Diagnostic Clinic

• Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome diagnoses
• Presence of ADHD
• Personality features or disturbances
• Information processing difficulties
• Learning disabilities
• Emotional disorders
• Memory issues
• Executive functioning issues
• Gifted Testing

If you are unsure what your child may need to be evaluated for, please call us to receive initial insight about how we may be able serve your child.

Referrals can be made by the child’s parent/guardian, physicians, case managers, therapists, or other members of the child’s care team. To make a referral or request more information, call 515-727-8750.

It is important to talk to your child before any procedure to remove fears about what to expect. Make sure your child knows the evaluation will not include a physical exam (no needles, medicines, etc.). For younger children, you may wish to talk about how the evaluation may include puzzles and games. Older children may find it helpful to know there will be games and school-like work. However, unlike at school, there are no right or wrong answers.

On the day of the evaluation, please give your child all scheduled medications that he or she normally receives. Make sure your child receives enough sleep for several nights before the evaluation and has a good meal prior to coming in for their appointment.

Our team of experts use many standardized testing tools to evaluate the level of functioning including pencil and paper tasks, puzzles, drawing and games. The evaluation covers skill areas like general intellectual level, language, memory and learning, problem-solving, planning and organization, fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills, and academic skills (reading, math, spelling and writing). The evaluation also includes an examination of behavior, emotions and social functioning.

You and your child will start the evaluation process by coming in for an assessment appointment. It is important to get to know you before beginning testing. From this assessment, the psychologist will determine which type of standardized testing will be most appropriate for your child. If recommended for testing, it’s important to know testing can take several hours and may involve multiple meetings with our experts.

During your final appointment, our psychologists will provide a written report of findings and recommendations. You will have the opportunity to ask any clarifying questions and ensure that you understand the results.