To initiate the evaluation process, parents typically call the Center directly. A staff member will gather information over the phone and request that parents complete a history form (as an MS Word .doc or as an Adobe .pdf). After reviewing this information, The McCarton Center staff will schedule a psychological/cognitive evaluation for the child.
Psychological/Cognitve Evaluation
Psychological/Cognitive Evaluation will include a series of standardized tests to determine each child’s strengths and weaknesses. At the Center, psychological evaluations are done by developmentally trained psychologists who are licensed to administer these standardized tests. Depending on the age and problem of the child, the testing can last for one session (2 hours) up to 5 sessions (10 hours). The testing session is filmed and downloaded to our central server. Strict security measures are employed in which only authorized personnel have access to the films.
Dr. McCarton reviews each digital tape and meets with the psychologist to discuss his/her findings. She will also meet with each family and child in an unstructured visit where the child can play and be observed while Dr. McCarton interviews the parents. The child’s history is discussed and the child is given a physical and neurological evaluation. At this meeting, the results of the psychological evaluation are reviewed with the family.
If enough information has been obtained, a diagnosis and specific treatment plan is developed for discussion with the parents. If more diagnostic information is needed, additional assessments will be scheduled, which may include:
- Speech and Language Evaluation
- Occupational Therapy Evaluation
- Sensory Integration Evaluation
- School or Home Visits
Once these additional assessments are done, The McCarton Center will meet with the parents again and recommend a treatment plan.
School Visits
Many children who are having difficulties in school, behaviorally and/or academically, are referred to The McCarton Center. In addition to a cognitive evaluation, often a school visit is necessary to actually see the child’s performance in a classroom environment. These visits are done by Dr. McCarton or the psychologist who performed the educational/cognitive evaluation.
Home Visits
Home visits by McCarton Center staff members are recommended for a number of reasons: to evaluate the home therapy program a child is receiving, to observe the child’s performance in a different environment, to help parents to address problematic behaviors occurring in the home setting or to generalize skills a child learns in a 1:1 therapy session.