What sets a comprehensive psychological evaluation apart from the rest?
For the parents out there reading this, I want to tell you that the when you are looking for expert advice, the most important thing is to go to a SPECIALIST in the field. Word of mouth is important, as it is a referral from a trusted source. Ask your child’s neurologist, pediatrician, or any other provider working with your child for these resources. Also, ask yourself, who has the best interest of your child?
Yes, you can save money with short evals. Yes, you can probably try to start services quicker. But why cut corners on your child’s psychological wellbeing?
Why is short and quick not better than a comprehensive evaluation?
We are noticing a trend in Miami where some companies are producing diagnostic impressions of complex neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., autism, attention-deficit, learning disorder, developmental delay) that are based on one session and 2-3 questionnaires. Even more scary, these children are sometimes not even seen face-to-face. They are not evaluated with the right tools that lead to reliable diagnoses. There is an important reason why these evaluations are called comprehensive developmental evaluations, and there is nothing comprehensive about basing clinical assumptions only on a couple of questionnaires. This limits the validity and reliability of the diagnostic process and the end result. This means there is a high likelihood your child will be misdiagnosed. This also means the road to obtaining proper services and improving your child’s life will take longer.
It is my duty to educate you on the risk of this! Your child’s diagnosis is not for sale, particularly if your child has never been diagnosed before. This is the time to learn about your child’s psychological profile: his/her challenges and strengths. This will likely impact the rest of your child’s life. A diagnosis provides guidance to support your child’s educational journey, learning style, the right services to overcome challenges, and strengths to support these challenges. The right diagnosis will allow your child, your most precious gift, to live a successful, thriving, joyous life.
There is no rush in establishing a proper diagnosis. Think of real life examples when you rushed to get something done. What was the outcome? Would you have rather take a step-by-step, careful approach? I love this saying: “dress me slowly that I am in a hurry.” Important matters take time. The truth is that when it comes to neurodevelopmental disorders, you cannot cut corners. You will likely end up in the wrong place, in the wrong hands, with a much bigger problem. These diagnoses are complex, with many characteristics overlapping other disorders. What may look like autism or attention-deficit disorder, may not be, and the opposite is also true.
Parents, take the time to educate yourselves so that you can become your child’s best advocate. Remember that we only get one life, one childhood, and one bad decision can really impact the rest of our lives. We wish you the best in your and your child’s life’s journey!
