What is a psychological assessment?
A psychological assessment uses validated test measures to learn about a person’s cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. Test measures can include interviews, questionnaires, and interactive tests. A psychologist integrates the test results with behavioral observations and background history to develop a deeper understanding of a person and how best to help them.
I work from a model called Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment (CTA), which differs from a traditional psychological assessment in some ways. Learn more here.
Rather than focusing solely on diagnosis, I emphasize understanding the whole child and the family context. Sometimes test data aligns with a clear diagnosis, and sometimes it reveals a more nuanced picture. My goal is to help you make sense of your child’s unique strengths, challenges, and needs, and to offer practical guidance that fits your family.
A psychological assessment is not a quick fix, but it is a process that provides clarity, direction, and hope. It serves as a road map, supporting you with new perspectives and concrete next steps for growth and healing.
How do I know if an assessment is right for us?
A collaborative/therapeutic assessment can be especially helpful when you want a deeper, more holistic understanding of your child or family’s strengths and challenges. This process goes beyond identifying a diagnosis; it helps clarify why certain difficulties are happening and what is most likely to support positive change.
If your child is struggling but is already receiving effective support and making progress, an assessment may not be necessary. For example, if your child has reading difficulties and is improving with current school services, or if you are making steady gains in therapy, an evaluation might not add much at this time.
You might consider an assessment if:
You are unsure why your child is having difficulties, or previous approaches haven’t led to meaningful progress.
Your child faces ongoing challenges with learning, attention, anxiety, mood, or social interactions that do not seem to be improving.
You want to better understand your child’s unique profile to ensure they are receiving the right support at school or in the community.
Your therapist or medical provider needs additional insight to guide treatment.
You feel you have tried many strategies but are still searching for answers or new directions.
The challenges are impacting your child’s self-esteem, friendships, mood, or family life.
You wonder if a concern is just a phase, but it continues longer than expected.
Your child is managing “okay” for now, but you have concerns about the future.
A collaborative/therapeutic assessment offers a supportive space for reflection, understanding, and planning next steps—helping your family move forward with clarity and confidence.
What happens during an assessment?
Connections Call
The process begins with a free 20–30 minute phone call. We discuss your concerns, what you’re hoping to learn, and whether my approach is a good fit for your family. Contact me to set up this free Connections Call.
Initial Parent Meeting
If we decide to move forward, we schedule a two-hour meeting with parents or caregivers. Together, we develop the “Assessment Questions” (AQs), the specific questions you have about your child or family that we want to answer through the assessment. I explain my process, answer your questions, and gather background information to understand your child’s experiences and challenges. Once we agree on the AQs, we create a tailored plan for the assessment.
Testing Sessions
Testing takes place over three or four sessions, each about two hours long. During these sessions, your child participates in a variety of interactive activities and tasks. I select these activities based on your assessment questions and your child’s age and needs. I meet with caregivers at the start and end of each session and often invite you to observe (“be a fly on the wall”) during testing. This allows us to discuss the process, what the tests measure, and how your child responds. The testing activities might include:
Hands-on activities like drawing, looking at pictures, solving puzzles, and building with blocks
Verbal tasks like listening, answering questions, and sharing what you know
Problem-solving exercises like discovering a pattern, or figuring out how two things are alike
Learning and memory activities like retelling a story or learning a list of words
Giving me their perspective by telling me about school, talking about their family and friends, sharing favorite activities and what they are good at, and answering questionnaires
Academic tasks like reading, writing, and math problems
Playing together with specific toys designed to assess social skills
Telling stories about people in a picture
After the testing is complete, we may schedule a family session. This gives me a chance to observe family interactions and helps us explore what we’re learning together. It’s also a time to try out strategies and approaches based on assessment insights.
Parent Discussion Meeting
Once all testing is complete, we meet to review the results. We revisit the original Assessment Questions and discuss what we’ve learned, focusing on practical understanding and next steps.
Child Discussion Session
The final step is a special meeting with your child. We share what we learned in a developmentally appropriate way and celebrate their strengths. I write a personalized fable for your child, which we read and illustrate together, creating a meaningful keepsake to help them feel seen and understood.
Written Report
A few weeks after the discussion meeting, you receive a comprehensive written report. This report includes all relevant data, conclusions, and recommendations tailored to your family.
See what individuals are saying
“Thank you for the report and your encouraging words. I have read over everything carefully and it has been enlightening to finally get some answers.”
-E.
“Hi Susannah, I wanted to thank you for my report, it was so thorough and really clarified a lot of things. I’ve been doing a lot of research and reading books about adult autism and things are starting to feel manageable. It was a difficult but wonderful experience and I’m so glad you were the one to help me.”
-J.