A psychological evaluation (also known as a psychological assessment or psychological testing) is a series of tests and interviews that help yield information about a person. Specifically, a psychological evaluation is aimed at highlighting a person’s pattern of behaviors, personality, strengths, and weaknesses. Psychological evaluations are extremely useful in helping determine an individual’s diagnosis, which can then inform appropriate treatment options and resources. psychological evaluations are also particularly useful in helping diagnose and document certain disorders, such as learning disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), and other mental health related disorders that might interfere with someone’s ability to carry out the responsibilities of work or school.
A psychological evaluation often takes many hours to complete, and the amount of time to complete the tests varies greatly depending on the person’s testing pace and the reason for the evaluation. Oftentimes, the evaluation is broken up into chunks of time over the course of a few different days to avoid fatigue. The evaluation is tailored to the specific individual and the questions meant to be answered; therefore, each psychologist might pick out or use different test measures depending on what he or she feels is most appropriate in a given situation. A psychological evaluation typically includes a series of questionnaires and other tests, as well as an interview. The interview includes questions about a person’s family background, childhood and upbringing, important life experiences, as well as school and work history. In the case of a child, parents/guardians also participate in an interview to help provide information about the child being evaluated. Teachers or school personnel may also be contacted for additional information. If the person being evaluated is working with a physician or other mental health provider, such professionals may also be contacted for collateral information if the evaluator deems it appropriate. In most cases, however, the evaluator must obtain written consent from the person being tested (or the legal guardian) providing permission for the evaluator to communicate with any other individuals on the person’s behalf.
After the person taking the evaluation completes everything, the psychologist will usually require some time to score and interpret all of the information. The psychologist will generally have the person come in for a follow up appointment to explain the results and answer any questions he or she may have. Oftentimes, the psychologist will also provide the individual with a written summary of the results as well.
An evaluation is performed by a licensed psychologist or psychology trainee, such as a psychological assistant or intern. Psychologists are the only professionals that are skillfully trained to perform and interpret psychological measures. If you are going to participate in a psychological evaluation, there is not much you can do to prepare for the evaluation. However, it does help to make sure that you have eaten and are well rested prior to the evaluation to help give the most accurate information. Also, you should inform the psychologist ahead of time if you are taking any medications. Finally, when you go in for the evaluation, make sure you are as honest as possible. Many psychological tests highlight if a respondent is being open and honest or if a person is being dishonest in his or her responses. You want to be sure to give the psychologist the most accurate information so he or she can offer the best recommendations to assist you.
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