Comprehensive Psychological Evaluations
We offer a variety of assessment and intervention services for individuals. Our assessment process differs depending on the specific concern and may change as our team learns more about the client. If you are interested in an autism spectrum disorder evaluation, please visit the Diagnostic Autism Evaluation page.
About the Psychoeducational Evaluation Process
First, contact us
If you believe your child may benefit from an evaluation at the UGA School Psychology Clinic, first contact the clinic and speak with the clinic coordinator. The clinic coordinator is available to answer questions, explain the process, discuss the referring concern, and make appointments.
Leading up to your appointment
After you have made an appointment, we will send you a packet of information with a confirmation of the appointment, information about the evaluation and payment options, directions to our clinic, and a parking pass. Rating scales for parents and teachers to complete may be sent via traditional mail, email, or a combination.
The graduate student clinician assigned to your child's case will contact you one to two weeks prior to the appointment. He or she will ask more in-depth questions in order to ensure that we address all of your concerns during the evaluation and to answer any questions you may have about the evaluation.
After your appointment
We conduct a feedback session about two weeks after the evaluation. This is also when we share the results of the evaluation along with any diagnoses. The most important part of our evaluation process is determining what steps might be taken to assist you and your child in overcoming any behavioral or academic challenges he/she may be encountering in or outside of school. Thus, a major component of the feedback session and the report to be provided to you will be a set of recommendations to help address these challenges. The official psychoeducational report will be mailed to you after the feedback session.
The evaluation process differs depending on the specific referral concern and occasionally will change as our team learns more about the client throughout the assessment.
ADHD Evaluations
We will likely ask that your child arrive unmedicated, but that you bring the medicine with you. We will administer several measures while the child is off-medication and then resume testing once the medicine has taken effect.
- An IQ test specifically designed for children/teens to measure general cognitive abilities
- A broad achievement test to measure academic abilities in all areas
- Review of previous evaluations, grades, test scores, etc.
- Measures of visual and/or auditory sustained attention
- Measures of executive functioning
- Child observation (either in school or in clinic)
- Measures of social-emotional and behavioral functioning
- Child and parent interviews
Behavioral Concerns
- An IQ test specifically designed for children/teens to measure general cognitive abilities
- A broad achievement test to measure academic abilities in all areas
- Review of previous evaluations, grades, test scores, etc.
- Child observation (either in school or in clinic)
- Measures of social-emotional and behavioral functioning
- Child and parent interviews
Intellectual Disability Evaluation
- An IQ test specifically designed for children/teens to measure general cognitive abilities
- Follow-up cognitive measures (i.e., a second full length IQ test, an abbreviated IQ test, a nonverbal IQ test, and/or measures of specific cognitive processes)
- A broad achievement test to measure academic abilities in all areas
- Review of previous evaluations, grades, test scores, etc.
- Measures of adaptive functioning
- Social-emotional and behavioral screeners
- Child and parent interviews
Specific Learning Disability Evaluation
- An IQ test specifically designed for children/teens to measure general cognitive abilities
- A broad achievement test to measure academic abilities in all areas
- Narrow-band tests in the academic area of concern (i.e., reading, writing, math)
- Review of previous evaluations, grades, test scores, etc.
- Social-emotional and behavioral screeners
- Child and parent interviews
Clinicians
Ashley Harrison, PhD
Dr. Harrison graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in clinical psychology. Harrison was trained in behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapies and specializes in child-focused assessment and treatment. More specifically, she has extensive experience conducting ASD diagnostic evaluations using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.
Chitra Pidaparti, PhD
Dr. Pidaparti obtained her doctorate in educational psychology from Indiana University Bloomington in 2000. She is a licensed psychologist and has extensive training and expertise in diagnostic assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Social-Emotional Concerns