Psychological Evaluations & Assessments
Comprehensive Evaluation, Informative Answers
Psychologists at Kindred Psychology offer psychological evaluations and assessments to help clarify a variety of referral questions. We work with people of all ages, children through the elderly, to provide individually-tailored assessments such as:
- ADHD evaluations
- Learning Disability (LD) evaluations
- Academic and testing accommodations
- Evaluations for diagnostic clarification
- Hormone readiness evaluations for transgender care
- Pre-surgical readiness evaluations for gender and bariatric needs
We understand that undergoing a psychological evaluation can be a complex, confusing, and time-consuming process. To help simplify matters, we developed a framework for the process, which we call Six Sequential Steps.
Step 1: Referral Question
In order to complete a psychological evaluation, clients first present with a referral question. This question might originate in such situations as a suspected learning difficulty, the need for clarification about a mental health diagnosis, or ascertain a person’s readiness to begin hormones or undergo a surgical intervention. To complete Step 1, please submit an Evaluation Request to provide us with the information needed to schedule an appointment with an appropriate provider.
Step 2: Diagnostic Interview
During the second step of the psychological evaluation process, you will meet with a psychologist for a diagnostic interview, which usually lasts 1 – 1 1/2 hours. Diagnostic interviews help us thoroughly understand the difficulties you are experiencing. We also use this interview to determine whether psychological testing is indeed necessary to answer your referral question. If there are additional records that would be useful to review in the evaluation process, we will obtain your written permission to request these records during this step.
Step 3: Data Collection
In the third step of the psychological evaluation process, objective data is collected through testing with the client. The testing process is highly individualized and specific to the referral question. Data collection and testing may include tasks such as completing personality or symptom inventories on an iPad; having teachers, partners, and/or parents complete rating scales; participating in structured tasks or activities with the psychologist; taking tests to measure aspects of thinking, reasoning, and memory.
Step 4: Scoring and Integration
During the fourth step of the psychological evaluation process, the psychologist scores and integrates information from the diagnostic interview, records obtained, and results from all of the data collected in Step 3. A preliminary written report summarizing assessment findings and offering tentative recommendations for interventions and/or accommodations will be prepared. We will use this preliminary written report to guide our feedback session, which is Step 5.
Step 5: Feedback Session
During Step Five, we will conduct a feedback session with you to review all of the information gathered during the psychological evaluation process and provide the answers to your referral question. We will use a preliminary written report summarizing assessment findings and tentative recommendations for interventions and/or accommodations to guide this session. Any additional context needed to understand the findings will be gathered so that the comprehensive psychological evaluation may be written and shared.
Step 6: Sharing the Psychological Evaluation
Following the feedback session, the psychologist finalizes the written psychological evaluation document. This comprehensive document includes the referral question, summary of assessment findings, final recommendations for interventions, instructional strategies, treatment planning, and any necessary accommodations. We will share this document according to your written specifications.
Our psychological evaluations provide specific explanation of any mental health condition or disability, how the mental health condition or disability is likely to present in the individual’s life, as well as outlining the data-driven learning, instructional, and treatment strategies that will be most beneficial. In addition, accommodations for diagnosed mental health conditions or disabilities may include:
- Modified instructional formats
- Preferred seating
- Testing in a distraction-free environment
- Additional time on testing, coursework, assignments
- Use of assistive technologies
- Use of a reader or note-taker
Before initiating testing, we work with you to develop a written financial plan for assessment services. Your insurance company may cover assessment services if they are considered medically necessary. We will obtain any pre-authorization that is necessary on the part of the provider’s office. It will also be important for you to call your insurance company so you are informed about specific benefits, coverage, and costs. You may also choose to pay out-of-pocket for assessment services.
Please note: We do not provide evaluations that are considered to be forensic in nature, as this is not a specialization of the psychologists in our office. Forensic evaluations include sex offense risk assessments for youth or adults, nonsexual violence risk assessments, child custody evaluations, parent-child attachment assessments, competency to stand trial assessments, malingering evaluations, or evaluations/letters advocating the necessity of emotional support animals. For individuals seeking forensic assessment services in the Lincoln, NE area, we recommend Strategic Psychological Services.
To learn more about our assessment services, please connect with our Client Coordination Team.