🔍 Breakdown of Each Evaluation Type
🧠 Psychological Evaluation
A psychological evaluation focuses on mental health and emotional functioning. It explores:- Mood and affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, irritability)
- Personality traits or disorders
- Thought processes, trauma, or psychosis
- Behavioral observations
- Clinical diagnoses (e.g., ADHD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder)
- Individuals seeking mental health diagnoses for therapy, medication, or disability services
- Students or adults who need documentation for mental health accommodations
- Clarifying psychiatric history or exploring emotional regulation challenges
📘 Educational Evaluation
This type assesses a person's academic skills and achievement levels—often in comparison to expected grade or age levels. It measures:- Reading fluency and comprehension
- Math computation and reasoning
- Written expression
- Spelling and grammar
- Academic strengths and weaknesses
- Students with suspected learning difficulties (e.g., dyslexia, dyscalculia)
- Updating academic testing for IEPs or 504 Plans
- Monitoring educational progress or planning instruction
🎓 Psychoeducational Evaluation
A combination of psychological and educational testing, this is one of the most common evaluations requested by schools, parents, and standardized testing boards. It includes:- Cognitive testing (IQ, processing speed, working memory)
- Academic achievement testing (reading, math, writing)
- Screening for emotional or behavioral issues (anxiety, attention, depression)
- Learning profiles and diagnostic impressions
- Students struggling academically or socially
- Determining eligibility for IEP/504 accommodations
- Requesting testing accommodations on exams like the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, or Bar Exam
- Exploring the root causes of underachievement
🧠🧪 Neuropsychological Evaluation
This is the most comprehensive option. A neuropsychological evaluation assesses brain-behavior relationships using advanced tools. It evaluates:- Executive functioning
- Memory (verbal and visual)
- Attention and processing speed
- Language and visuospatial skills
- Fine motor skills
- Emotional and behavioral functioning
- Cognitive impact of conditions like ADHD, Autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, or neurodegenerative illness
- Individuals with complex developmental, neurological, or medical histories
- Autism evaluations or diagnostic clarification
- Determining cognitive profiles for students with twice-exceptionality (2e)
- Documenting lifelong disabilities for legal protections or accommodations
💡 So, Which One Do You Need?
Here’s a simple way to think about it:| Concern | Best Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Depression, anxiety, mood changes | Psychological Evaluation |
| Difficulty reading, writing, or doing math | Educational Evaluation |
| School struggles + emotional/attention concerns | Psychoeducational Evaluation |
| Complex neurodevelopmental profile, TBI, or Autism | Neuropsychological Evaluation |