Psychological Testing and Assessment

Commonly referred to as  "psych evals,"  evaluations, testing, or assessment; all of these terms refer to a process that begins with a referral question (e.g., Do I have ADHD/Autism?), and involves some of the following:

• Clinical Interview
• Behavioral Observations
• Mental Status Exam
• Questionnaires
• IQ assessment
• ADHD Assessment
• Autism Evaluation

The evaluation will include the full process: administration, scoring, interpreting, and a written psychological evaluation report. Evaluations are written transparently and are intended for all audiences. Each assessment is described in detail, all relevant scores are displayed and interpreted, and the summary section synthesizes all of this information into a few easy-to-read paragraphs. It is your right as a client to know your specific scores and have them provided to you in a context that you can understand. 

A feedback session will end the evaluation process. This will be an appointment 30- 45 minutes long and will go over the results, implications, answers to referral questions, and any additional questions or concerns. Reports will be shared upon scheduling of the feedback session. I believe that the client/client's family is the expert on their behavior, and I use a collaborative assessment approach. If a diagnosis does not make sense, this is your chance to discuss it. If you feel like I missed something, please let me know. 

However, the feedback session is not a time to go back to the drawing board and review symptoms from the start. This is for the clinical interview and initial appointment. I also provide the opportunity to email me after the interview, or schedule a follow up interview if there are more symptoms to go over. 

This is a great question with a wide range of answers. 

My private pay fee (no insurance) is $1200 for the first evaluation day plus $200 per hour after that.

Through insurance, your cost may be as low as $0 if you have medicaid, no deductible, or you have met your deductible or out of pocket max. 

On the higher end, if you have not met your deductible but have insurance, you may owe an insurance price for the evaluation, which will be less than my private pay rate. Generally costs are between $800-$1000 with insurance for these plans. 

To find out your exact cost, please contact us and my assistant will take down your insurance information to have our billing company reach out for an estimate.

Psychological evaluations typically last between 3-5 hours. Best case scenario, we can get everything done in 3 hours on 1 day. For some people, we may need a second appointment for between 1-2 hours to finish testing. This is based on the length of your answers and history of your symptoms.

Psychological evaluations are recommended to be done in-person. We usually can schedule a second appointment via Telehealth if we have completed all the in-person assessments. I strive to schedule follow-up appointments within the same month so it does not delay the report.

I understand that the majority of evaluation clients have an urgent need for results. For this reason, I offer reports with a turnaround time of  30 business days. I will email the report to you as soon as it's ready. In addition, my assistant will follow up to offer a feedback session to review the report and findings. This is optional, and there are no additional costs to receive the report. 

No preparation is necessary for a psychological evaluation, other than showing up! 

The only optional preparation would be to take some notes that you want to review at the clinical interview. This information could include: current symptoms/issues, how frequent these issues are (everyday? several times a day?), how long these issues have occurred, settings they occur in, progress, etc. Sometimes, it helps people feel more prepared to have this information on hand. 

Also, it may be more comfortable for you to bring snacks or a drink given the length of the appointment (typically 3 hour blocks). You are welcome to wear comfortable clothes; formal apparel is not required. 

Lastly, I recommend scheduling some time after the evaluation for self-care (e.g., going for a walk, a special meal or drink, going to a calming place, attending an exercise class, journaling, etc). Bringing up either your history or your child's history can bring up a lot of strong emotions and memories, and it can help to ground yourself with some positivity and calm afterwards. Your child may appreciate having the rest of the day off given the intensity of testing in a new environment.

NO! Please continue your medication regimen as it is prescribed. I am happy to take into account your previous functioning prior to being on medication. However, a sudden withdrawal from medication could evoke symptoms that are not characteristic, or it could even be dangerous for your health. 

I have conducted psychological evaluations since 2013 with children and adults. I have worked with children as young as age 2 to adults of various ages. I am experienced and trained in diagnosing the following diagnoses: autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, substance use disorders, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, speech and language disorders, psychotic disorders, disruptive and conduct disorders, gender dysphoria, and dissociative disorders. 

-I do not do evaluations for traumatic brain injuries, stroke, other medical conditions, Line of Duty evaluations , Fit for Court evaluations., sexual offender evaluations, or rehabilitation evaluations.

-I also do not offer any GUARANTEED diagnoses. Any evaluation carries the possibility of not receiving the diagnosis you sought out to find. For instance, if you are interested in being evaluated for autism, I will perform autism testing, such as the ADOS-2. However, this does not guarantee a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. If you are 100% sure you have a diagnosis BEFORE being diagnosed or evaluated, and you are not open to the possibility this is not true, I don't recommend scheduling with me. It will inevitably result in disappointment and frustration on both of our ends. This is also discussed in my consent form.

-I do not involve parents/spouses/other adults in the evaluation of adults who do not have a legal guardian assigned. This is not medically necessary and can skew the results of the evaluation. You are welcome to bring someone to wait in the waiting room, but not to participate in the evaluation. 

No, self referral is fine. Although sometimes therapists, medical doctors, or teachers/employers may recommend a psychological evaluation, it is not necessary to have a referral. Common reasons for seeking evaluations include: diagnosis, treatment recommendations, accommodations for school, or seeking services that require a diagnosis. 

• Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct, which includes the following:
• Everyone will be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Offensive comments about race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or personal traits are not acceptable.. 
• All patients and visitors will use respectful, appropriate language and behavior. Physical or verbal threats or assaults, suggestive or explicit words, phrases, gestures, or actions will not be tolerated. 
• All patients and visitors will respect patient privacy and avoid disrupting other businesses or patients care or experiences. 

If these guidelines are not followed:

• Patients may be asked to leave and make other plans for their non-emergent immediate care.
• Visitors may be asked to leave and could be restricted from future visitation.  
• Law enforcement may be contact in emergency situations to maintain safety of all individuals involved. 

Other general rules/guidelines (for people who want extra guidance for what to expect)

• Please let me know if I can do something to make you more comfortable. Lights are too bright? You're thirsty? Need a lot of breaks? Just let me know and I am usually happy to accommodate. 
• Please do not arrive more than 15 minutes early. If you do arrive early, please wait in your vehicle or in a nearby business until 15 minutes before your appointment. Overly early arrival may disrupt my current appointment and/or I may not be able to respond to your message/ call if I am already in an appointment. Given the extreme weather in Kansas City, I do not want you waiting outside a locked building with me unable to respond in hot/cold/rainy weather. 
• Please communicate with my assistant or website via questions BEFORE reaching out to me. My assistant allows me to focus on writing reports, submitting billing, and responding to communications that require a direct answer from me. I can easily spend 1-2 hours a day responding to emails and calls, which is time I would rather delegate to report writing.  You will also receive a more timely response from my assistant, who has a mental health degree and is knowledgable and experienced in psychological evaluations. 
• Email and text message is heavily preferred due to the in-person nature of my appointments.  
• Please no shoes on furniture. You are welcome to remove your shoes and wear clean socks on the furniture. 
• If you are observing a child's evaluation, please bring a quiet activity, such as a book, headphones, laptop, etc. Watching videos, continuous chatter, answering calls, or other loud activities in the testing office actively disrupts your child and is not how the tests are meant to be administered. You are welcome to step outside in the hallway to take a call, or wait in the waiting area to watch TV, etc. 
• Please ask if you have any additional questions! I try to make my office a homey and comfortable spot, but there are certain requirements and structure which needs to remain in place given the nature of a psychological evaluation.