Psychological Evaluations for Children and Adolescents
Every evaluation is tailored to the child and the questions the family hopes to answer. Dr. McDermott begins by learning about the child’s developmental history, current strengths and challenges, and functioning at home, at school, and in other settings.
The assessment activities and standardized tools used will depend on the child’s age, individual needs, and areas of concern. Families do not need to determine in advance which type of evaluation is appropriate. After discussing their concerns, Dr. McDermott recommends an individualized assessment process designed to provide clear findings and practical next steps.
Choosing the Right Evaluation
Families often know that something is making life harder for their child without knowing exactly what is causing the difficulty. Concerns involving attention, learning, communication, behavior, social interaction, and emotional well-being can overlap or appear differently across home and school.
You do not need to decide which evaluation your child needs before contacting McDermott Psychological. The process begins with a parent meeting in which Dr. McDermott learns about your concerns, your child's developmental and educational history, and the questions you hope the evaluation will answer.
Based on that conversation, Dr. McDermott will recommend an individualized assessment process. An evaluation may focus primarily on one area, such as autism, ADHD, learning, or emotional functioning, or it may examine several areas when the concerns are more complex. The goal is to select the assessment activities that will provide the clearest and most useful understanding of your child.
Evaluation Services
McDermott Psychological provides individualized psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for children and adolescents. Each evaluation is designed around the child's needs rather than a fixed testing package. Depending on the questions being explored, the assessment may examine development, communication, attention, learning, behavior, social interaction, adaptive functioning, or emotional well-being.
Autism Evaluations
An autism evaluation can help families better understand differences involving communication, social interaction, behavior, interests, flexibility, and sensory experiences. Dr. McDermott considers the child's developmental history, current functioning, individual strengths, and behavior across settings. When appropriate, Dr. McDermott uses these findings to determine whether the child meets diagnostic criteria for autism and to develop recommendations tailored to the child's needs at home, at school, and in the community.
ADHD Evaluations
An ADHD evaluation examines concerns involving attention, impulsivity, activity level, organization, working memory, and executive functioning. Because these difficulties can have several possible causes, the evaluation considers the child's broader developmental, academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Findings can help clarify whether ADHD or another explanation applies and identify strategies and supports that may improve everyday functioning.
Psychoeducational Evaluations
A psychoeducational evaluation helps families understand how a child thinks, learns, and performs academically. Depending on the referral questions, the assessment may examine cognitive abilities, reading, writing, mathematics, memory, processing, attention, and executive functioning. The results may help identify learning disabilities, clarify persistent academic difficulties, and support decisions about interventions, accommodations, and educational planning.
Dyslexia Risk Evaluations
A dyslexia risk evaluation focuses on the early literacy skills and underlying processes associated with learning to read. It may be appropriate when a child is having difficulty developing foundational reading skills or when a family is concerned about a history of reading difficulties. The evaluation helps identify areas of strength and vulnerability and provides recommendations for monitoring, instruction, and early support.
Mental Health Diagnostic Evaluations
A mental health diagnostic evaluation may be appropriate when the primary concerns involve anxiety, mood, emotional regulation, behavior, or another aspect of psychological functioning. Dr. McDermott gathers information about the child’s history, symptoms, relationships, environment, and functioning across settings. The objective is to clarify the nature of the concerns, determine whether a diagnosis applies, and recommend appropriate treatment, school supports, or additional services.
What Families Receive
After the assessment is complete, Dr. McDermott meets with parents to explain the findings in clear, accessible language. She discusses whether any diagnoses apply, answers questions, and helps the family understand how the results relate to the child's everyday functioning.
Families also receive a written report documenting the evaluation result and individualized recommendations for home, school, treatment, and other appropriate services. The goal is to give families more than test scores or a diagnostic label--a clearer understanding of their child and a practical plan for what comes next.
Currently Accepting New Evaluation Clients
McDermott Psychological is currently welcoming families seeking psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for children and adolescents in Baltimore. Depending on your child’s needs the evaluation process may be able to begin soon after your initial inquiry.
Submit an evaluation request to tell Dr. McDermott about your concerns and learn about current availability and possible next steps.
Reaching out does not commit your family to scheduling an evaluation.