Health and Psychology

Psychological Assessments

The first question I ask people when they call for a psychological or neuropsychological assessment is “Who is the report going to go to?” The reason I ask this is that there are a variety of types of assessment and the purpose of the report will determine what the requirements of the assessment are.

For example:

A report will go to the patient because they want to know if they have a specific condition or not. This may not even entail an assessment. It may just need a good history.

A physician may want an evaluation to ensure the person meets criteria for a diagnosis in order to prescribe. There may be an issue about medical necessity for testing in this case. In most cases a physician can prescribe without a psychological evaluation being required.

A person may want accommodations for a test or for school. This is a substantial evaluation that must meet the criteria set forth by the laws regulating school accommodations, or test accommodations under ADA law.

A person may have seen several mental health providers and there is a question about diagnosis for treatment purposes. This may require a psychological evaluation.

Knowing who will receive the report will help me determine what types of testing are required.