Psychological Assessment

What is an evaluation?

Psychological Assessment services at Understanding Archer include looking at the “whole child”. We take a comprehensive look at the child, including speech, cognitive, adaptive, fine motor, gross motor, visual motor processing, sensory processing, and social skills. If you have concerns about your child’s development, a thorough developmental evaluation can provide insight on how their brain works. It can provide guidance on how best to support their development. At Understanding Archer, we provide support beyond just the evaluation. We can provide guidance on outside resources for your child and can consult with therapists, schools, or others in their “village”.

Email admin@understandingarcher.com to get started.

Developmental Evaluations (Ages 0-5)

Concerns

Developmental delays
Kindergarten readiness
Speech delays
Behavior concerns
Autism
Anxiety
ADHD
Attachment
Prematurity
Genetic disorders
Intellectual disability
Social concerns
Sensory processing

Services Offered

Standard Assessment Package
- Parent interview (done virtually)
- Evaluation (typically done over several hours in a single day)
- Parent and teacher rating scales
- Comprehensive report including and explanation of findings, diagnosis (if any), recommendations and referrals
- Parent feedback session (done virtually)
Optional Additional Services
- Classroom observation
- Post feedback consultations with school or therapists
- ARD meetings

Should I wait until they start school to have my child evaluated?

“Wait and see” is not a phrase that we use at Understanding Archer. We believe the early years of brain development are the best time to encourage positive development during this period of active growth. In addition, extra support during the early years can often prevent longer times of intervention in older years, which can save time and money down the road. Later detection of developmental delays can also cause bad habits to form or stress to develop in a child. Addressing these early can help prevent a wider gap in developmental skills.

If you have concerns about your child, we encourage you to reach out for a consultation to see how Understanding Archer can suport you and your child.

My child is already in therapies, why would an assessment now be helpful?

While individual speech pathologists, occupational therapists, play therapists and similar are masters in their area of expertise, an evaluation from Understanding Archer looks at the “whole child” and can connect the dots between various interventions that the child is currently receiving. We can also consult with all of the child’s providers to make sure all interventionist are working for similar goals to more efficiently promote your child’s healthy development.

Why is the evaluation process so expensive?

In short, because they take a lot of time and expertise to complete. We provide a “package cost” so that we can provide a thorough evaluation, which results in you having a more complete understanding of your child’s developmental needs. However, there can be financial benefits to you from the evaluation. The final report can provided recommendations on school or therapies that may best benefit your child, reducing the time spent “guessing” on how best to support them. In addition, because services are provided through a licensed mental health provider, any diagnosis is considered a medical diagnosis and may be recognized by insurance for potential coverage of therapies. Parent finances are taken into consideration when services are recommended and can be part of an open discussion of next steps for your child. Note that Understanding Archer can not confirm that a particular insurance provider will cover the therapies that it recommends, and assumes no financial liability for the cost of any recommended therapies. Parents should verify benefits with parents on their own.

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