What to Expect During a Neuro-Affirming Evaluation

So, you’re curious about what to expect during a Neurodiversity-Affirming psychological assessment? Whether you are considering an evaluation for yourself or your child or have an evaluation scheduled, I’m going to share with you our process from start to finish!

Assessment Form:

Our intake coordinator will provide you with what is called an “assessment form”. There are two options, one for adults and one for children/adolescents. This form will have questions regarding demographics, family history, current concerns, developmental history, academic performance, personality, interests and more. This form is reviewed prior to your intake session and frequently referenced during the intake process to ensure that a thorough history is completed so that the appropriate assessments are provided.

Intake:

Assessment intake is done virtually one-on-one with your provider. History is gathered and reviewed and the client-led goals for the evaluation are established. There will be time to answer any questions and the upcoming process will be reviewed. You will be given an estimated duration of testing day. At times, assessments may be emailed to parents, teachers and/or clients between intake and testing date to be reviewed prior to testing day.

Testing Day:

On testing day, you will meet with your provider in person at The Mental Wellness Center. Testing can range from 3 hours to 6 or more hours. You are encouraged to bring snacks, drinks, and any comfort items to help you to stay regulated and motivated throughout the process. Typically, the first part of evaluation will be completed on the iPads with varying questions and topics. From there, review of data will guide the provider to the next steps. This can include interview style assessments, academic/learning/processing assessments, or further assessments regarding mood regulation and overall functioning. At times, information may be shared with the client regarding some of the data to understand the process. If testing is more than 3 hours, a lunch break is recommended.

Feedback:

Between testing day and the feedback session, your provider reviews all of your background information, testing results, interview materials, observations, and collateral information. From there, this data is compiled in to a feedback summary and a diagnosis is identified. On the day of feedback, you will meet virtually and you will be given an opportunity to see all of the information gathered. Each data point will be reviewed with the hope of validating the clients experience and also providing information to support the diagnosis. Clients are encouraged to ask questions and provide input and feedback during this process. The feedback will also include “Plan of Action” targets that are things which can be started right away, even prior to receiving the formal report.

Feedback can be a bit overwhelming, so extra time is provided if needed for additional supports. Clients are also given an opportunity to schedule a second feedback or consultation if they have more questions or concerns.

The Report:

The report is provided about 1 month after feedback. This document takes everything from the feedback session and organizes it in to a confidential report. This report is intended to provide all of the information to the client, but also be a document that can be provided to other professionals, schools, and work places to help with further accommodations and support.

After the evaluation process is completed, if you are already a client of The Mental Wellness Center, your provider will have full access to the report and feedback information. This can allow them to continue to support you in your healing journey. Recommendations are provided at feedback and within the final report as a guide for the next steps after diagnosis.

If you or someone you know are considering a Neuro-Affirming evaluation, schedule a call with our intake team or talk with your provider to get more information!