Testing and assessment

The Psychology Clinic offers a wide range of testing and assessment services for children, adolescents and adults. Assessments are conducted in the areas of:

• Academic problems
• Learning disabilities
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Psychological functioning
• Emotional or behavioral problems
• Intelligence/giftedness
• Relationship and personality problems

What is an assessment?

The primary purpose of an assessment is to answer a specific question regarding some difficulty – trouble in regulating emotions and moods, performing at school or work, managing difficult relationships, stopping dangerous or unhealthy behaviors, or coping with stressful events. The goal of the assessment is to help you to better understand your strengths and weaknesses and to provide recommendations that will allow you to function at your best.

Psychological evaluations may also serve to determine if you are suffering from a diagnosable psychological condition while providing information that is critical to planning personalized treatment. Assessments will include:

• Interviews and discussions with the client and sometimes other important people in the client’s life (e.g., parents, teachers)
• Formal testing using standardized measures that assess the client’s specific skills, behaviors, perceptions and attitudes
• Questionnaires
• Feedback that integrates all relevant findings, explains any related diagnosis and clearly presents appropriate treatment recommendations

Types of psychological assessments provided by our clinic

General psychological evaluation: Determines current mood and behavioral functioning, assess for mood or personality disorders and plan appropriate personalized treatment. This evaluation is used to understand how you see the world, what your strengths and weaknesses are and to help you plan to meet your goals.

Psychoeducational evaluation: Assesses current cognitive and school functioning. This evaluation determines whether a student is achieving as well as his or her peers, evaluates learning differences, problems and disorders, and assesses executive functioning to determine ADHD. The evaluation is also used to plan future academic courses and accommodations for classes and standardized testing.

Neuropsychological evaluation: Assesses how abnormalities in the brain may impact a client’s cognitive, motor, behavioral, linguistic and executive functioning. Individuals seeking neuropsychological evaluations may have been referred by their PCP or neurologist. Neuropsychological evaluations are often conducted after a client has suffered a head injury, epilepsy, dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s disease or other neurological conditions. It can be used to confirm or localize these conditions and to plan for treatment or rehabilitation after injury.

Giftedness evaluation: Determines if an individual’s overall or specific cognitive abilities and achievement fall within the "gifted" range of functioning. This evaluation is often used for entrance into giftedness or accelerated programs, plan for grade acceleration and accommodations.

Types of psychological assessments not provided by our clinic

• Court-ordered, forensic or custody evaluations
• Psychiatric evaluations (we cannot provide medical or psychiatric prescriptions at our clinic)
• Pre-surgical evaluations
• 24/7 access to care
• Walk-in services
• Emergency services: If you're in need of immediate medical attention or believe that you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else, please call Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency (DWCCMHA), which has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 313-224-7000

Frequently asked questions

• How long will my assessment appointments take?

  The length of the assessment will vary based on the question(s) you want answered. Most test batteries take between 4-15 hours to complete, and are separated into multiple appointments. We have extended hours at the clinic (see homepage) and will try our best to accommodate your schedule, but you may have to schedule a longer session to complete testing.

• How long will it take before I get my results?

  Assessments involve a multi-step process of testing and interviewing, scoring and checking, report-writing and supervision. Once your report has been finalized, you will be asked to come in for a final ‘feedback’ appointment during which the clinician will discuss your findings and recommendations and answer your questions. Because we are a graduate training clinic, every part of the assessment is closely supervised by masters-level students and Ph.D. licensed psychologists. This close supervision means that you will get the best quality assessment possible; however, it means that our assessment often take longer than in other medical settings. The average time for an assessment from the first appointment until the feedback appointment is 6-8 weeks, but we cannot guarantee that your assessment will be completed by a certain deadline. Please be sure to let the assessment coordinator know if your evaluation is time-sensitive, so that we can determine if we can take your case.

• How much will my assessment cost?

  The WSU Psychology Clinic assesses fees on a sliding scale, which means that the fee for your assessment will be based on your gross annual income and the number of people that you are supporting (yourself included). We do not accept any form of health insurance. Your fee can be paid in two installments, but must be paid in full before we can release the results of your evaluation. We accept cash or check. We do not accept credit cards.

• How do I schedule my assessment or get more information about whether I need an assessment?

  If you have questions about whether you need an assessment, you can talk to your primary care provider (PCP), or other healthcare provider. Alternatively, you can call our assessment coordinator (313-577-2840) to discuss whether you might benefit from an evaluation. The assessment coordinator will ask you questions about what you want to achieve with the assessment to determine whether our clinic is the best place for you to be seen. Please note that, because we are a training clinic, we cannot take all evaluations, but are happy to provide referrals to other psychological services if we cannot provide your assessment. The assessment coordinator will then add your information to our waitlist, and you will be contacted shortly to begin scheduling your appointments directly with your student clinician. Note: our assessment coordinators are not in the office every day, but if you leave your name, number, and a detailed message, we will be sure to contact you as soon as possible. Please also note that the length of our waitlist varies, meaning that it may be some time before you can begin scheduling appointments. We do not take walk-in clients.

• What should I bring with me to my appointment?
  • A well-rested, well-fed you! Please try to get adequate sleep before your appointment. Also, please be sure to eat before your appointment. Both sleep deprivation and hunger can make you feel tired and distracted, and make it difficult for you to perform at your best
  • Please take medications as usual and bring a list of your current medications and supplements
  • Eyeglasses (even if only required for reading), hearing aids and mobility devices are usually used
  • A light sweater or jacket. It is best to dress in layers for your appointment, as the temperature in our clinic varies significantly
  • A lunch or snack and drink. Especially if you are planning for a longer appointment, it is important to bring some food and a drink for you.  There are also several restaurants located in the area if you do not bring your own food
  • Any forms or questionnaires that were sent to you prior to your appointment, filled out to the best of your abilities
  • Relevant medical records: if you've been seriously ill, had major surgery, been in an accident or been hospitalized, it's important that you bring any relevant reports or records with you to your appointment.  Medical records are particularly important for those clients referred by neurologists or other doctors. Feel free to ask your clinician what information would be helpful when you schedule your appointment
  • Relevant records from a therapist/psychologist: If you have had a previous evaluation or psychological treatment, any records that you have concerning your treatment are helpful to us
  • Relevant academic records: Especially for psychoeducational evaluations, school report cards, transcripts, individualized education plans, or work samples are very helpful to us. If you are seeking accommodations for a specific test (ex/ LSAT, SAT/ACT, bar exam, GRE), please be sure to research the requirements for accommodations and bring these with you to your appointment
  • Contact information and addresses of the people to whom you would like your report sent
  • Money for parking and for your appointment
• Will my assessment be kept confidential?

  Based on the HIPAA laws, we will keep your evaluation records locked and confidential. The clinician and case supervisor will be the only individuals allowed to see this information. However, if you do report intentions to harm yourself or others, or child or elderly abuse, we are required by law to share this information with the appropriateauthorities. Please note that we are also happy to send an official copy of your report to individuals or agencies that you request (but you must sign paperwork for us to do so).