Getting Ready
In most cases, the child should take his/her prescribed medication prior to an assessment, unless the purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the child meets criteria for ADHD. If the diagnostic question is ADHD, or if the parents would like a second opinion on their child’s ADHD diagnosis, the child should NOT take his/her ADHD medication. Any other medications (e.g., anxiety, depression) should be administered prior to testing. If you are unsure whether or not to have your child take his/her medication, it is recommended that you do not administer the medication, but do bring it with you to the appointment. Please indicate to the evaluator prior to starting the testing process that you would like assistance in determining whether to have your child to take his/her medication as prescribed.
Arriving
The closest campus parking options to the Blank Honors Center include the North Campus Parking Ramp, and the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) Parking Ramp. If you park in either of these parking ramps we will provide you with a parking pass to cover the cost of parking both mornings of assessment testing.
The Assessment and Counseling Clinic is located on the 5th floor of the Blank Honors Center. The receptionist area is right off the elevators. Visitors to the University of Iowa (UI) Campus can enjoy free guest wireless service without having to obtain a guest ID. Guests can take advantage of this service by selecting the UI-Guest network when connecting to a wireless network. More information is available in the Assessment and Counseling Clinic waiting area.
Upon arriving for your child’s evaluation, the examiner will explain the consent forms, clarify the purpose of the evaluation, and discuss a general evaluation plan. Typically, tests are referred to as “activities” so as not to cause anxiety for the student. All ACC evaluations include a full assessment of intellectual ability, full assessment of academic achievement, and a screening of psychosocial functioning. Additional measures will be administered based on the referral question and patterns of performance observed during initial aspects of the evaluation. Should a parent wish to know more about the specific measures that will be used, that information is available upon request.
The Appointment
At the start of the assessment, the clinician will meet with you and your child to go over consent forms and review how they plan to proceed. At that time, they will provide information on when they need parents to be present, such as during the child’s break and the parent interview. If you plan on leaving the building, please make sure you provide your cell phone number to the receptionist before leaving. Please do not plan on leaving the building if you anticipate that your child may have difficulty transitioning to testing, may feel anxious, or may be more comfortable having you remain in the clinic area. Parents of young children are recommended to remain in the building for the duration of the evaluation.
Additionally, if parents bring siblings of the child being evaluated, we ask that that parents do not leave these children unattended. Our clinic is small, and the waiting area is right outside the testing rooms. There may be other families here for services with another clinician at the same time. We have a play area next to the waiting area with some books, toys, and games that children are welcome to enjoy during their breaks.
A majority of the assessment protocols are individually administered verbally and using paper-and-pencil forms. ACC staff strictly adhere to standard administration practices as indicated by the developers of the assessment tools being administered. There are a few measures that involve computerized administration, and most of these are self-report, parent, or teacher rating scales. Very young children are administered questionnaires via a structured interview with the examiner rather than completing a computerized form.
The ACC staff are trained to carefully observe the behaviors of our clients and to implement strategies that allow them to best demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. At the same time, ACC staff are vigilant about following standard administration procedures in accordance with the psychology code of ethics. Some behavioral strategies commonly used at the ACC include providing a client with a visual schedule, providing frequent breaks, high density praise, positive reinforcement, encouraging the client to “provide their best guess” when they are unsure of the answer, and taking time to develop a relationship with the client in order to put them at ease. Despite these efforts, at times, the examiner may observe that a child’s performance seems to have been affected by anxiety, inattention, low effort, etc. The examiner will take this into consideration when interpreting the findings in the comprehensive assessment report.
Because the examiner scores and compiles aspects of the full evaluation after the evaluation has been completed, the examiner is typically not able to provide diagnostic impressions until the report has been written, nor can any specific scores be provided. However, in some instances, the examiner may observe certain patterns of behavior or performance, or may learn information during the interviews that can be shared with the parent as preliminary results at the conclusion of the testing period.