Psychological Evaluations

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Functioning Insight

Understand How Your Child Identifies and Expresses Emotions

Psychological evaluations are essential tools designed to gain a comprehensive understanding of a child's emotional, social, behavioral, and cognitive functioning. When a child faces difficulties in adapting to everyday demands at home, in school, or in social settings, these challenges may stem from a variety of factors, including anxiety, depression, attention and impulse control issues, learning disorders, social communication delays, or significant life events such as parental separation or the loss of a loved one. For parents concerned about their child's adjustment and functioning, a thorough psychological evaluation can be the first step towards obtaining the necessary support and interventions.

Dr. Webb believes psychological testing is not just about arriving at a diagnosis. Instead, the individualized evaluations provide a deeper insight into the unique ways your child thinks, feels, and behaves. We strive to uncover the root causes of any behavioral or emotional concerns and, more importantly, to offer actionable strategies that parents and caregivers can use to support their child's development. The goal is to highlight each child's strengths and provide a roadmap for fostering their growth within the complexities of their individual experiences.

You May Be Wondering

  • Psychological evaluations offer insight into how a young person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by personality, predisposition, environment, and other factors. It provides in-depth analysis of the child’s psychological characteristics and functioning as well as insight into potential areas where they could benefit from support. All of this may sound like clinical jargon, but the main purpose of assessment is to increase understanding of a young person’s struggles, negative thought patterns, underlying concerns, and a variety of other factors. 

  • Almost all evaluations I provide to children are started because a pediatrician, educator, or other professionals recommended or referred the parents to me, and psychological evaluations are no different. However, as a parent, you may be better suited than anyone else to observe the potential concerns that indicate a need for psychological evaluation, so it’s important you understand signs that a child could benefit from these evaluations.

  • Avoidance of challenging or demanding tasks

    Reassurance seeking when faced with novelty

    Frequent worrying or excessive fears 

    Persistent irritability 

    Behavioral issues at school, at-home, and/or during play

    Acting out or having emotional outbursts

    Being overwhelmed by feelings and unable to manage or process emotions

    Mood swings

    Struggling in school

    Difficulty developing and sustaining friendships

    Having a tough time focusing

How Is Psychological Testing Performed? 

The assessment process should always be individualized. That means your child’s testing battery will not be exactly the same as another child’s because differentiated evaluations ensure Dr. Webb develops a complete understanding of the individual’s strengths and struggles. While the individual assessments, interview questions, and other specifics may change, she tries to keep the overall process simple and straightforward. Specifically, you can expect the following: 

  • Get in touch by completing our inquiry form or emailing to tell Dr. Webb a bit about your child’s situation. 

  • We’ll spend about 15 minutes discussing your child’s needs to determine whether psychological testing with Dr. Webb is the best option and schedule an in-person intake appointment.

  • Dr. Webb will talk with parents for about 60 to 90-minutes to get more details about why you reached out to schedule an assessment with her. This may include your concerns, referral questions from pediatricians, medical histories, and clarifying your goals for the testing process.

  • The assessment process takes between 5 and 7 hours. This may seem daunting, but the time is split between two separate appointment days. Breaks are provided and other steps are taken to ensure your child comfortably and effectively completes the comprehensive psychological testing battery. Depending on the specifics of the situation, Dr. Webb may also provide questionnaires for parents, educators, and other caregivers to complete.

  • Dr. Webb carefully evaluates the test results, notes and other materials gathered during interviewing, questionnaires, and medical records when appropriate. She may reach out to request additional information from parents and other caregivers.

  • About a month after assessment, Dr. Webb schedules a final follow up appointment with parents to discuss her findings, confirm any diagnoses, and answer questions. She will then provide a final written report within 48 hours of this feedback visit. For older adolescents and teens, Dr. Webb may also schedule a 30-minute individual session to review the reports with them and answer their questions.

Easily Schedule Psychological Evaluations

Psychological testing can be a valuable resource for children facing challenges like difficult transitions, trauma, or emotional struggles. While the benefits are clear, we understand that scheduling an assessment can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve made it simple and hassle-free. To get started, use our online self-scheduler to view availability and book your free phone consultation today. Prefer to connect directly? Call us at (360) 328-7880 or email hello@webbpsychological.com. We look forward to hearing from you!