Child and Family Clinic Assessment Services

The Child and Family Psychological Services Clinic at UNC offers comprehensive testing and evaluation services for children, adolescents, and families. Among the types of evaluations offered are:

• Psychological evaluation and testing for diagnostic clarity (e.g., evaluation for ADHD, bipolar disorder) and case formulation;
• Psychoeducational, learning disability, mental retardation, giftedness, and readiness for kindergarten screening (e.g., intelligence and achievement testing); and
• Early childhood developmental testing.

What can psychological evaluations provide?

Psychological evaluations provide a structured, organized, and succinct description of a youth’s current psychological functioning, including cognitive, behavioral, and emotional strengths and challenges.  A psychological evaluation offers insight into the severity of the symptoms that a child or adolescent is experiencing, as well as the youth’s capacity for achieving an adequate level of functioning. In addition, a psychological evaluation may be used to confirm or modify the impressions formed by referring therapists or educators. Accordingly, a comprehensive evaluation can facilitate the identification of appropriate treatment goals and guide treatment decision-making as well as assist the schools with information for suitable classroom placement. 

What can you expect with our psychological evaluation process?

• Limited wait time to begin assessment. In most cases, we will be able to begin the assessment process shortly after you contact our clinic.
• Several appointments of a few hours each. Depending on the reason for the psychological evaluation, the youth’s age and functioning, the clinical interview and assessments may require between two and four appointments with each one lasting a few hours.
• Range of interviews, self-reports, and assessments. A comprehensive psychological evaluation begins with a clinical interview, and then includes a range of psychological tests depending on the specific nature of the presenting issues or referral questions. Psychological tests can include tests of emotional well-being, intellectual (or IQ) tests, tests of academic achievement and learning styles, tests for possible neurological damage, and tests for specific psychological disturbances and their severity.
• Each protocol is individually planned and reviewed by a licensed psychologist and includes information from several key sources.  Given that we are a training clinic, we plan a comprehensive battery with an array of measures (we may be able to provide more comprehensive and thorough evaluations than may be possible in a fee for service clinic). With children and adolescents, it is also important to include information from significant others, particularly parents and teachers, as well as to review prior treatment and school records.
• Integrated report within three weeks of your final assessment session.  A formal integrated written report of findings and recommendations based on those findings will be provided.  Findings are also discussed with the family, school, and treatment providers (when relevant and only with your consent) so that the best treatment plan can be developed for the child or adolescent.