Comprehensive Psychological Evaluation

Wonder Tree’s psychologists provide comprehensive, thoughtful, and nuanced psychological and psycho-educational evaluations for individuals across the lifespan through a relational, regulation-based and neurodiversity affirming lens.

If you are a parent looking for an evaluation for your child, we believe in the importance of collaborating with parents, teachers, and other professionals in your child’s life, as needed, in order to fully support your child’s growth and development. Working with parents, we are able to help develop an individualized evaluation plan that targets your child’s specific needs. Being trained in trauma, and trauma-informed treatment, we thoroughly understand how early childhood trauma, and trauma throughout the lifespan, can impact development and learning. Through our integrative evaluations, we look for ways to highlight and identify your child’s strengths, and how to use strengths to support development in your child’s areas of need. We fully believe that comprehensive evaluations empower your child, and your family, with the knowledge to make well-informed decisions.

Adult evaluations are a valuable tool in assessing various aspects of an individual's life, including cognitive abilities, emotional well-being, and interpersonal skills. These evaluations are conducted by trained professionals to provide insight into your strengths, challenges, and areas for growth. By undergoing an evaluation, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves and receive tailored recommendations for personal development. Whether seeking clarity on mental health concerns, career opportunities, or relationship dynamics, adult evaluations offer a structured and comprehensive approach to self-discovery and improvement.

Trauma-Informed Evaluation:

Trauma, stressful life experiences, and systemic/cultural oppression can impact the brain’s functioning and development. For those that have experienced early childhood stressors, it is important to understand how this impacts learning, development, and growth. Wonder Tree’s holistic, integrative evaluations and sensitive, nuanced approach will support you through this process.

Common Reasons for Completing an Evaluation:

As a parent, you may be curious to know how your child learns, thinks, and processes information so that you can set them up for success academically. Many children are referred from their pediatricians, teachers, therapists, or other medical providers, in order to determine what treatment recommendations will be most impactful, and to help clarify diagnosis. Other children who are struggling in school, may also benefit from academic and testing accommodations, which can best be determined through an evaluation.

As an adult, you may be looking to gain insights into your cognitive abilities, such as memory or attention, to better understand yourself and how to improve your functioning. Adults may seek evaluations to assess their emotional well-being, such as determining if they are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions. Additionally, adults may pursue evaluations to obtain documentation for accommodations at work or in academic settings. No matter the reason, evaluations can provide valuable information to help adults address challenges, make informed decisions, and ultimately improve their overall wellbeing, and quality of life.

Common reasons for referrals: Autism, Selective Mutism, Early Developmental Screenings, Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Emotional Distress, Early Childhood Trauma, Adoption, Giftedness/Twice Exceptionality, Academic/Testing/ Work Accommodations.

Common areas of testing include: Cognitive, intellectual, academic, developmental, memory, sensory/motor screening, visuo-motor screening, language screening, executive functioning, attentional, emotional, trauma, social awareness and reciprocity, behavioral, attachment and relational testing. 

Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE):

Wonder Tree is available to support you through the IEP, and IEE process. You can request an IEE through your school district if you would like a second opinion of your IEP results. As part of the IEE process, an outside provider can conduct the evaluation, attend the IEP meetings, provide you with a second opinion, and help to put an educational plan in place to best support your child’s learning needs.

Dr. Taylor, and her team, being clinical developmental psychologists, are able to provide comprehensive evaluations that focus on in depth social-emotional well-being, learning, academic functioning, attention, executive functioning, memory, and the other areas listed above.

Approach

Wonder Tree takes a strength-based, holistic, neurodiveristy affirming, trauma-informed approach and believes in the importance of identifying and fully understanding each individuals strengths in order to bolster the areas that are more difficult for them. Comprehensive psychological and psycho-educational evaluations help to identify what comes easily to your brain.  This process can also help to clarify challenges, and paths forward.  We view the evaluation process as a way to identify strategies, tools, games, interventions, classroom and testing accommodations, and resources to set you or your child up for success. Our integrative evaluations and sensitive, nuanced approach will support you through this process.

What to Expect:

1.    An initial intake session lasting about 60-90 minutes. We will discuss all background information, previous testing/services, and goals for the evaluation.

2.    (For children) We will schedule a school observation/teacher consult (if necessary). It is preferred to conduct the observation before meeting your child so that they do not feel uncomfortable having someone there.

3.    Schedule testing sessions. Testing can take anywhere between 6-10 hours. Testing sessions will be broken down into separate segments depending on what works best for you/ your child.  It is preferable to schedule testing sessions earlier in the day when you/your child is well rested.

4.    Consultations with other providers or professionals you or your child is working with, which may include pediatricians, psychiatrists, tutors, therapists, educational therapists, occupational therapists etc.

5.    All data will be scored, interpreted and written into a comprehensive report, which includes all testing data, interpretation, any diagnoses, treatment recommendations and academic/testing accommodations. 

6.    A feedback session (60-90 minutes) will occur where the report will be discussed in depth as well as a plan moving forward. You will be provided you with resources and referrals.

7.    An appointment can be scheduled to meet with your child to discuss a strength-based summary of what was learned from the testing.

8.    A meeting with the school to discuss the report and how the school can be supportive of your child’s success is also recommended.

Time Frame:

·     Two to three weeks is required from the last day of testing to complete the report and meet for the feedback session.

·     Depending on how quickly the testing sessions are scheduled, the entire process usually takes about a month.