Our Clients
What ages do you work with?
What are your areas of expertise?
Our primary focus is helping individuals who are in educational settings. We are experienced with a wide range of academic, developmental, social, emotional, and behavioral issues. Concerns may include:
- Learning Difficulties / Specific Learning Disorders
- Attentional Difficulties / ADHD
- Language / Auditory Processing Disorder
- Developmental Delays
- Social Communication Difficulties
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- Anxiety / Depression
- Behavioral Concerns
Behavioral Screenings are for parents of children who are struggling with behavior at home and/or at school. Parents may wonder if their child school environment suits them, or whether internal factors (e.g. attention, language, anxiety) contribute to the behavior.
ADHD Screenings are for parents who are wondering whether their child’s struggles with attention and/or restlessness indicate an underlying condition like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kindergarten Readiness Screenings are for parents wondering whether their child is ready to begin kindergarten. For example, they may feel their child needs more time or support to develop readiness skills. Likewise, a screening can be particularly helpful for a child with a summer birthday as parents weigh whether to wait another year for kindergarten.
Evaluations/Screenings
Does my child need a Psychoeducational Evaluation?
Psychoeducational evaluations may be helpful if:
- Your child struggles in school and interventions aren’t working
- Your child faces challenges with mood or anxiety that seem to impact learning
- You need more information to make a decision (e.g. medication, school selection)
- Your child’s school staff, Psychotherapist, and/or Tutor needs guidance
- You suspect your child has a learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, or other developmental condition that impacts learning and/or socialization
- There is a family history of learning, attention, or other problems that are similar to the child’s issues
- Your child has been evaluated before and receives accommodations/support, but will be transitioning to a new environment (e.g. middle school, high school, college)
- You believe your child would benefit from accommodations on standardized testing (e.g. ISEE, ERB, SSAT, SAT, GRE)
What are the benefits of a Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluation?
A Psychoeducational Evaluation can be a powerful tool for understanding and advocacy. By providing a thorough assessment of cognitive, academic, and social-emotional domains, the evaluation results deepen parents’ understanding of their child so that they can make more informed decisions about their child’s future. When shared with school staff and outside support providers, evaluations can also serve as a bridge between the child and the support services that he or she needs. In other words, the ideal Psychoeducational Evaluation:
- Synthesizes various perspectives into the “whole” picture of the child
- Helps you understand your child’s strengths and challenges
- Increases empathy for your child
- Clarifies any relevant “diagnoses”
- Helps you formulate a plan for your child
- Is an investment in your child’s future
What is the difference between evaluations and screenings?
For most purposes, families need full psychoeducational evaluations. For example, if a client might need accommodations, then a full evaluation is usually needed to meet the requirements of schools, colleges, and standardized test boards (e.g. SAT, GRE). This is particularly true if the client has never been assessed before, if the prior assessment was insufficient, or if the concerns and questions have changed since the prior assessment. Also, if the client/family has more than one question (do I have ADHD and/or a learning disability?), or they need a clear diagnosis, then a full evaluation is needed.
Screenings are most helpful when there is a very focused question, such as:
- Does my child fall on the autism spectrum?
- Does my child have ADHD?
- Does my child have Dyslexia?
- What are my child’s current academic skill levels?
- Is my child ready for kindergarten?
Parents/clients need to be aware of the limitations of a screening. Screenings may result in a diagnosis, but not always. Also, because screenings don’t assess all areas of functioning, there are likely to be some unanswered questions remaining after the screening. We can always roll these initial results into a full evaluation if that would be helpful for the client. But this can end up extending the time frame for the assessment, as we usually book up a few months ahead.
I’ve been told that my child needs a neuropsychological (or educational or psychological) evaluation. Is that what you provide?
This important topic is often confusing for parents. Educators, parents, and professionals sometimes use these terms interchangeably. So it can be difficult to know what type of evaluation to look for. Knowing more about the different types of evaluations can be helpful. Although evaluations vary between providers, some generalizations can be made:
- An Educational Evaluation typically assesses academic skills only and can be provided by a credentialed teacher, learning specialist, or educational therapist.
- Psychological Evaluations typically focus only on social-emotional factors that may be affecting the child (anxiety, depression). Licensed Psychologist or Licensed Educational Psychologist trained to provide psychological assessment.
- Psychoeducational Evaluations include assessment of cognitive, academic, and social-emotional elements, and can be provided by a Licensed Psychologist or Licensed Educational Psychologist.
- The content of a Neuropsychological Evaluation varies depending on the child but usually includes an assessment of intellectual (IQ) and cognitive processing abilities. It may or may not include academic skills and social-emotional factors. Licensed Psychologists (Psy.D. or Ph.D.) who have received additional training in the area of neuropsychology (e.g. the connection between the brain and behavior) typically provide this type of evaluation.
All that being said, professionals lack consensus as to what must be included in each type of evaluation. That’s why, when researching potential evaluators, parents should always ask what areas will be evaluated by that provider. This will help ensure a good match between the type of evaluation and the child’s needs.
At Mind Matters, we combine elements of the Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Evaluations to consider cognitive, academic, social-emotional, familial, and cultural factors that impact the child. Because our evaluations include an educational/academic component, but also take a comprehensive view, we refer to them as Comprehensive Psychoeducational Evaluations.
Behavioral Screenings are for parents of children who are struggling with behavior at home and/or at school. Parents may wonder if their child school environment suits them, or whether internal factors (e.g. attention, language, anxiety) contribute to the behavior.
ADHD Screenings are for parents who are wondering whether their child’s struggles with attention and/or restlessness indicate an underlying condition like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kindergarten Readiness Screenings are for parents wondering whether their child is ready to begin kindergarten. For example, they may feel their child needs more time or support to develop readiness skills. Likewise, a screening can be particularly helpful for a child with a summer birthday as parents weigh whether to wait another year for kindergarten.
Our Evaluation Process
Why you do observe the child at school?
When can we start?
Parents are often surprised to find that many evaluators have long waiting lists, and cannot begin the evaluation process until several months later. In our practice, our waiting list tends to be shorter in the fall and grows over the course of the academic year. Please contact us if you would like to know our current availability.
We understand it can be frustrating and anxiety-provoking for parents to have to wait to begin the process. If there are pressing issues and concerns, or if parents are unsure whether an evaluation is warranted, we can often hold the initial meeting sooner so that parents have the opportunity to meet us and discuss their questions and concerns. We often have some initial suggestions to assist parents in supporting their children while they wait for the evaluation results.
How long does the process usually take?
What sorts of interventions do you typically recommend?
Do you provide support for families once the evaluation is complete?
Our goal is to help students succeed. Thus, we provide a range of follow-up support for families to ensure that the evaluation results translate to beneficial changes for the child. We are available to answer follow-up questions by phone or email. We do not provide psychotherapy or educational therapy services ourselves. However, we help guide parents in finding outside professionals (e.g. tutors, educational therapists, psychotherapists) to help their child. We can also help parents prepare for IEP meetings and we regularly attend school to help develop appropriate educational plans.
Are the results confidential?
Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and an evaluator. We will provide you with a written copy of our confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what we discuss and the testing results will not be shared with anyone without your prior written permission. This is called “Informed Consent”.
State law and professional ethics require licensed professionals to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations: (1) If we suspect past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources. (2) If we suspect the client or anyone else is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.
Behavioral Screenings are for parents of children who are struggling with behavior at home and/or at school. Parents may wonder if their child school environment suits them, or whether internal factors (e.g. attention, language, anxiety) contribute to the behavior.
ADHD Screenings are for parents who are wondering whether their child’s struggles with attention and/or restlessness indicate an underlying condition like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kindergarten Readiness Screenings are for parents wondering whether their child is ready to begin kindergarten. For example, they may feel their child needs more time or support to develop readiness skills. Likewise, a screening can be particularly helpful for a child with a summer birthday as parents weigh whether to wait another year for kindergarten.
Insurance
Do you take insurance, and how does that work?
We do not take insurance directly. However, your health insurance company may provide for “out-of-network” treatment for some or all of her services. To determine if you have mental health coverage through your insurance carrier, call them. Some helpful questions you can ask include:
- Do I have mental health insurance benefits?
- What is the coverage amount for psychoeducational assessments?
- How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
- What is my deductible and has it been met?
- Is approval required from my primary care physician?
- Do I need to complete any paperwork in advance of our first meeting?
Should you decide to seek reimbursement for our services from your insurance carrier, we will provide you with an invoice to assist in that process. The invoice will include diagnosis code(s), dates and minutes of service, and CPT codes for service types. Please note that some of our services (e.g. school observation, school meetings) are not typically reimbursed and do not have corresponding CPT codes.
Behavioral Screenings are for parents of children who are struggling with behavior at home and/or at school. Parents may wonder if their child school environment suits them, or whether internal factors (e.g. attention, language, anxiety) contribute to the behavior.
ADHD Screenings are for parents who are wondering whether their child’s struggles with attention and/or restlessness indicate an underlying condition like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Kindergarten Readiness Screenings are for parents wondering whether their child is ready to begin kindergarten. For example, they may feel their child needs more time or support to develop readiness skills. Likewise, a screening can be particularly helpful for a child with a summer birthday as parents weigh whether to wait another year for kindergarten.
Reach Out Today
Is your child a curious explorer, a great problem-solver, or a creative thinker? Uncover their unique cognitive strengths and empower their neurodiversity journey with Mind Matters.
- Message our Client Care Coordinator so she can get to know more about you and your child, answer any questions, and help you find the right match. Or, call us at 415-598-8378.
- Explore our services & neurodiversity affirming psychologists.
- Meet with one of our clinicians online, and follow up with our services in San Francisco or Berkeley, CA.
Other Services our Psychologists Offer:
At Mind Matters, we aim to help adults understand children better, so they can provide the right support and treatments. If you are not sure whether a psychoeducational evaluation or neurodevelopmental screening is the best next step, consider scheduling a parent guidance consultation to discuss your questions and figure out how to better support and advocate for your child. We also offer IQ Testing for students applying to gifted programs.