Many people come to us because they notice something feels different but aren’t sure what questions to ask. Part of our role is helping you understand what information may be helpful and whether an evaluation is the right next step.

People may seek out a psychological evaluation for a variety of reasons, such as:

• At the recommendation of a pediatrician, therapist, teacher, or physician

• After a screening suggests further assessment may be helpful

• When concerns arise at school, work, home, or socially

• When patterns have persisted over time without clear explanation

• When someone wants a deeper understanding of themselves or their child

At Three Willows, we welcome both professionally referred and self-referred clients, including parents noticing developmental differences in their child and adults exploring possible diagnosis later in life.

Goals of evaluation vary, including:

• Better understanding of your/your child’s strengths and areas of challenge

• Teasing apart complex presentations and diagnoses

• Guide therapy, intervention, or treatment planning

• Establishing eligibility for school, college, or workplace accommodations

• Accessing community, disability, or support services (including OPWDD applications)

• Clarifying overlapping developmental, learning, or mental health concerns

• Understanding learning style and educational needs

• Supporting advocacy and long-term planning

• Gaining language and understanding around lived experiences

Our evaluations are comprehensive and individualized. Every client begins with an intake appointment where we learn about concerns, developmental history, goals for the evaluation, and relevant background information. From there, we create a testing plan tailored to the referral questions and the individual’s needs.

Depending on the referral, evaluations may include:

• Interviews and discussion

• Standardized testing

• Behavioral observations

• Rating scales and questionnaires

• Review of records

• Collaboration with caregivers, schools, therapists, physicians, or other providers when appropriate

We believe the clearest understanding comes from looking at the whole person across settings and over time, rather than relying on one score or one appointment alone.

We approach every evaluation through a respectful, neurodiversity-affirming lens. We recognize that autism, ADHD, learning differences, and other forms of neurodivergence are part of the natural variation in how people think, learn, and experience the world.

Our evaluations are open-ended and data-driven. We consider each person's own experiences alongside information gathered through interviews, standardized measures, observations, records, and other sources to connect the dots and understand the full picture of their strengths, differences, and support needs. We recognize that these differences can present in many ways across individuals and are especially mindful of the experiences of women, gender-diverse individuals, and adults who may be exploring diagnosis later in life after years of feeling misunderstood or overlooked.

Sometimes an evaluation supports a diagnosis, and sometimes it points to other factors that better explain someone's experiences.

Whether or not a formal diagnosis is given, our goal is to provide meaningful insight and practical recommendations to help guide treatment, educational planning, accommodations, and next steps.

Evaluations typically occur across three visits:

• Intake: To learn about you or your child’s history and current needs

• Testing: Lengthy appointment(s) to complete formal testing measures and observations.

• Feedback session: To discuss findings, recommendations, and process conclusions.

A significant portion of the evaluation process also happens outside of appointments. Your clinician spends time reviewing records, scoring and interpreting measures, integrating information from multiple sources, consulting when needed, and writing a comprehensive report.

Following the feedback session, you will receive a written report summarizing findings, impressions, and recommendations.

Developmental disabilities are part of one’s identity throughout life and we are versed in evaluating across the lifespan.

• Autism Evaluations (2 years and up)

• ADHD Evaluations (4/5 years and up)

• Psychoeducational Evaluations beginning when a child enters formal schooling (Kindergarten and up)

Please note, for very young children, especially those ages 3 and under, families are better connected with Early Intervention (EI) or developmental-behavioral pediatrics to ensure necessary collaborative, team-based care.

At this time, we do not provide:

• Custody, parenting, or forensic evaluations

• Immigration evaluations

• Employment or fitness-for-duty evaluations

• Surgical candidacy evaluations

• Evaluations primarily related to traumatic brain injury (TBI)

• Dementia or neurocognitive evaluations

• Complex neurological evaluations requiring hospital- or team-based neuropsychological care

• Bariatric Evaluations

We will also refer out when the primary concern involves active psychosis, severe mental illness requiring higher levels of psychiatric care, or highly specialized assessment needs.

In some cases, other concerns, such as active substance use or significant mood symptoms, may need to be addressed first because they can affect testing results. If so, we'll discuss recommendations for treatment and stabilization before moving forward with the evaluation.

We use a range of evidence-based, standardized assessment tools. The specific measures used depend on the referral questions, age, and individual needs of the client.

Common tools include measures of:

• Intelligence/Cognitive Abilities

• Academic Achievement

• Trait-based Inventories and Report Forms

• Adaptive Functioning

• Pragmatic Language

• Autism Measures (ADOS-2; MIGDAS-2)

• Executive Functioning

Of note, no single test or score determines a diagnosis.

We are not board-certified neuropsychologists and will refer out for evaluations examining functioning related to neurological conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, or cognitive decline. These concerns are best evaluated by a neuropsychologist, and we will refer you to appropriate local providers when indicated.

To help clarify different types of services, we may use measures of neuropsychological functioning as part of a broader psychological testing battery. In some cases, services may also be coded by insurance under neuropsychological testing depending on the measures used.

No referral is required to schedule an evaluation. We welcome individuals and families who are initiating the process on their own, as well as referrals from physicians, therapists, and other members of your care team.

Many people come to evaluation after time spent researching, reflecting, or making sense of their own experiences. We encourage you to bring any questions, observations, or personal research to your first visit, as this helps us better understand your goals.

We begin with an initial clinical consultation to determine whether psychological testing is appropriate and indicated at this time, and to ensure the evaluation is well-matched to your needs and goals.

We offer a hybrid approach to testing.

• Intake and feedback appointments are offered via telehealth, if you would prefer.

• Testing appointments occur in-person at our Albany office

We complete testing in person whenever possible because it allows our clinicians to directly observe your communication and interaction style in a shared space.

Psychological evaluations are comprehensive and time-intensive.

We are in-network with CDPHP for psychological testing services. Out-of-pocket fees typically range from $3,275–$4,200, depending on scope and complexity of evaluation.

We recognize that cost can be a barrier and encourage you to check with your insurance about any available out-of-network reimbursement benefits.

Every evaluation is provided with the same depth, care, and clinical rigor, regardless of how services are paid for.

Yes. We provide evaluations for a variety of purposes, including OPWDD eligibility, school admissions, educational accommodations, and other programs that require psychological testing.

If your evaluation is for a specific school, agency, employer, or program, please let us know at intake and provide any required documentation or eligibility criteria so we can ensure we have the appropriate assessment tools available.

Our role is to provide an objective evaluation and individualized recommendations. We cannot guarantee eligibility, admission, or approval of services or accommodations.

You can explain testing as a way to learn more about how their brain works. Every brain is unique, and the world needs all kinds of brains. There is nothing to study for and no “right” or “wrong” in how they show up. The goal is simply to understand how they think, learn, and see the world, so we can better understand their strengths and what supports may help them thrive.

We love the child-friendly resources created by psychologist Dr. Liz Angoff at Explaining Brains. Her resources offer helpful ways to talk with children about their brains, learning, and the evaluation process. Visit Explaining Brains to learn more, including their handout on Preparing Your Child for Testing.