What To Expect During Your Evaluation

This transcript is based on automatic captions, with obvious spelling corrections. It reflects the recording; consult our FAQ and your appointment instructions for current details.

there. I’m Dr. George Sachs and I want to welcome you to our practice. Thank you for trusting us with your or your loved ones diagnostic evaluation. If you’re still considering us for testing, I hope you find this information helpful in your decision-making process. Seeking an ADHD or autism evaluation, especially as an adult, can bring up a lot of emotion. It’s incredibly common to feel nervous, anxious, or to wonder if you’ll feel truly understood. This is especially true for our neurodivergent and autistic clients. If you’re feeling that way, I want you to know that you are in a safe, validating, and deeply understanding space. All of our psychologists go through a careful screening process and are true experts in neurodiversity. We’ve selected them not just for their clinical expertise but also for their kindness and compassion. Our team is proudly neuroaffirming and all the psychologists specialize in identifying neurodivergence in high masking adults. We understand the unique nuances of autism and ADHD, especially how it presents in women, BIPOC adults, and non-binary individuals, all who have learned to mask their symptoms over the years to fit into a neurotypical world. We strive to make this entire evaluation process easy and not overwhelming for you, but at the same time highly comprehensive by utilizing cutting edge science. Prior to your appointment, you’ll receive a link to our secure online portal. There you’ll be asked to fill out baseline questionnaires and evidence-based assessments. This data is incredibly valuable and is used directly by your psychologist to help build your diagnostic picture. Expect this process to take about 45 minutes or so to fill out all these forms prior to your evaluation. Then at the time of your appointment, you’ll log on to the Zoom or Google Meet link that we provide you and you’ll meet your psychologist. There you’ll begin the initial consultation where your psychologist will discuss your concerns. This is a collaborative gentle conversation where your psychologist will listen attentively to your history and your lived experiences. Please feel free to bring any notes you’ve written down. We do love to see those. Next comes the assessment phase. For adults, your psychologist will guide you through further evidence-based questionnaires, including screenings for anxiety and depression. Next comes the assessment phase. For adults, your psychologist will guide you through further evidence-based questionnaires. If you’re here for a child or a teen evaluation, the process is predominantly with you, the parent. Parents fill out questionnaires about their child before and during the evaluation, and your psychologist will meet with your child or teen during the session to get a better understanding of them. Teens may be asked to fill out some of their own questionnaires during the evaluation. Finally, we move into a diagnostic review. Research supports the idea that two hours is absolutely enough time to establish a clear diagnostic picture. Because of this, your psychologist will thoughtfully discuss their clinical judgment and provide an official formal diagnosis, if applicable, right at the end of the session. You don’t have to wait three weeks like other places to find out where you stand. Finally, we prioritize processing of the emotions that come up when you receive a diagnosis. Learning you are autistic or have ADHD can bring up a lot of emotions from relief to grief. We take the time to process those feelings with you and hand you tools and resources you’ll need on your new journey as a neurodivergent person. At the end of the session, you’ll receive an official formal diagnostic letter which you can use to receive school or workplace accommodations or for further medical care. We’ll also send you a super bill right at the end of the session so you can seek reimbursement from your insurance company right away. If you purchased a full comprehensive diagnostic report, it will be sent to you the very next day, not in six weeks like other standard practices. Now, a quick vital note for your session. Please try to log in with a laptop or desktop computer. Because of the testing platform we use, we ask that you don’t use a cell phone. Thank you again for trusting us to walk alongside you on this journey. If you want to review any of this information, please visit our FAQ page on our website and we look forward to meeting you soon.