Call us: 754-210-7175
Double click here to add text.
Consultation and Collaboration:
It is important that parents, schools, and mental health professionals work together to achieve the best outcome for the child being evaluated or treated. At Pediatric PsychSolutions P.A. our psychologists can meet with school personnel to provide diagnostic clarifications and recommendations for the school setting when needed. We are available to attend meetings at the school site to collaborate with teachers, provide trainings and workshops for educators and support staff, and consult with other mental health professionals on diversity and school mental health issues.
Our Services
Pediatric PsychSolutions, P.A takes special care to understand the unique needs of each of our clients in order to provide quality services that exceed expectations. Our diverse team can help whether you are interested in counseling, consultation, or scheduling a psychological evaluation for your child. If unsure of whether or not your child or adolescent is in need of an evaluation, or if you are simply unsure of the type of evaluation your child needs please contact us. We will gladly provide assistance with a brief complimentary phone consultation.
Counseling:
Counseling is a collaborative process in which a unique, confidential helping relationship is developed between a clinician and a willing client. In this relationship, the clinician acts as a facilitator whose role is to help the client better understand himself and the world around him/her. The clinician and the client explore the client's current situation, his/her feelings and behaviors, his choices and decisions, as well as his relationships with others.
Psychological Evaluation:
A psychological evaluation is the process of testing that uses a combination of techniques to help arrive at some hypotheses about a person and his/her behavior, personality and ability. Several domains are assessed during the evaluation depending on the reason for the referral. Intelligence testing consists of an extensive evaluation of a child's cognitive strengths and weaknesses, which can include assessing for developmental delays, intellectual giftedness, intellectual disabilities, school readiness, language and communication skills, nonverbal reasoning skills, and processing speed. Achievement testing consists of determining a child's skill level in the areas of reading, mathematics and writing. It is usually a key component in a psychoeducational assessment which can determine if a child may need individualized services such as tutoring, small-group interventions, or special education. Typically, parents request psychoeducational evaluations in order to find out their child's learning preference, and obtain detailed educational recommendations that can be used by the school. Neuropsychological testing focuses on testing in the areas of memory and attention skills, including testing for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It usually also includes an assessment of executive functioning skills, such as planning and organizational skills. Socio-emotional and personality testing focus on children's behavioral, emotional, and social skills, which may affect their functioning at home and at school. The following steps are typically taken during a psychological evaluation:
* Step 1: Bio-Psychosocial (BPS) Interview. At this stage, the clinician meets with the child‘s parent for an in-depth interview where the child’s developmental, medical, academic, behavioral, and social-emotional history is obtained. This interview lasts approximately 90 minutes.
* Step 2: Testing Sessions: Once consent has been granted by the child’s parents to do so, a visit is scheduled to the child’s school for a classroom observation. Rating scales are provided to parents and teachers to obtain input on the child’s behavior across settings. Testing sessions, which typically take an average of 9 direct contact hours with the child, are usually scheduled in blocks of 3 hours over a 2-week period. There are times, however, where the reason for the referral or the child’s motivation, attention and pace may require additional sessions. There are other times where a child is motivated enough to complete testing in 1 or 2 sessions. In either one of those scenarios, we will accommodate the individual need of each client.
* Step 3: Scoring, Interpretation and Report Writing: A comprehensive report is then written, which includes the testing findings as well as the clinician’s recommendations to better address the child’s needs, if any, at home, school, and in the community.
* Step 4: Feedback session: Approximately ten business days after the last session, the parents are invited back into the office and the test results are then reviewed with them. The report is then finalized and made available to them.
