How can I prepare for the clinical testing and assessment?
At Wellness Psychological Services, we strive to make the Psychoeducational Evaluation experience as peaceful and enjoyable as possible. Broadly speaking, you can expect a 60-minute clinical interview, 1 to 4 hours of in-person testing, 30 to 3 hours of at-home questionnaires, and a 60-minute feedback session. The testing process varies depending on your age and the questions to be answered. For example, ADHD testing and Autism testing would not have all of the same questions as they are personalized to the individual. Please, see our assessment page for a detailed description of the interview, assessment, and feed sessions.
Should I take my medications on the day of testing?
This is a commonly asked question and is particularly relevant to individuals who take medication to manage attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. We recommend you take all medications as prescribed prior to and on the day of testing. This is so that we may compare your performance on selected measures to your typical daily functioning. We would note in the report your current medications if you took them as prescribed the day of testing and that this is the best representation of your current functioning as you would traditionally function in this manner with your daily medication outside of the testing experience.
Can I use my glasses, supportive hearing device, and/or other assistive devices during testing?
Yes! If you traditionally wear contacts or glasses, please, bring them/wear them on the day of the appointment. Similarly, if you use a hearing device or any other assistive devices, such as mobility aids, please, bring them to your appointments. Should a test not allow the use of assistive devices (this is rare), the examiner will notify you of such limitations.
Should I attend the clinical interview, day of testing, and feedback session alone or with someone?
You are welcome to attend the interview, day of testing, and feedback session alone or with supportive persons. Individuals may elect to have their parents, friends, partners, and other important persons attend their appointments. Their participation and level of involvement in the assessment process are at your discretion.
You may elect to have them be a part of the clinical interview. It is often helpful to elicit information from someone important in your life regarding your areas of concern. In fact, most assessments require the use of an informant report, so bringing a supportive person to your interview may facilitate this process. For example, you could complete the release of information during the interview, and they may be oriented to their role in the assessment process. You may choose if you would like them to be actively involved in most of the clinical interview, parts of the clinical interview, or no part in the clinical interview. Regardless of their level of participation, they are welcome to attend and can conveniently wait in our lobby during parts of the interview that require additional privacy identified at your discretion.
How Involved Can a Support Person in the PsychoEducational Assessment and Feedback Session?
On the testing day, you are welcome to bring support persons with you. However, their participation is limited. Per best practice, observers or supportive persons are not allowed during the administration of in-person assessments. This is enforced so that the client and examiner can focus on the assessment and be limited in their distractions or fears of evaluation from other observers. Therefore, they will not be allowed to participate actively during the evaluation on the day of testing and would be required to wait in the lobby. However, they are welcome to attend and be a source of support between administrations. For example, between in-person assessments, you will be provided with a 5-to-15-minute break. Having a supportive person in the lobby may be a nice break for you during these moments.
In the feedback session, you are also welcome to bring support persons. As the client, you are in charge of their level of participation in this meeting. During the feedback session, we will discuss the information provided during the clinical interview and the results of all assessments. In addition, you will be provided with diagnoses and treatment recommendations. Therefore, when selecting persons to attend this session is essential to remember the sensitive nature of the topics discussed during the meeting. Having another person present in the feedback session can be helpful as they provide a source of support. Further, they may identify questions that don’t come to mind for you in the appointment, therefore, facilitating additional discussions. Finally, they may also provide information for leaving the appointment as the two of you can discuss the noted topics of importance outside the meeting.
Who should I ask to complete the online at-home questionnaires?
This is a great question. If a person completes the psychoeducational evaluation under 18 years of age, we typically recommend that a parent and teachers complete informant report measures.
If a person completes the evaluation over 18 years of age, we typically recommend a parent, partner, or roommate complete the informant report measure. This is to determine the presence of symptoms and the individual’s functioning from outside perspectives in various environments. We can consider the individual’s experience and their peers’ perception of them.
Because ADHD testing is different from autism testing, which is different from learning disorders testing, which is vastly different from personality testing, it is crucial that we have a full understanding of a person’s life experience.
Can I bring something to drink and/or eat with me to the psychoeducational evaluation?
Yes, of course. Please, bring a water bottle and any snacks you may want to enjoy throughout the assessment process. You will be given several breaks during clinical testing so that you can walk around and eat a snack.
How else can I prepare for my clinical interview?
The night before your psychoeducational evaluation, try to get a good night’s rest. Sleep is vital for functioning and integral to preparing for assessments. Also, remember to take any medications as prescribed, this includes any prescriptions for ADHD, ADD, learning disorders, personality disorders, and the like. Lastly, remember to eat breakfast on the day of the assessment.
Begin PsychoEducational Testing in Florida Today!
We hope this blog has helped answer some of your questions about psychoeducational testing options such as autism, ADHD, learning disorders, personality, and gifted testing. We are happy to offer support from our St. Pete, Fl, and Tampa, FL-based practices in other local areas across the state.
To start your journey, please follow these simple steps:
- Contact Wellness Psychological Services
- Meet with an informed psychoeducational clinician.
- Start addressing the mental health concerns affecting you most!
Other Mental Health Services at Wellness Psychological Services
Our counseling clinics in Tampa, FL, and St. Pete, FL offer a variety of therapy services. Each of our therapists is a doctoral-level clinical psychologist who is an expert in the mental health field. The psychologists at our practice also treat Trauma/PTSD, EMDR therapy, stress management, health psychology, depression & bipolar disorder. Our services include DBT, PCIT therapy, and psychological testing & evaluation services. The psychologists at Wellness Psychological Services are available to help couples & families with their marriage counseling, divorce discernment, collaborative divorce facilitation, and online therapy. If you don’t see your issue listed, please get in touch with Wellness Psychological Services to find out if one of our psychologists can assist you with your unique situation.
We look forward to helping you live your best life possible!