A provisional diagnosis from a physician uses general interview questions but is not formalized testing. Many diagnoses can be confused with one another due to overlapping symptoms and without a detailed and accurate assessment, the full diagnostic picture can’t be seen. A full-battery evaluation will look at the entire person and the symptoms they’re experiencing to be able to properly assess and diagnose the individual.  

If there is a general concern regarding difficulties with attention and focus, emotional functioning, learning or memory, and/or behavior, it is best to address it as early as possible. When an individual is diagnosed earlier, treatment and interventions can be implemented sooner which leads to better patient outcomes. Assessments are also necessary for obtaining accommodations, interventions, job or school modifications, or special education needs.  

Depending on the condition, assessments may not need to be repeated after receiving care and resolving the challenge. Conditions like Autism, however, use re-evaluations as measures of progress over time. If you feel that a previous assessment wasn’t truly representative of your situation then or at present given changes, then re-testing is appropriate to consider.

For special education purposes, re-evaluations are required at least once every 3 years.  

The SMart Center provides evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, starting at 2 years old. The type of evaluation that is most appropriate will vary depending on the individual’s age and identified concerns. For example, Autism testing can start at 18 months old. The appropriate age to begin treatment services depends on the individual and clinical recommendations for continued care.   

A diagnostic evaluation is a targeted evaluation designed to evaluate for one specific condition. These evaluations are designed to answer a specific diagnostic question, and are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. They are most appropriate for preschool-age children, or those who have already had a comprehensive evaluation and need follow-up testing for a specific area of concern. If seeking a comprehensive evaluation to address an unclear concern or multiple concerns, a full-battery evaluation may be a better option.  

When discussing an upcoming evaluation with your child, they should be told that they will be doing a number of different things and that some may be easy while others feel harder. It’s good to explain this by reminding your child or teen that everyone has areas that they can do better in and that they do really well in; testing shows this and helps us know what we can do to make those difficult areas easier for them.  

When preparing for the evaluation, try to avoid going to school before the appointment. Especially for younger children, school can make them feel burnt out and not able to focus as easily on the assessment. For those doing an ADHD evaluation after a provisional ADHD diagnosis and taking medication for ADHD, we recommend not taking your prescribed medication the morning prior to the assessment for more accurate observation in testing. If you have an official ADHD diagnosis and are undergoing an evaluation for learning, please take your ADHD medication as prescribed. Before the evaluation, individuals should get a good night’s sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast. It is also often helpful to arrive for the evaluation about 10 minutes before the appointment to give the child time to acclimate to the environment. 

The length of testing depends on the type of evaluation being conducted, the individual’s age, and the identified concerns as well as possible breaks during assessments. For young children, it’s recommended to do no more than 2 hours of testing at a time so it is best in these cases to break an evaluation up over a few days or to include breaks. Generally, full-battery evaluations take 5 to 8 hours and usually occur over multiple days as we may uncover new areas to explore as we render the full-battery evaluation. Diagnostic rule-outs generally take 3 to 4 hours to complete. Reports after evaluations will be ready within 30 days after the administration of the testing.  

It is helpful to bring relevant previous records to the evaluation. These include previous evaluations, the child’s most recent IEP (if applicable), the child’s most recent report card or standardized test results, or relevant medical records. Electronic copies of records can be sent to the SMart Center via our secure portal. Many individuals bring snacks or drinks to the evaluation for breaks. In addition, for lengthier evaluations, the individual will be given a break for lunch. Individuals may bring their own lunch, or go to one of the many local restaurants. Some individuals like to bring an activity for breaks, such as an iPad, tablet, or a preferred toy which helps to maintain their motivation during the testing. Individuals may also bring “comfort” items, such as small stuffed animals or fidgets. For ADOS2 evaluations, please bring a snack as part of the assessment.  

The SMart Center is an out-of-network provider and does not accept payments from any insurance company. Patients are responsible for the full cost of the evaluation. Payment may be made in cash/check, credit card, or online bank transfer. Once the evaluation has been completed & report written, upon request, we can provide an insurance-coded receipt including diagnostic & procedural codes for the patient to use to submit to their insurance company for potential reimbursement if eligible. Patients should ensure that they submit for reimbursement, and the insurance company should pay them directly. Unfortunately, SMart Center staff cannot tell you whether your insurance will partially reimburse you for any of the costs of the evaluation because of the significant variability in plans, coverage, and deductibles. You may call member services for your health insurance plan prior to your appointment to determine whether you have out-of-network benefits, if there is any deductible that would need to be met, whether psychological testing is a covered service, and if there are any limits to coverage (e.g., a limit to the number of hours covered or the number of evaluations that can be completed within a year) to help determine whether you may be eligible for reimbursement and provide a possible estimate of coverage.  

For reference, here are our assessment procedure codes: 

• Test Administration & Scoring (1st 30 Mins) – 96136 
• Test Administration & Scoring (All time after 1st 30 mins) – 96137 
• Test Evaluation Services (1st 60 Mins) – 96130 
• Test Evaluation Services (All Time after 1st hour) – 96131 

Our evaluations are completed under a licensed psychologist, so schools should accept the results we provide from testing. However, we cannot dictate what a school will do. Not all schools are required to implement any or all of the results and recommendations given. Some schools may request to do their own evaluation or implement alternative interventions. Families who would like assistance in getting their child’s school to implement recommendations or interventions should consult with an educational advocate. 

Yes, the SMart Center is happy to contract with school districts to provide needed assessment services for students.  Please contact us to share about your student’s situation and your professional needs so we can determine the best service to meet your needs.  We accept purchase orders and/or signed contracts. 

For cancellations, please review the SMart Center cancellation policy here under “Initial S-CAT® Individualized Intensive Programs & Assessment Services.” 

It would be great if both parents could attend the evaluation to be able to gather the most detailed background and patient history possible. However, if only one parent is available to attend the evaluation, then that is perfectly okay.  

The SMart Center Counseling and Assessments Department looks at the whole person, not just their diagnosis. We offer diagnostic evaluations to rule in or out a specific condition, as well as, full battery evaluations for a comprehensive look at all areas of an individual’s functioning tailored to their specific needs & concerns.  A full battery evaluation is rendered for a flat-rate fee regardless of the number of specific professional hours spent administering, scoring, analyzing, & writing the comprehensive post evaluation report with recommendations for next steps.  Assessments are available in-person and/or through telehealth (web-conferencing) for eligible states. 

The SMart Center utilizes the gold standard of Autism diagnosing through the ADOS2 (structured play) and ADIR (structured interview) and specializes in evaluating, accommodating, and treating Selective Mutism and social anxiety challenges. With no current waitlist for testing services, we can schedule you today!