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Assessment Process
What's Involved?
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In order to have an accurate picture of how a person learns, we must have a thorough assessment of cognitive and sensorimotor functioning. Knowing that this assessment will identify strengths, weaknesses and likely contributors to their learning or language difficulties, can be a relief to both child and adult clients. Every person has individual strengths and weaknesses that make him/her unique. We look at each individual's specific strengths and weaknesses as members of the his/her "brain team".
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Some of us have a "brain team" which has a gross motor control "Superstar"' and we are good athletes. But our fine motor control may be a weaker player, maybe even a "bench" player, so we have trouble with learning handwriting and avoid these tasks. Some of us have superstar visual memory and weaker auditory memory. We will naturally play our "best player" abilities when trying to learn something like reading and keep our "weak players" on the bench, making these skills even weaker due to a lack of practice. In order to have a "winning brain team," all the players need to play to become a stronger member of the team. We have solid clinical case-study and large-group research that indicates these "weak players" or weak skills CAN BE IMPROVED! We are the "specialty coaches" that can help an adult or child improve their weaker skills.
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Just as a coach/teacher has the team doing different drills to find out where the strengths and weaknesses are, we must evaluate the brain team players needed "to win at learning". Language (spoken and written), attention, sensorimotor control, memory and cognition (thinking/problem solving) are the key brain team members in this competition. We also need to assess the child's temperament in order to assist in the development of appropriate working behaviors necessary for future success. We must evaluate the family support system in order to call upon appropriate strengths and to assist the parents in learning efficient ways to help their child reach his/her potential. Unfortunately, blood tests and brain imaging can not diagnose learning difficulties. An assessment with trained professionals and standardized tests are best suited to identifying each person weaknesses and strengths. This assessment involves 1:1 sessions with skilled evaluators who administer standardized tests that are specific to the cognitive/neurological/sensorimotor/academic processes or skills needed for efficient learning.
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Children and adults need to be fresh and attentive when being assessed, since fatigue and poor attention may result in a poor performance that may not accurately reflect their language and learning skills. We utilize a Two-Phase assessment process. Phase-I involves a thorough assessment of a client's medical and developmental history by a Ph.D. Nurse Practitioner who has been specially trained in conducting neurodevelopmental assessments. This neurodevelopmental assessment of pediatric clients provides a broad screening of language, learning, memory, motor and attention systems. Also, part of the Phase-I assessment is a thorough diagnostic interview by a clinical psychologist. Initial testing of attention (standardized tests and questionnaires) and broad cognitive abilities may also be included in the Phase-I assessment. From the Phase-I assessment findings, a preliminary set of diagnoses are provided and a detailed plan of Phase-II assessments are outlined and explained to the family or adult client.
Phase-II assessments typically last for 1 – 6 hrs in a day. Appropriate lunch and rest breaks are provided as needed, depending on the client. If the client is a teenager or adult, there may be morning and afternoon assessments. Completing the Phase-II assessments usually requires several sessions over a period of 1 - 2 weeks. The total hours of family and child or adult client evaluation may range from 6 hours up to 20 hrs of assessment. The duration depends on the severity of the difficulties and whether previous assessments have been done.
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If prior assessments conducted elsewhere are recent and consistent with nationally recognized standardized tests, then we will try to use this outside testing for part of our evaluation. We select assessments on an individualized basis and only administer tests essential for thorough diagnosis AND treatment planning. Assessment should guide treatment. A diagnosis alone does not identify the essential "what" and "how" of treatment. The Morris Center uniquely provides comprehensive assessment AND comprehensive treatment services.
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