Assessment April!
You know what they say, April showers bring… encouragement to schedule yourself or your child for assessment services before summer begins – Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard someone say that before 😊
At Viewpoint, we offer both therapy and assessment services to the Greater Cincinnati, Northern and Central Kentucky areas (check out the March blog post below with more information about Viewpoint’s new office location offering these services to the Georgetown, KY area)!
Viewpoint’s psychological assessment experience can vary widely depending on your unique situation and goals. Viewpoint’s talented psychologists consider this throughout the assessment process by curating your assessment experience based on your specific questions and needs!
What questions and needs may be addressed through assessment? Assessment services can provide insight into understanding personal challenges, strengths, and other aspects of functioning.
Both children and adults can benefit from participating in assessment services too! Whether you are interested in accessing medication, accommodations at school, work, or just gaining more insight about yourself, we can help!
What does Viewpoint’s assessment process look like? The typical structure of the assessment process at Viewpoint includes an initial interview, testing, then feedback. Read more about each of these steps, and the many assessment services offered at Viewpoint, below!
Step 1: Initial Interview The first step in this process would be scheduling an initial interview. During this appointment, you will participate in a comprehensive clinical interview. This will help your clinician understand your concerns, gather relevant information, and develop a personalized assessment plan. The more specific you can be about your goals, the better we can tailor the evaluation to your needs!
Step 2: Testing After the initial interview, the person being assessed would participate in a testing appointment (typically 2-4 hours total).
Step 3: Feedback The final step in the assessment process is meeting for your feedback session! This appointment is usually scheduled just a few weeks after all the testing is completed, and the relevant assessment forms are returned.
The feedback session is a detailed conversation and review of your report, which includes the interpretation of your test data/results, your diagnostic decision, and personalized recommendations!
Your report and recommendations will also help qualify for/inform academic or work-based accommodations (i.e., Individualized Education Plans [IEPs], 504 Plans, Individualized Learning Plans [ILPs], ACT/SAT) and medical/psychological care.
Your final report will be yours to share with whomever you want to share it with! Common examples of who you may share your report with could be your child’s school, pediatrician, or your own doctor.
What are my assessment options at Viewpoint? Now that you’ve read more about how participating in the assessment process can be helpful and what participating in the assessment process would be like, here is a list of the comprehensive testing options offered at Viewpoint:
· Learning disorders (ages 6 and up): helpful when experiencing challenges with learning (especially in school).
· ADHD (ages 5 and up): helpful when experiencing challenges with inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive functioning (organization, motivation, starting and/or finishing tasks, following directions, and emotion dysregulation).
· Autism (ages 6 and up): helpful when experiencing challenges with social functioning or communication.
· Personality disorders: helpful when experiencing persistent challenges with relationships with others socially, at work, or in other areas of life.
· Mood problems: helpful when experiencing challenges with regulating and understanding emotional functioning.
Find more information about what type of assessment might be right for you or your child in our assessment referral guide below!
Although it might seem reasonable to wait to pursue an assessment until closer to the start of next school year, or when things have gotten so challenging that it feels absolutely necessary, we recommend scheduling assessments as soon as possible! Getting yourself or your child scheduled for services now can allow for more scheduling options with Viewpoint’s skilled clinicians, peace of mind, and important preparation for the next school year or accessing other forms of support. Generally, you will avoid the wait that often occurs at the beginning of the school year, and get answers and solutions faster, so why wait? Interested in learning more about our therapy or assessment services? We can help!
We look forward to working with you soon---Dr. Libby Wertz& Dr. Chelsea Esmeier; Director of Assessment
To get started with one of our therapists, fill out our online intake form here or callour intake coordinator, Kim, at 859.594.7346!
