Evaluation Services
Autism
I have several years of experience providing neurodiversity-affirming Autism evaluations for children as young as 12 months through young adults. These are comprehensive assessments that include cognitive, adaptive, language, social, behavioral, and psychological assessment. I am also familiar with the unique aspects of females who are Autistic as well as Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profiles. Throughout all of my assessments, I work from a neurodiversity-affirming paradigm.
School Independent Educational Evaluations
My initial training was within schools and I continue to be passionate about supporting schools as they educate our children. There are times when a parent and a school may disagree about a child’s eligibility for special education services or what that child needs, or when a school needs more insight into a child’s development. In these cases, I am able to provide Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) at a school’s request, especially involving concerns about supporting neurodivergent and/or twice-exceptional learners of all ages.
Gifted and Twice-exceptional
I have completed many evaluations related to giftedness and for twice-exceptional (2e) learners. Additionally, I have specific training in this area. I am able to provide evaluations for children who require these services for private school admission as well as for parents seeking more information about how to support their gifted or high ability learner. I am also familiar with the unique presentation and challenges that present with twice-exceptional children from early childhood to young adulthood.
Intellectual Assessment
Parents often become concerned about their children initially when they are not meeting developmental milestones or when their child is not making expected progress in school, despite school-based intervention. Many of these children benefit from intellectual assessment to gain more information about their intellectual abilities and level of learning. We can generally evaluate intellectual abilities in children by three or four years old, depending on language skills, although I prefer to evaluate these children beginning when they are five or six years old.
Learning Concerns and ADHD
Parents are often the first person aware of their child’s learning differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia. Unfortunately, insurance does not generally cover assessment for learning concerns and many parents have reported frustration as schools may be hesitant to evaluate for these concerns, especially in younger children. I am able to evaluate children for ADHD and learning disabilities beginning when they are between 5 and 6 years old, depending on the concern.
Young Adult Assessment
Young adults often struggle to gain access to evaluation services. Insurance generally will not pay for evaluation related to learning concerns, although research indicates that many neurodivergent people, especially those who may be twice-exceptional, are not identified or diagnosed until adulthood. Furthermore, insurance will not generally pay for evaluation services related to a prior diagnosis. This often leaves young adults in a position in which it is difficult to get information about their current concerns and to identify and access resources related to those concerns. I am able to provide evaluations and re-evaluations for neurodivergent young adults 18-25 years old.