Mental Health Services

Maitland Psychology P.A. can perform evaluations of intelligence (IQ), personality, adjustment, memory abilities, language skills, nonverbal skills, sensory and motor skills, and executive functions.  
   
 

                                                                                                                               
  • Assessment Services

    Psychological Assessment >>

 
Psychological assessment includes a comprehensive clinical interview, objective and projective psychological testing, interpretation of test results, review of patient records, diagnosis, and recommendations for treatment. A psychological assessment helps explain the connection between psychological functioning and behavior. The psychological assessment attempts to provide current information regarding the diagnosis, treatment/rehabilitation recommendations, and ability to participate in and benefit from treatment.


    Neuropsychological Assessment >>


A neuropsychological evaluation is used to examine current levels of cognitive functioning, which can be used to determine and guide treatment, as well as to monitor changes in cognitive functioning. Neuropsychological evaluations are used for planning educational and vocational programs, disability determination, forensic (legal) purposes, and providing appropriate rehabilitative/treatment recommendations. We provide thorough, comprehensive evaluations for individuals diagnosed with a range of conditions, including:

Traumatic Brain Injury

Strokes

Developmental Learning Disabilities

Attention Deficit Disorders

Psychiatric or Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Seizure Disorders

Medical Illness or Effects of Medical Intervention

Effects of Toxic Chemicals or Chronic Substance Abuse

Neurodegenerative Disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease)


    Learning Disability Evaluation >>


Individuals with learning disabilities have a neurologically-based processing problem that interferes with their ability to master specific learning skills. In addition to test data, the evaluation includes a clinical interview as well as questionnaires and rating scales completed by parents, teachers, and the student. This data helps to identify whether attentional and/or emotional issues might be contributing to, or resulting from, the learning difficulties. A Learning Disability assessment usually consists of a battery of tests that will provide information on overall abilities, particularly learning styles, information processing abilities, and academic skills: reading, written language, and mathematics.

 

A significant part of this assessment is the intelligence (IQ) test which helps to clarify the individual's cognitive strengths and weaknesses. It provides information regarding the individual’s ability to process verbally and visually presented information, as well as his or her overall intellectual potential. Additional information can be obtained through additional tasks addressing sequencing abilities, short and long term memory skills, language functioning, and processing speed. The results of these tests should clarify the presence and extent of a learning disability. Based on these test results, academic accommodations are provided which can be planned in conjunction with the report to assist in the formulation of an IEP or 504 plan (special education services)

    Developmental Disorders >>


There are five basic pervasive developmental disorders within the autistic spectrum: Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Rett’s Syndrome, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder takes particular care, because the presentation of this disorder varies from person to person, and symptoms often change with development. More often than not, clients with Asperger’s Syndrome or High Functioning Autism also experience other related difficulties such as ADD/ADHD, depression, and learning disabilities that make the diagnosis difficult and labor intensive.

 

In addition, many times individuals who have characteristics of an Asperger’s disorder profile present with other difficulties. For example, it is sometimes challenging to distinguish Asperger’s Syndrome from symptoms experienced by a shy, depressed child who is verbally gifted. Symptoms common to autism spectrum disorders also need to be distinguished from symptoms that result from trauma.

 

For these reasons, the consideration of current life stressors is extremely important for a reliable diagnosis. While assessments look for the main characteristics of an autism spectrum disorder (social impairment, communication difficulties, reliance on repetitive routines/ narrowness of interests), a comprehensive evaluation will assess the following areas of functioning through a combination of individualized standardized testing, self-report measures, behavioral checklists, interviews, and observations:

Developmental and medical history

Cognitive abilities and academic achievement

Social competence and social perception

Emotional and behavioral functioning

Communication and language skills

Perceptual-motor/visual-spatial ability

Assessment of attention and memory as indicated

The results obtained from this testing can: identify specific strengths and weaknesses unique to each individual, be used to recommend appropriate treatment interventions, and help obtain appropriate school services and/or accommodations.


    Giftedness Testing >>
Gifted students are those who have a very high level of proficiency in intellectual activity, creativity, artistic ability, leadership, and/or in specific academic areas. Specific criteria for identifying gifted students vary from school district to school district. However, in all school districts, the goal of this classification is to provide gifted children with school activities that are challenging and correspond with their high ability levels. An evaluation of giftedness will:

Identify your child's specific cognitive and academic strengths, and range of abilities
Ensure optimal educational programming that will adequately accommodate the needs of your exceptionally bright student
Obtain useful information that will help your family better understand your child's specific abilities and level of abilities.
Make helpful recommendations for use at home and school to assist in creating an appropriately stimulating academic environment that takes your child's social and emotional needs into consideration
Obtain standardized assessment results for your child's school to use in determining admission into a gifted program.

    ADD/ADHD Evaluation >>


Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, which is often referred to as ADHD / ADD, is a developmental disorder of self-control characterized by problems with attention span, impulse control, and activity level. A primary care physician, psychiatrist, or other medical professional can diagnose your child with ADD / ADHD based on behavioral observations, parent report, and perhaps behavior checklists completed by teacher(s) and parent(s). While a cursory examination may result in the appropriate diagnosis, a comprehensive assessment offers the additional benefits of more certainty; ruling out other possible factors contributing to attention/hyperactivity difficulties and determining the child's strengths and weaknesses to better plan for effective interventions. Further, individuals with ADD / ADHD frequently have learning disabilities and/or co-occurring emotional difficulties that may not be readily apparent without a thorough evaluation. The results from the measures given to your child are standardized and are compared to similar-aged children. This evaluation helps to ensure that age-appropriate behaviors, psychological issues, or other medical factors influencing cognition is not mistaken for ADD / ADHD.

An evaluation for ADD/ADHD consists of assessment of academic achievement, an assessment of behavioral and emotional functioning, a parent interview, a child interview, behavioral observations during the assessment, and an assessment of general cognitive abilities and attention functioning under controlled conditions. Once the comprehensive assessment is complete, you will receive a report detailing the findings, with recommendations based on the individual's strengths and weaknesses. The goal is not merely diagnosis, but suggestions for interventions that are tailored to the individual’s profile. Recommendations that address the difficulties the patient is exhibiting are an essential component of the evaluation.






Cogmed

What is Cogmed?



What is Working Memory?




Who can benefit from Cogmed?



• Individuals who have struggled with attention and learning all of their lives (e.g., ADD or learning disabilities)
• Individuals who have had a brain injury, stroke, or other injury to the brain effecting their working memory
• Individuals who find their ability to focus diminishing due to the normal effects of aging, or because of increased cognitive demands or overload If you feel that you are not doing as well as you could, given your intelligence and efforts, you could probably benefit from an individual evaluation to see if Cogmed Working Memory Training is right for you.

What is the Cogmed Working Memory Training Program?

The Cogmed Working Memory Training Program consists of 25 computerized training sessions that each last approximately 30-45 minutes. Each session consists of a selection of various tasks that target the different aspects of working memory. The training is done on a computer at home, school, or work. The training program is five weeks long with five sessions to be completed every week. It is a rigorous program designed to improve working memory through intensive and systematic training. The difficulty level of the training is adjusted in real time by the software based on the user’s performance. The fine-tuned calibration means that you will always be training at the very edge of your cognitive capacity.

The program is carefully designed, rigorous, and focused on the key cognitive function of working memory. The Cogmed training is always supported by a Cogmed Qualified coach to ensure that you have the right profile for training. The Cogmed-trained coach will provide structure, motivation, and feedback so you can get the most out of training.

The complete program includes:
               
                 Initial Interview-
               
                  Start-Up Session-
               
               Five weeks of training-
               
               Wrap-Up Session-
               
           Six month follow-up interview-




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