-occuring conditions or identifying the child’s strengths.

• ADHD Spectrum
• Cognitive disorders
• Autism Spectrum and other Developmental Disorders
• Learning Disabilities of Reading such as Dyslexia, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency
• Learning Disabilities of Writing such as Dysgraphia or Disorder of Written Expression
• Learning Disabilities of Mathematics such as Dyscalculia or Math fluency
• Memory and Retention Difficulties
• Psychological Difficulties such as Anxiety, Mood, and Behavioral Disorders
• Sources of Motivation and Frustration

Parents have the right to request the school conduct an evaluation at no cost to them. The school district can decline if they feel the student is within the average range of functioning. Schools are interested in whether the student qualifies for special education. They are not able to diagnose or provide recommendations on treatment. School evaluations are often considered a last resort. A private evaluation is useful for taking a proactive approach into understanding your child’s strengths and weaknesses and will provide a road map for ways to improve their functioning as well as providing peace of mind.

It is important to see the entire picture in order to provide appropriate recommendations. For example, a child with a high intellect that is performing just average in academics may be under performing due to a neurological difference.

An evaluation looks for strengths as much as it looks for deficits. Often these strengths are underrepresented. A child’s strengths provide a roadmap to remediating challenging areas and can unlock a student’s motivation. Strengths are assessed by directly asking parents and the student during the interview portion of the evaluation as well as through standardized checklists.

• Counseling: what type, who attends and how often
• Nutritional Supports
• Medication Management
• 504 Accommodations
• IEP Recommendations
• Tutoring: what to target
• Executive Functioning Coaching
• Social Skills Strategies and Groups
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Sleep Specialist
• Behavioral Strategies for home
• Books
• Websites

First, you may call us at 619-733-6414, or fill out our Contact Us form and one of our Client Care Coordinators will assist you in scheduling your appointments.

First Appointment: Intake interview with parents only. This may be held virtually or in our Rancho Bernardo office.

Testing Appointment: Your child will spend approximately 4-6 hours working with a Positive Change Counseling Center Associate Psychologist in our Rancho Bernardo office. Associate Psychologists have graduated from their doctoral program and are under the supervision of a Licensed Clinical Psychologist until they become independently licensed. They are trained by the psychologists to administer psychological and neuropsychological tests.

Next the psychologist team analyzes your child's history, evaluation results, clinical observations, diagnostic decisions, and treatment needs, and then prepares for the feedback.

Follow-up Appointment: 2 weeks after the testing appointment, you will meet with your clinician to go over the results. You can expect a feedback summary within 24 hours sent via the patient portal.

The final report is completed in the next 2-3 weeks, reviewed and approved by our Assessment Director before completion. You will receive the report via the patient portal.