Q: What are common assessment questions that you address?
As part of a specialty clinic, our assessors are also specialty assessors. This means that they are trained in particular areas of assessment that also overlap significantly with our specialty areas of therapy. Though this list is not exhaustive, our assessors have in-depth training in the below areas that make us uniquely qualified to address assessment questions that include one or more of these assessment areas.
Mood Concerns
As specialty providers, mood changes are so wide reaching across multiple concerns that we are trained in mood concerns as part of other specialties below. Mood concerns include a wide umbrella of what can be called depression or what folks may call burn-out. The hallmark of a mood concern is a disruption in mood that contributes to effects on motivation, attention, enjoyment, or ability to do tasks of daily living. Assessment of the mood concerns can help understand the driver(s) of mood concerns and whether they are primary or secondary (or tertiary). This can inform what treatment may best address the root of the mood disruption.
Emotion Dysregulation
As a clinic with many DBT-certified clinicians, our clinic and our assessors have extensive training in understanding intense or rapidly shifting emotions that lead to impulsive behaviors (we call this emotion dysregulation). Emotion dysregulation can cause or be related to difficulty with addictive or numbing behaviors (e.g., substance use), verbal or physical aggression, suicidality or self-injury, and/or difficulties with interpersonal interactions when distressed. Emotion dysregulation is an experience that occurs across the age span and across multiple diagnoses and an assessment can help differentiate causes related to biology, neurotype, personality, or skills deficits.
Obsessive, Intrusive, or Rigid Thinking Patterns
Many of our clinicians also specialize in OCD and anxiety disorders, which means that our assessors have a high degree of training in anxiety and related cognitive experiences. We have expertise in understanding unwanted, distressing thoughts (we call these intrusive thoughts), thoughts that you feel unable to disengage from (we call these obsessive thoughts), or difficulty changing or softening your thoughts or seeing shades of grey in things (we call this rigid thinking).
Some folks may have behaviors associated with their obsessive thinking patterns, such as mental rituals, things you do to neutralize or compensate for thoughts (we call these compulsions), or things you refuse to do because of these thoughts (we call this avoidance).
Suicidality and/or Self-injury
Our therapists and assessors are highly trained in the in-depth assessment of suicidal ideation and self-injury. These experiences can stem from a variety of factors and therefore can be misunderstood or misdiagnosed initially. Our assessors are trained to ask comprehensive questions about your experience of these thoughts or urges to help understand their root cause and therefore how best to address them. We work with many people who have these experiences and therefore are not reactive to your report of them. Our assessment and treatment teams operate from the assumption that suicidality and self-injury are rarely helped by hospitalizing someone and will only do so if there is an imminent risk and an inability to work together to keep you safe outside of the hospital.
Autism and Neurodivergence
Our assessment team specializes in neurodivergence, with particular emphasis on ADHD and autism. We take a neuro-affirming approach, which means that an assessment is designed to understand how your brain (and your neurotype) function best and how best to support you in reaching your goals. Our assessment team is exceptionally qualified to assess for undiagnosed or misdiagnosed neurotypes, particularly in those assigned female at birth (AFAB). To read more about our approach to assessing autism, click here.
Preschool-Age Evaluations (Ages 4-6)
Preschool-age evaluations are best suited for verbal children who are not yet enrolled in Kindergarten (if your child is school-aged, they are eligible for a comprehensive assessment).
These types of assessments may include:
- Kindergarten readiness evaluations
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Autism and ADHD evaluations
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Cognitive, developmental, and language assessments
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Social/emotional evaluations (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma).
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Early pre-academics to help guide in decision making for school placements or inform and craft 504 plans and IEPs.
Preschool-age assessments involve games on the floor, working with pencils and markers while sitting at a table, completing puzzles, and ample breaks and snacks. We also have access to an outdoor area for high energy breaks as needed. Parents may be present for some or all of the assessment.
Our assessment team truly enjoys working with individuals and families that feel stuck in treatment or in reaching goals in any of the above areas. While we do conduct assessments outside of these areas, we feel particularly qualified- and therefore useful to folks- when you have been told or believe you fit into one or more of the above categories.
Updated Evaluations
Updated evaluations are designed for situations where specific markers of one’s cognition, adaptive functioning, or academic achievement need to be confirmed or updated. Updated evaluations are brief and are completed on an expedited timeline. Updated evaluations are not used as second opinions for existing diagnoses or to consider new diagnoses. Typically, an updated evaluation will only include a measure of IQ, academic achievement, or independent daily living skills.
An updated evaluation may be appropriate if:
- I need an updated IQ assessment for my child to access the NC Innovations Waiver.
- My child’s doctor recommended an updated cognitive evaluation every three years to ensure they are not losing cognitive ability.
- I need a recent IQ assessment to submit to the school board for my child’s SAT accommodation request.
- I am interested in checking on my child’s reading abilities since their last evaluation, given their diagnosis of dyslexia.
Q: Are there types of assessments that you do not do?
We do not conduct any type of forensic assessments, or evaluations for child custody, workers compensation, or disability. Additionally, we do not conduct neurocognitive evaluations (i.e., where concerns are related to neurological problems, such as dementia or traumatic brain injuries). We also do not conduct assessments with non-English speaking individuals.
If you aren’t sure if we can help, reach out! We are happy to hear more about your particular experience or assessment question and let you know if you might be a good fit for an assessment with us.
Q: I am concerned with learning, test taking, or academics. Do you provide assessment around these challenges?
Yes! We conduct cognitive and achievement assessments for those with academic functioning that is estimated to be in the moderately impaired to gifted ranges.
Academic assessments give us information about how an individual learns and whether their academic achievement is consistent with their general intellectual abilities. This form of testing allows us to identify learning disabilities or giftedness, and is required for Early Kindergarten Assessments. As this testing gives us important information about processing speed and working memory, we also include this in our assessment of ADHD and autism if the individual has not had this testing before. This type of testing is typically required to qualify for accommodations in schools (e.g. 504 plans, IEPs) and for extended time on standardized testings (e.g. SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT).
Q: What is in an assessment report and what would I do with the report?
All reports will include:
- A summary of your history, including your symptoms and any past treatment or assessments
- Your current concerns and reason for seeking an assessment
- An interpretive summary of the assessment data (including clinical interview, testing, and/or collateral reports)
- A diagnostic summary
- Treatment, accommodation, or placement recommendations
- This may include specific forms of treatment or providers, work or school accommodations, behavioral strategies for the individual or their caregivers to implement, recommended readings to better understand aspects of the individual's experience, and/or treatment targets to guide future providers on goals for further services
Reports are a fast and effective way to get all current and future parties relevant information and ensure everyone is on the same page, including school staff, mental health and medical providers, treatment facilities, and other related supports (e.g. ADHD coaches, occupational therapists). This can also save you from having to repeat a detailed history every time you start with a new provider and ensure everyone has the same information. Importantly, you are the only recipient of your assessment reports. Unlike larger medical systems, our medical records are not viewable by other members of your health care team. Your assessment report and the resulting diagnoses and recommendations are yours to share as you see fit, including whether or not you submit a superbill to your insurance company.
Q: How long is an assessment at TAP?
This is a challenging question to answer given how customized all of our assessments are. We bill an hourly rate for all portions of an assessment, including interview, direct testing, scoring, writing, and feedback. The table below provides approximate estimates for the entire number of hours that various forms of assessment might take. For the rate per hour, please ask our Admin staff to see our current fee schedule.
| Type of Assessment | Estimated Hours |
|
Early Kindergarten Entry
|
6 |
| ADHD or Autism (with no other mental health concerns)
|
10-12 |
| ADHD and Autism (with no other mental health concerns)
|
14 |
| Broad Clinical Concerns in Younger Youth
|
14 |
| Broad Clinical Concerns in Older Teens or Adults
|
16 |
| Assessment for Neurodivergence with
complex mental health concerns
|
20 |
Q: Am I able to get an assessment at TAP if I do not wish to engage in therapy at TAP?
Of course!
Completing an assessment at TAP does not require you to have any interest in engaging in therapy services at TAP. If the assessment results suggest you would benefit from an empirically supported treatment we offer, we will include TAP as a potential treatment provider, along with other specialists in the community. We always strive to provide a range of treatment recommendations that are best suited to the individual's needs and TAP may or may not be a best fit.
Q: How long is the wait time for an assessment at TAP?
We prioritize a timely and efficient diagnostic process. Although our waitlist times may vary as a function of clinician availability and seasonality, our goal is to see you within 1-3 months of your initial intake appointment. We are not in the business of a 12-18 month wait list!