ADHD Evaluations
ADHD Evaluations for Children in Pinellas County
A private ADHD evaluation documents how attention, working memory, and self-regulation are affecting your child's learning, so you can walk into a 504 or IEP conversation with clear evidence. As a Nationally Certified School Psychologist with more than 15 years of experience, I write every report to meet Florida district requirements — accepted by Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Manatee County schools.
What does an ADHD evaluation include?
A thorough ADHD evaluation combines standardized rating scales completed by you and your child's teacher, a detailed developmental and school history, cognitive testing that examines working memory and processing speed, and direct measures of attention and executive functioning. No single questionnaire can capture ADHD — the picture comes from multiple sources looked at together.
Attention problems that only show up in one setting, or only on one checklist, need a closer look before anyone applies a label. That's why I gather input from home and school, observe how your child actually works through structured tasks, and use cognitive testing to see whether working memory or processing speed is part of the story. The result is a complete profile of how your child pays attention, holds onto information, and manages their own effort — not just a score on a form.
How does an ADHD evaluation help with a 504 plan or IEP?
Florida schools provide support based on documented educational impact, and a comprehensive private evaluation gives the school team exactly that documentation. A 504 plan provides accommodations — such as extended time, preferential seating, or movement breaks — while an IEP provides specialized instruction under IDEA.
When you request support for attention difficulties, the school team needs evidence that a condition is substantially affecting your child's access to learning. A report that ties standardized data to specific classroom impact makes that conversation far more productive than a diagnosis alone. I write each report with the district audience in mind, including concrete, defensible accommodation recommendations. If you're weighing which path fits your child, my 504 evaluation page and my guide to 504 plans vs IEPs in Florida walk through the differences.
Is this a medical diagnosis?
No — my evaluation documents the educational impact of attention and executive functioning difficulties, which is the evidence schools need for 504 or IEP support. Decisions about medical treatment, including medication, belong with your child's pediatrician.
Many families share the report with their pediatrician, and it's genuinely useful there: it puts standardized teacher data, cognitive scores, and direct attention measures in front of your doctor as you talk through next steps. I don't prescribe medication or make medical treatment decisions, and I'm careful to keep those roles distinct. You get school-ready documentation from me and can pursue medical questions with your doctor on your own timeline.
Is it ADHD, a learning disability, or anxiety?
Inattention in the classroom can come from ADHD, an undiagnosed learning disability, anxiety, or some combination — and they often look identical from the teacher's desk. Comprehensive testing is how you tell them apart.
A child who can't decode grade-level text will look distracted during reading. A child who is anxious about being called on may stare out the window. And ADHD frequently co-occurs with learning disabilities, so finding one doesn't rule out the other. Because my evaluations include cognitive testing rather than rating scales alone, I can see whether the data points toward attention, learning, or both — and when a learning disability is part of the picture, a psychoeducational evaluation can document it fully. Getting the explanation right matters, because accommodations that fit the wrong problem don't help.
What's included in your ADHD evaluation
- A free 15-minute consultation to confirm an ADHD evaluation is the right step
- Standardized rating scales completed by a parent and your child's teacher
- One-on-one cognitive testing, including working memory and processing speed
- Direct measures of attention and executive functioning
- A clear written report ready to submit to your child's school district
- A feedback session to walk through the results, plus practical strategies for home and school
You leave knowing what the data shows, what to ask the school for, and what to do next — not just a stack of scores.
How long does the process take?
Appointments are typically available within 1 to 2 weeks, and the full process — from consultation to feedback session — takes about 2 to 3 weeks. District evaluations, by comparison, can take up to 90 school days.
Because ADHD evaluations vary in scope depending on your child's needs, I confirm the fee during your free consultation. I don't bill insurance — this is a private-pay practice, and insurance rarely covers school-related psychoeducational testing — but I provide a detailed receipt for HSA or FSA reimbursement, and FES-UA scholarship funds may apply. You can review my published rates and payment details on the pricing page, or find answers to common questions on the FAQ.
FAQ
ADHD Evaluation Questions
A few of the questions I hear most about ADHD testing.
An ADHD evaluation combines standardized parent and teacher rating scales, a developmental and school history, cognitive testing of areas ADHD affects most (working memory, processing speed), and direct measures of attention and executive functioning. Together these show whether attention difficulties — rather than a learning disability, anxiety, or something else — best explain what you're seeing.
Yes. The report is written to meet Florida district documentation requirements and is accepted by Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Manatee County schools as evidence for 504 accommodations or as part of an IEP eligibility conversation. It spells out exactly which supports — extended time, breaks, seating, organizational help — fit your child.
The evaluation documents how attention and executive-functioning difficulties affect your child's learning — the evidence schools need to act. If you're also considering medical treatment such as medication, share the report with your pediatrician: it gives them the standardized data and school observations they need to make that decision well.
Inattention can come from ADHD, but also from a learning disability, anxiety, sleep problems, or a classroom mismatch — and ADHD frequently co-occurs with learning disabilities. Because the evaluation measures cognitive ability, academics, and attention together, it can tell these apart rather than assuming the first explanation is the right one.
Wondering if attention is holding your child back?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk through what you're seeing at home and school, and decide if an ADHD evaluation is the right next step.
Free 15-minute consultation · Testing in Pinellas County · Reports accepted by Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco & Manatee schools