Frequently Asked Questions

I evaluate children from age 5 through high school (roughly kindergarten through 12th grade). Younger children are assessed with age-appropriate measures such as the RIAS-2; children ages 6 and up are typically assessed with the WISC-V or similar standardized measures.

Most evaluations involve 2 to 6 hours of one-on-one testing, depending on the type and the questions we're answering. I build in breaks to keep your child comfortable. From the initial consultation to the feedback session, the full process usually spans about 2 to 3 weeks.

Private appointments are typically available within 1 to 2 weeks, far faster than the up-to-90-school-day timeline many districts follow. After testing, you'll receive a comprehensive written report and a feedback session, usually within about 1 to 2 weeks.

All in-person testing takes place in Pinellas County, and many families travel in from across Tampa Bay. Because the evaluation is completed by a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, the report is accepted by Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Manatee County schools, so it works for your child's district even if you live in Tampa, Brandon, or Wesley Chapel.

Results can be used to apply for gifted programs, document a learning disability, support 504 or IEP decisions, guide private-school applications or homeschool planning, and help you understand how your child learns. The comprehensive report is written to meet Florida district eligibility requirements and is accepted across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Manatee schools.

Fees depend on the type and scope of testing. Our full fee schedule is published on the pricing page, and we'll confirm the exact cost during your free 15-minute consultation. We accept cash, check, and Zelle, and provide a detailed receipt you can submit for HSA/FSA reimbursement.

School evaluations are free but can take up to 90 school days and focus only on what affects classroom performance. A private evaluation is usually scheduled within 1 to 2 weeks, is more comprehensive, and gives you an independent report you own and can share with the school, a private school, or a tutor.

If your child struggles with reading, writing, spelling, or math despite good effort and classroom support, a learning disability may be the cause. A psychoeducational evaluation measures cognitive ability alongside academic skills to pinpoint conditions such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia and explain the gap.

Dyslexia mainly affects reading and decoding, dysgraphia affects handwriting and written expression, and dyscalculia affects number sense and math. A child can have one or several. A psychoeducational evaluation identifies which is present and recommends targeted instruction and accommodations.

A psychoeducational evaluation pairs a cognitive measure (such as the WISC-V) with academic achievement testing (such as the Woodcock-Johnson) and assessments of processing speed, memory, and phonological skills. Together these identify learning disabilities and the specific accommodations your child needs.

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.

Executive functioning is the brain's self-management system — the skills a child uses to plan, organize, start tasks, hold instructions in working memory, manage time, and regulate emotions and impulses. Weak executive skills can hold back even very bright children, because knowing the material and managing the work are different abilities.

Common signs: homework that's done but never turned in, a chaotic backpack, meltdowns when starting long assignments, forgetting multi-step directions, chronic lateness on projects, and grades that don't match how capable your child clearly is. Teachers often describe these students as 'not living up to potential.'

The evaluation pairs standardized executive-functioning rating scales from you and your child's teacher with direct cognitive measures of working memory, processing speed, and attention, plus a detailed history. You receive a written report with specific, practical strategies for home and school — not just scores.

They overlap, but they're not the same question. ADHD is one common cause of executive-functioning weakness, yet a child can have real planning and organization difficulties without meeting criteria for ADHD. The evaluation looks at the whole picture and tells you which pattern fits — and what to do about it either way.