The Massler Center for Psychological Wellness, P.C. offers an extensive range of psychological assessment procedures aimed at answering various referral questions resulting in a comprehensive understanding of the individual being evaluated. This creates an enhanced ability to attentively and competently serve the individuals with whom we work. This is accomplished by identifying strengths and limitations and offering a host of beneficial recommendations. Assessing individuals of all ages, the Massler Center has established robust relationships with various professionals, a gencies, and surrounding schools because we believe collaboration and integration are necessary elements to facilitating positive change. At the Massler Center, we pride ourselves on our ability to formulate and maintain strong, collaborative,and communicative relationships with local and non-local providers, colleagues, and school representatives, which contributes to our capacity to best serve our clientele.
Since a large portion of our client population for testing is pediatric, the Massler Center pledges diligent collaboration, including regular consultation with parents and school professionals in order to ensure your child is offered an opportunity to meet their full potential and excel in their school environment. Specifically, we advocate for your child in order to make certain they receive the appropriate accommodations, modifications, or other services as required for whole child success, as well as supporting your family in accessing required services. Our staff also possesses extensive knowledge pertaining to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Individualized Education Plan and Section 504 processes, and navigating Special Services, including collaboration and consultation with Child Study Teams and Intervention and Response Services (I&RS). Professionals at the Massler Center are also available for consultation and review of evaluations conducted by your child’s school district.
What is psychological assessment?
Assessment is a thorough procedure that aims to comprehensively understand an individual. Assessment
provides:
– Informed decisions that generate appropriate recommendations and treatment approaches
– Invaluable information about an individual’s:
* Strengths and limitations
* Performance and functioning in relations to their peer group
* A baseline from which current- and post-intervention progress can be measured
When combined with information from interviews, observations, and other sources, assessment
can:
– Help clients explore new and more effective ways of resolving problems
– Generate self-understanding
– Reduce treatment duration and cost
– Contribute to appropriate and effective treatment planning
– Aid in answering questions presented by other health professionals and referring organizations
When is psychological assessment needed?
When decisions and plans need to be made about clients based in part on their functioning:
– Psychological
– Social and Emotional
– Educational
– Neurodevelopmental
When referring individuals, agencies, organizations, or academic institutions
require:
– Objective information
– More individualized planning and decision-making
When specific instruments are needed to answer specific questions
Who can provide assessment?
– Psychologists and other health care providers participate in conducting assessment
– Due to variations in training, different health care providers are competent in diverse areas of assessment
– Advanced education and supervised training is required for expertise in assessment procedures
Why psychological assessment?
Provides an objective baseline from which to measure and evaluate:
– Personal characteristics
– Educational achievement
– Cognitive and intellectual functioning
– Social and emotional functioning
– Behavior
– Treatment progress and effectiveness
Contributes essential treatment-related information:
– Diagnostic
– Treatment selection
– At the outset of and throughout treatment
– Pinpoints obstacles impeding treatment progress and success
– Identifies individual strengths that can enhance treatment efficacy
Assessment also:
– Uses multiple sources of data
* Self-reports
* Objective measures and instrumentation
* Collateral information
* Performance tasks
– Offers unbiased and reliable hypotheses which can:
* Inform the client
* Inform healthcare professionals
* Inform referral sources
– Generates information:
* Individuals can use to learn about themselves and help them take ownership in their treatment
* Individuals can use to gain a sense of independence and confidence
* Referral sources can use to learn about the referred individual and create appropriate and
individualized treatment approaches
* Receiving organizations, agencies, or institutions can use to help inform decision making and strategies
of assistance
What does a typical assessment entail?
– Clinical interview designed to elicit comprehensive information about the potential examinee, including a
detailed description of the reason for referral and referral questions desired to be answered
– Genogram and family history
– Strength, interest, interpersonal aptitude, and academic inquiry
– Projective questioning
– Prior and current intervention inquiry
– Instrument selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation
Types of Assessment
Comprehensive Psychological
– Intellectual Functioning
– Psychoeducational
– Cognitive Functioning
– Social and Emotional Functioning
– Behavioral
– Personality
Psychoeducational
– Achievement
– Learning Disabilities
– School Readiness
Neurodevelopmental
– Executive Functioning
– Autism Spectrum Disorder
– Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Concussion Assessment
– Baseline Testing
– Management
– Reassessment
– Clearance (Ready to Learn & Ready to Play)
Other Assessments
– Diagnostic
– Medical Procedure Clearance
* Bariatric Surgery
* Cosmetic Surgery
– Disability, Worker’s Compensation, and Personal Injury
– Pre-employment Screening
– Forensic
* Parental Fitness and Custody
* Adoption
* Pre-sentencing Psychological
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION please contact the Massler Center for
Psychological Wellness, P.C. at 973.535.8555