FAQ
Should I have my child assessed?
There are many reasons that parents seek an evaluation for their child, including:
- Frustrations at home and/or school that are not understood
- Wanting to know if your child has ADHD, Autism, or a Learning Disability
- The desire to access services that require a diagnosis (IEP, 504)
- The desire to understand your child’s learning style, strengths and weakness, and how to best support him at home and at school
If you have unanswered questions and are feeling “blocked” as to how to best help your child, then getting an assessment completed can be the first step to moving forward. Getting an assessment can help get answers to your questions, assist you in understanding your child, and provide a direction for help.
As an adult, should I get an assessment?
As an adult, you may feel you have had a long history of difficulty or the feeling that something is “just not quite right”. You may have read about ADHD, Learning Disabilities, or Autism Spectrum and identified with the description. You may feel as though your life is not “working” the way you would like for it to. In cases such as this, getting an assessment can help pinpoint where the areas of difficulty lie so they can be addressed and you can move forward.
Do you diagnose?
Yes, after conducting a complete evaluation we analyze the information we have obtained and provide you with a diagnosis, if one is warranted. Receiving a diagnosis can help you access services (e.g., IEP, college accommodations). A diagnosis can also be helpful as a tool to guide you to the types of interventions that work best for your situation.
How much time does the testing take?
The length of testing time varies depending on what questions you need answered. Below you will find some typical testing times:
ADHD evaluation: This can be done in one or two visits, depending on your preference. It takes about 3-4.5 hours to complete the testing.
Autism Evaluation: This is usually completed in two sessions. The testing time for the person who is being evaluated is usually about 3-4.5 hours. There is also a parent interview that lasts 1.5-3 hours. If possible, is recommended that both children and adults have the parent interview portion of the Autism Evaluation completed.
Learning Evaluation: This can be completed in one or two visits. The learning evaluation typically takes 3-5 hours depending of the questions that need to be answered.
Gifted Evaluation: Gifted evaluations are completed in one visit and last about 1.5 hours.
How long will I have to wait to get the report?
At Mountain Vista Psychology, we believe it is important for you to get the results of the assessment as soon as possible. We understand that once you have decided to have an assessment completed, you would like to get the results so you can utilize the information. Two to Three weeks after all data has been collected and the report draft is written, your examiner will
schedule a telehealth feedback session. This session will review your testing results, any diagnoses,
and recommendations for next steps. Please note that the feedback session typically occurs between 4-6
weeks after your testing session, but could take longer if it takes more time to receive rating schedules and schedule collateral interviews.
