assessment frequently asked questions
I have ___ insurance. Do you know if they will reimburse me for an out-of-network assessment?
Insurance plans vary case-by-case and person-by-person so we are not able to predict whether or not your plan offers reimbursement. It is always best to reach out to your provider directly.
In total, how much Should I expect to pay for an assessment?
Estimating the duration of each assessment is complex, as it varies significantly based on individual circumstances. Our work is incredibly dependent upon the diverse needs of our clients which allows us to provide tailored and comprehensive services. We strive to keep our assessments between 8 and 15 hours ($3,200 to $6,000), however, many factors related to scoring, interpreting, and report writing will influence that time frame.
Do you offer a payment plan?
We do not offer a payment plan but we can definitely offer flexibility with scheduling by spacing out your appointments so that you are not being billed too much all at once. We bill two times a month – once mid-month (around the 15th) and once at the end of the month. What we would recommend doing is scheduling your sessions so that you are not having too many within each billing cycle, so that each time you are billed it is for a smaller amount, and then we can ask the psychologist to spread out the billing for report writing, too. You will not receive a copy of the report until you have paid in full, but we can spread the process out as much as possible so that you are comfortable. We encourage you to also share this with your psychologist during your initial meeting.
Do you offer sliding scale?
We have a wonderful doctorate extern who is a Ph.D. student offering assessments under the supervision of our assessment team. Our extern can offer assessments at a discounted rate of $200/hour. Of course, the entirety of the assessment looks much the same and you will still receive a written report signed by a licensed psychologist at the end.
Do I have to pay anything up front to get started?
No, you do not have to put any down payment or pay anything upfront. We only bill you for sessions, scoring, or report writing that has already happened.
Do your clinicians have experience diagnosing adult women?
Yes! We understand that many providers lack experience working with and assessing adult women with ASD and ADHD. We built our assessment team with the specific intention to hire psychologists who have experience working with adult women as this is a group that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, especially since a lot of the diagnostic criteria is based on men.
What areas do you look for besides ASD?
We typically look for ASD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, and OCD, and we also have some investigative neuropsychologists on our team who can do differential diagnoses when needed. We test specifically for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social (pragmatic) Communication Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Inattentive, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia), Major Depressive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, among other areas.
Do I have to include my family in the interview process?
Typically, our involvement with outside observers (e.g., partners, friends, loved ones, therapists, etc.) is by having them complete screeners online. Occasionally, we will ask for more information via an interview. You absolutely do not need to do anything you are not comfortable with. It is not uncommon for us to receive a request to not contact family members. There is a part of the assessment that involves the psychologist interviewing someone who knows you as an “outside observer,” but it certainly does not need to be a family member. You may wish to use a friend, teacher, psychiatrist or therapist instead. We feel it is extremely important to have outside observer’s perspective in the diagnosis process, and this person can be anyone you feel comfortable with us speaking to. It is important to note that without the input of an outside observer, it will most often be considered a provisional diagnosis.
What screeners/tests do you use?
We use a variety of tests, screeners, and questionnaires depending on the direction the assessment goes in, including but not limited to the AQ, EQ, SQ- R, RQ, RAADS-R, PAS, ADOS-2, CAARS, Y-BOCS, BAI, BDI-2, ACEs, Brown EF/A scales, CEFI, Adult Sensory Profile, Social Responsiveness Scale, TAS-20, among others. We use a biopsychosocial approach, so a significant portion of the assessment is also interview-based, including sending screeners to outside observers who may be able to provide valuable perspectives on your life.
Is it effective to do an assessment virtually?
Due to the pandemic, most of the testing platform companies have modified and normed many of the assessments to be conducted virtually. This includes cognitive evaluations and even academic achievement and neuropsychological tests. When we do diagnostic evaluations with children and adults, it primarily involves clinical interviews and bio-psycho-social background questions, interviewing and feedback from outside observers, and standardized rating scales that look at personality, anxiety, depression, executive functions, PTSD, etc. It works well to do these virtually with clients because of the convenience with which we provide flexibility in meeting times, and it has been quite conducive to eliminating the anxiety that coming in person evokes in many of our clients.
How can questionnaires and screeners give you enough information? What if the answers are not honest?
The clinical diagnosis will be done by the assessment team based on the whole picture and is not done purely based on screeners. These screeners are preliminary steps we take to gather background information prior to getting started. The assessment process itself consists of a variety of tests, screeners, and questionnaires depending on the direction the assessment goes in. We understand that many times clients have internalized masking or are either unaware or in denial of certain behaviors, so we truly value gathering the “whole picture.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY WAITLISTS? WHEN CAN I GET STARTED?
We work very hard to get you the support you need as soon as possible. We understand how frustrating it is to wait months and months for your assessment and the report. We pride ourselves on getting you seen and getting you the recommendations you need to be able to implement changes in your life. For the last year, we have not had a waitlist as we have grown our team.
DO YOU DO BALANCE BILLING?
No, we do not do balance billing. You will be billed for the full balance and then, after submitting your superbill to your insurance, they will send you a check to reimburse you for the amount that they will cover.
DO YOU BILL FOR TELEHEALTH OR TELEMEDECINE?
The add-on code for a virtual assessment that will appear on your superbill is “POS 02.” POS means place of service, and the number 2 signifies “Telehealth Provided Other than in Patient’s Home.”
DO YOU DO SINGLE CASE AGREEMENTS?
No, we do not do single-case agreements.
i can't decide if i want to move forward. why should i get an assessment?
The decision to proceed with an assessment can be a personal choice involving many factors. For many, it can be very validating to receive confirmation about what you are suspecting about yourself. You may be seeking an assessment to receive a diagnosis for a specific purpose (e.g., mental health benefits, work accommodations, school accommodations, exploring a self-diagnosis, investigating a misdiagnosis, supporting progress in personal relationships, etc.). Our main goal is to help you learn about yourself and become an expert on yourself, your areas of strength, and your areas of difficulty. Ultimately, we provide tailored recommendations based on the results of the evaluation that we hope help you move forward and navigate your next steps.
Click here to register for one of our free monthly community groups to talk to other people who may have gone through the assessment process with us or elsewhere and can share their perspective with you.