The Psychological Evaluation 

 

 

 

   A psychological evaluation is a comprehensive report that combines background information, past history of the problem, family history, developmental history, medical history, substance use & abuse history, cultural history, educational history, occupational history, social history, past psychological history, and current mental status with the findings on objective, subjective, and projective psychological testing instruments.  

   The type of psychological instruments used are both valid and reliable measures of the domains they assess.  The findings across multiple instruments are viewed and interpreted within the context of your personal histories.  A psychological evaluation can capture years and decades of psychological data and functioning in a matter of days. 

 

    It is one of the most powerful tools a psychologist can utilize and it is what uniquely separates psychologists from other types of licensed counselors and therapists.

 

   A psychological evaluation can be used to diagnose learning disorders, neuropsychological, behavioral, emotional and other psychological problems that may interfere with performance, functioning, activities of daily living, interpersonal & social relationships, learning and education.  

 

   It could explain poor performance in specific academic areas, difficulty retaining certain types of information, and illuminate what special accommodations are needed for personal, professional, and academic success.    

 

   It can also document current level of psychological functioning after a serious accident, surgery, trauma, or injury.  It can also uncover deep seated psychological issues that are not easily understood by you, that is outside of your awareness, and issues that are possibly the cornerstone of psychological and emotional problems.

   A psychological evaluation can also be used to aid the psychologist in differentiating, diagnosing, and treating serious psychological problems in children, adolescents and adults; aid primary care physicians in confirming a psychological diagnosis due to a medical condition, aid attorneys and courts in determining emotional & mental injury, competence, parental custody, rehabilitation, documenting a disability or serious psychological disturbances.  

   A psychological evaluation can be court-ordered, done through a referral by your physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist (or therapist), or can be self-referred / parent or legal guardian referred.  The evaluation is release to third parties only with your written consent, or by court-order.

 

   The psychological evaluation utilizes a combination of self-report inventories and questionnaires, objective testing based on norms, and projective testing.   Information obtained in the evaluation can help determine the nature, extent, and severity of psychological problems.  

   A psychological evaluation can also help children, parents, and adult clients to better understand their behaviors and can be used as powerful feedback for making positive changes in life. 

   This is a sample of how my typical psychological evaluations are structured (and I include all of the scores, percentiles, and data – to include graphs, tables, etc). From selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting all data collected, I assess the following five domains - which may vary - depending on age and presenting problem:
 

Intelligence – Verbal (Verbal Comprehension), Nonverbal (Perceptual Reasoning), and Working Memory, Processing Speed  
Achievement – Reading (Decoding, Rate, Comprehension) Mathematics (Calculation, Application), Written Language (Spelling, Written Expression) 
Cognitive Processing – Attention, Oral Language, Listening Comprehension, Phonographic Processing, Orthographic Processing, Cognitive Fluency, Academic Fluency & Automaticity, Memory for Learning, Auditory Memory, Visual Memory, Retention & Retrieval of Information, Executive Functions, Visual Spatial, Visual Motor, Visual Perceptual 
Emotional – Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Drug/Alcohol, Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity /Impulsivity, Traumatic Events,, Personality 
Behavioral – Behavioral Regulation (Shift, Inhibit, Emotional Control), Metacognition (Planning/ Organizing, Monitoring, Initiate), Functional Communication, Social Skills, Study Skills, Adaptability (Aggression, Anxiety, Conduct Problems), Somatization, Leadership, Learning Problems, Withdrawal 
Diagnosis – From this information, I give you my diagnostic impression across all 5 axes of the DSM-IV-TR.  If a differential diagnosis is needed, I include which diagnoses still need to be ruled-out. 
Recommendations – Then, I give you a list of recommendations for home & school and/or work, and let you know if further consultation with a physician, pediatrician, a developmental pediatrician, or a psychiatrist is warranted and why, based on the findings of the evaluation.  The report is then used by schools to set up an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) – (in the case of students in K-12), or disability services (for college or university students), so that you can get the needed accommodations and services in school, or work to document and justify special accommodations and equipment needed under the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and  Title I & Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.