Psychological Assessment (18+)
Evaluations are conducted in person at our Assessment Center in Palo Alto, CA or Pleasanton, CA, or via telehealth.
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What Is a Psychological Assessment?
Psychological assessment could mean many different things for adults. The main purpose of psychological assessment for adults is trying to give you a better understanding of your brain health and emotions.
Psychological assessment helps define your cognitive strengths and weaknesses. This is a “snapshot” of your brain or cognitive functioning and your emotional health.
There are formal and informal modes of assessment. At Merit Psychology Group, we pride ourselves on standardized and research-driven assessment.
Contact us to find out more!
Types of Psychological Assessments We Provide
- ADHD Evaluation
- Learning Disorder Evaluation (Dyslexia, Reading, Language)
- Diagnostic assessment (i.e. emotional health assessment)
- Assessment for accommodations for LSAT, MCAT, GRE
- 3rd Party Reproductive evaluations (intended parent, gestational carrier)
- Neuropsychological assessment (memory)
ADHD Evaluation
What is ADHD?
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition (i.e., develops in childhood) and can cause symptoms of inattention (pervasive trouble focusing visually and aurally), hyperactivity (feeling restless, on the go, or driven by a motor), and impulsivity (not being able to stop yourself from acting despite consequences).
- ADHD starts in childhood (and usually families start to see concerns when children are school-aged or sometimes younger. It is a condition that continues through adolescence and adulthood.
- ADHD can be diagnosed later in adulthood but there are sometimes overlapping reasons for inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that also have to be evaluated as an adult.
- ADHD in children can cause trouble in school performance but it can also lower a child's self-esteem and can have a significant impact on social interactions.
- When children don't have the coping skills to manage the symptoms of ADHD, they sometimes experience school avoidance, and behavioral acting out.
- For teens and young adults, ADHD which is not identified until later in life can also have an emotional and psychological impact.
- Often by the time children age into teens, they have anxiety and depression around school performance which can manifest as defiance, anger, intolerance to challenging situations, and avoidance of things they normally enjoy.
- It is important to assess children as early as possible for these concerns. That is why Merit Psychology Group, A Professional Psychology Corporation believes in comprehensive assessment to tailor interventions and support growth and learning.
What Are The Steps Of An ADHD Evaluation?
Step #1: Initial Interview
- ADHD evaluations take a hybrid approach.
- There will be a 60-90 minute parent and child/teen interview or if you are an adult a 60-90 minute interview by telehealth with you about your developmental history.
Step #2: In-Person Assessment*
- You will then come in person for a 4.5-5 hour session. During this session, you will be asked to do challenges and brain teasers that look at all areas of brain function. This includes intelligence, memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, visual abilities, hearing, and achievement.
- These sessions can be broken up into 2 sessions or one long session.
Step #3: Review and Feedback
- Once the assessment is complete, results are reviewed and a feedback session is scheduled for 60 minutes by telehealth. Feedback sessions provide your diagnosis, recommendations for additional services or treatment, and a treatment plan.
Step #4: Detailed Report
- Following feedback, you will receive a detailed report about your performances and abilities to help you get moving toward getting the care you need.
- *It is important to note that assessments can be done via telehealth fully but Merit Psychology Group, A Professional Psychology Corporation prides itself in being able to support in-person patient care quickly and efficiently.
Learning Disorder Evaluation
What Is a Learning Disorder?
- Learning disorders are problems that start in childhood and affect the way you process school-based information but also information you take in from the world around you.
- Types of learning disorders include: Math-based learning disorders (a common type is dyscalculia), reading-based learning disorders (a common type is dyslexia), and writing-based learning disorders (a common type is Dysgraphia).
- Learning disorders make it hard for children to stay at their age-based learning level which means they fall behind in classes and cannot keep up with peers, or may struggle to complete tests, exams, homework, projects, or classroom-based tasks.
- There are times when children and teens who have learning disorders are not diagnosed because they have significant behavioral problems that mislead the adults, teachers, and providers who are trying to support them.
- Children and teens can express themselves poorly around these disorders and your child may say they just "don't like math" when there may be an underlying neurological reason (i.e., learning disorder) that is getting in the way.
- If you are an adult and these concerns sound like a good description of you and how you grew up, then it may be beneficial as an adult to investigate whether or not you have been living with an undiagnosed learning disorder.
What Are the Steps of a Learning Disorder Evaluation?
Step #1: Initial Interview
- Learning disorder evaluations take a hybrid approach.
- There will be a 60-90 minute parent and child/teen interview or if you are an adult a 60-90 minute interview by telehealth with you about your developmental history.
Step #2: In-Person Assessment*
- You will then come in person for a 4-hour session. During this session, you will be asked to do challenges and brain teasers that look at areas of brain function but have a special focus on learning-related areas of the brain. This includes intelligence, executive function, processing speed, visual abilities, hearing, and achievement.
- These sessions can be broken up into 2 sessions or one long session.
Step #3: Review and Feedback
- Once the assessment is complete, results are reviewed and a feedback session is scheduled for 60 minutes by telehealth. Feedback sessions provide your diagnosis, recommendations for additional services or treatment, and a treatment plan.
Step #4: Detailed Report and Feedback
- Following feedback, you will receive a detailed report about your performances and abilities to help you get moving toward getting the care you need.
- *It is important to note that assessments are completed by providers who are trained in the intricacies of school-based learning and brain function.
Diagnostic Assessment (i.e. Emotional Health Assessment)
What is a Mental Health Disorder, and Why Would I Need a Diagnostic Assessment?
- Diagnostic assessments are often helpful for adults seeking clarification around certain behaviors or concerns they have.
- Adults can sometimes learn or develop behaviors that are the result of a mental health condition, and having a diagnostic or psychological assessment can point you in the direction of getting the support you need.
- Sometimes clients want a psychological assessment because they feel like they could be doing things in relationships differently.
- Also, clients want a psychological assessment because they have had a recent onset of mental health symptoms that are confusing to them.
- Sometimes clients want a second opinion or recommendations when they have previously been diagnosed.
- There can also be a desire to have a psychological or diagnostic assessment to bring to a doctor or physician to get adjunctive or supportive treatments like medication, TMS, ECT, EMDR, or Bariatric surgery.
What Are the Steps of a Diagnostic Assessment or Psychological Evaluation?
Step #1: Initial Interview
- This is a fully remote service with the option to also complete it fully in person.
- There will be a 90-120 minute interview with you about your life history.
- You will be emailed several surveys and questionnaires that are required as part of the assessment.
Step #2: Review and Feedback Session*
- Once the assessment is complete, results are reviewed and a feedback session is scheduled for 60 minutes by telehealth. Feedback sessions provide your diagnosis, recommendations for additional services or treatment, and a treatment plan.
Step #3: Detailed Report
- Following feedback, you will receive a detailed report about your performance and abilities to help you get moving toward getting the care you need.
- *It is important to note that assessments are completed by providers who are trained in the intricacies of school-based learning and brain function.
Assessment for Accommodations for LSAT, MCAT, GRE
What is an Assessment for Accommodations?
- National testing services are required to provide reasonable accommodations to test takers with disabilities.
- Despite laws, students have to be self-advocates and get all documentation prepared in advance.
- Some testing services request documentation be mailed at least six weeks before the registration deadline to be reviewed for approval of accommodations.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers (PRAXIS) tests are all part of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) testing series.
- Most graduate schools require students to take the GRE or GMAT (business students) exams for entrance.
- The TOEFL is required of students who speak English as a second language.
- The PRAXIS series is required for teacher certification in some states.
- To request accommodations on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a student with a disability should consult the official MCAT website
- Information can be found at MCAT Exam with Accommodations
- Students requesting Law School Admission Test (LSAT) accommodations should already be registered to take the test.
- For information about the LSAT, consult the website: Law School Admission Council's Policy on Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities
What Are the Steps of an Accommodation Evaluation?
Step #1: Initial Interview
- Accommodation evaluations take a hybrid approach.
- There will be a 60-90 minute interview by telehealth with you about your history.
Step #2: In-Person Assessment Session*
- You will then come in person for a 4.5-5 hour session. During this session, you will be asked to do challenges and brain teasers that look at all areas of brain function. This includes intelligence, memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, visual abilities, hearing, and achievement.
- These sessions can be broken up into 2 sessions or one long session.
Step #3: Review and Feedback Session
- Once the assessment is complete, results are reviewed and a feedback session is scheduled for 60 minutes by telehealth. Feedback sessions provide your diagnosis, recommendations for additional services or treatment, and a treatment plan for your test.
Step #4: Detailed Report
- Following feedback, you will receive a detailed report about your performances and abilities to help you get moving toward getting the care you need.
- *It is important to note that assessments can be done via telehealth fully but Merit Psychology Group, A Professional Psychology Corporation prides itself in being able to support in-person patient care quickly and efficiently.
3rd Party Reproductive Evaluations (Intended Parent, Gestational Carrier)
What is a 3rd Party Reproductive Evaluation?
- Infertility is when a couple is not able to become pregnant after a year of trying.
- Third-party reproduction refers to the use of eggs, sperm, or embryos that have been donated by a third person (donor) to enable an infertile individual or couple (intended recipient) to become parents.
- A gestational carrier (GC), also called a gestational surrogate, is an arrangement where a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person (intended parent[s]).
- The ideal GC is a healthy woman between the ages of 21 and 45 who has had a successful term pregnancy and has a supportive family environment to help her cope with the added stress of pregnancy.
- Psychological testing for a GC and their partner (if appropriate) can occur.
What Are the Steps of a 3rd Party Reproductive Evaluation?
Step #1: Clinical Interview
- All people involved will participate in a clinical interview which takes 60-90 minutes.
Step #2: Psychological Testing
- Psychological testing may be performed at the discretion of the evaluator this can involve online surveys as well as in-person testing.
Step #3: Report Submission
- A report will be provided directly to the agency where the GC and intended parents are getting services, the GC and intended parents will not get copies of the results.
- *It is important to note that assessments can be done via telehealth fully but Merit Psychology Group, A Professional Psychology Corporation prides itself in being able to support in-person patient care quickly and efficiently.
Neuropsychological Assessment
What is a Neuropsychological Assessment?
- A neuropsychology assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of cognitive and behavioral abilities using a set of standardized tests and procedures.
- The specific tests administered depend on the referral question.
- The evaluation is helpful to determine the presence, nature, and severity of cognitive challenges.
- A baseline neuropsychological assessment can allow someone to monitor for future changes in one’s abilities in the event of an illness or injury or after treatments.
- Neuropsychological assessment helps with the detection and evaluation of cognitive problems in the absence of obvious changes in the brain (possibly from an MRI or other imaging).
- Psychological factors such as depression and trauma can contribute to cognitive challenges and show up on neuropsychological assessment results.
- Various mental abilities can be tested which include:
- Intelligence
- Attention and concentration
- Learning and memory
- Problem-solving
- Reasoning
- Planning
- Organization
- Language and Speech
- Spatial abilities
- Sensory and motor abilities
- Emotional symptoms
- Changes or new behavior
- Personality styles and traits
What Are the Steps of a Neuropsychological Assessment?
Step #1: Initial Interview
- Neuropsychological assessments take a hybrid approach.
- There will be a 60-90 minute interview by telehealth with you about your history.
Step #2: In-Person Assessment Session
- You will then come in person for a 5-hour session. During this session, you will be asked to do challenges and brain teasers that look at all areas of brain function.
- These sessions can be broken up into 2 sessions or one long session.
Step #3: Review and Feedback Session
- Once the assessment is complete, results are reviewed and a feedback session is scheduled for 60 minutes by telehealth. Feedback sessions provide your diagnosis, recommendations for additional services or treatment, and a treatment plan for your test.
Step #4: Detailed Report and Recommendations
- Following feedback, you will receive a detailed report about your performances and abilities to help you get moving toward getting the care you need.
- Recommendations can be made for cognitive disorders and psychological adjustment, that may help guide rehabilitation, educational, vocational, or other services.
- *It is important to note that assessments can be done via telehealth fully but Merit Psychology Group, A Professional Psychology Corporation prides itself in being able to support in-person patient care quickly and efficiently.