PSYCHOLOGICAL & NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS AND TESTING

Psychological assessment refers to a battery of tests that evaluates an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral functioning. Psychological assessment is also referred to as psychological evaluation or testing. In many ways, psychological assessment is similar to medical tests. If a patient has physical symptoms, a physician may order a variety of scans or blood work to better understand the cause of those symptoms. Similarly, if a patient is exhibiting psychiatric/behavioral symptoms, a mental health provider may use assessments and tests to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment.

Psychologists administer tests and assessments for a wide variety of reasons. Children who are experiencing difficulty in school, for example, may undergo intelligence testing for learning disabilities. Neurocognitive evaluations test skills such as concentration, problem solving, motor functions, and memory, which can help to diagnose conditions such as brain injuries or dementia. If a person is having problems at work or school, or in personal relationships, personality tests can help your provider understand whether he or she might have issues with anger management or interpersonal skills, or certain personality traits that contribute to the problem. Other tests evaluate whether clients are experiencing emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression. Additionally, primary care physicians will often require evaluations prior to prescribing their patients’ psychotropic medications.

At Sharpe Psychological Services, we specialize in psychological evaluations that provide insight into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Our evaluations and testing services help individuals, families, educators, healthcare professionals, and legal entities make informed decisions about treatment, accommodations, and support.

We offer ADHD Testing for children, adolescents, and adults. These evaluations assess attention, executive functioning, impulsivity, emotional regulation, and related areas of cognitive and behavioral functioning. Because ADHD can overlap with anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, learning difficulties, and other concerns, our evaluations are designed to look beyond surface symptoms and provide a more accurate understanding of what may be contributing to the individual’s difficulties.

We also provide Psychoeducational Evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults experiencing academic, learning, or processing concerns. These evaluations help identify learning disabilities, academic skill deficits, processing weaknesses, and other factors that may interfere with school or work performance. Findings may be used to support recommendations for school accommodations, Individualized Education Plans, 504 Plans, standardized testing accommodations, academic interventions, and individualized support strategies.

For individuals experiencing broader emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or diagnostic concerns, we offer Comprehensive Psychological and Neuropsychological Evaluations. These evaluations are designed to assess the interaction between mental health symptoms, cognitive functioning, personality patterns, behavioral regulation, neurological factors, and daily functioning. Depending on the referral question, evaluation may include assessment of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, behavioral disorders, personality disorders, substance-related concerns, neurocognitive difficulties, executive functioning weaknesses, memory concerns, and other complex diagnostic presentations. Comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations can be especially helpful when symptoms are overlapping, previous treatment has not been effective, there are concerns about cognitive or neurological contributors, diagnostic clarity is needed, or a more detailed treatment plan is necessary.

We provide Neurocognitive Testing for individuals experiencing concerns with memory, attention, processing speed, language, executive functioning, problem-solving, or cognitive changes related to medical, neurological, emotional, developmental, or functional concerns. Neurocognitive testing can help clarify patterns of cognitive strength and weakness, assist with diagnostic impressions, guide treatment planning, and support recommendations for accommodations or additional medical follow-up when appropriate.

Sharpe Psychological Services also conducts Substance Abuse Evaluations, offering objective clinical assessments that may assist with treatment planning, legal matters, professional requirements, monitoring needs, or rehabilitation-related decisions. These evaluations are designed to assess substance use history, current risk factors, diagnostic considerations, recovery needs, and recommendations for appropriate intervention or ongoing support.

We also offer Fitness-for-Duty and Fitness-to-Practice Evaluations for professionals, employers, healthcare entities, regulatory boards, licensing bodies, and other referral sources requiring an objective assessment of psychological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, or substance-related functioning as it relates to professional responsibilities. These evaluations may be used to help determine whether an individual is able to safely and effectively perform essential job duties, return to work or practice, comply with professional standards, or participate in recommended treatment, monitoring, or remediation.

For individuals needing documentation for housing or other accommodation-related needs, we provide Emotional Support Animal Evaluations. These evaluations assess clinical need, functional impairment, and the relationship between the individual’s mental health symptoms and the requested accommodation.

We also conduct Gender-Affirming Care Evaluations, including evaluations and clinical documentation for hormone replacement therapy and gender confirmation procedures. These evaluations are completed in a respectful, affirming, and clinically appropriate manner, with attention to the individual’s history, stability, informed consent, support system, and readiness for gender-affirming medical care.

We currently offer the following types of evaluations:

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Testing
Comprehensive Psychological / Neuropsychological Diagnostic Evaluation
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Assessment
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Evaluation
Gender Reassignment / Confirmation Surgery Evaluation
Psychoeducational Evaluation (e.g., IQ testing, dyslexia, etc.)
Fitness for Duty / Fitness to Practice Evaluation

**We are not performing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) evaluations at this time.