Overview
The URI Psychological Consultation Center (PCC) maintains an Assessment Team during the academic year and summer months. The Assessment Team is trained to conduct a variety of assessments related to academic achievement, intelligence, learning disabilities, cognitive function, and ADHD screening. The Assessment Team works with clients ranging from elementary school age through adulthood, and tailors all evaluations to address the concerns for which clients are seeking services. Most clients are students who are struggling academically and who are looking for greater understanding of their learning strengths, areas for growth, and recommendations/accommodations. The assessment team may be able to conduct other forms of evaluation at the discretion of the supervisor.
Adult Assessment Services
The PCC offers a variety of psychological assessment services for adults (18+). All assessments are completed by graduate student clinicians in either the Clinical or School Psychology Ph.D. programs and are supervised by a licensed, credentialed psychologist. While most referrals for Assessment Services are for learning or academic issues (evaluation for learning disorders, questions about possible ADD/ADHD symptoms), other reasons for referral might include concerns about memory impairments or changes in concentration/memory following some type of head trauma or concussion.
While not always conclusive, psychological assessments can help to explain why an individual might experience difficulties in work/school settings and/or in interpersonal relationships. Likewise, assessment services may provide explanations for certain changes in functioning, as well as an evaluation of individual strengths, areas of relative difficulty, and recommendations for support/accommodations.
In order to be comprehensive and thorough, assessment services frequently take place over a series of appointments (each lasting approximately 2-3 hours). The number and length of appointments will depend on the referral question that needs to be addressed and the number of assessments needed to address it. All efforts are made to be mindful of your time and minimize disruptions to your schedule
Upon completion of all assessment sessions, your clinician will write a detailed, written report that explains each component of the assessment process, your scores, what your scores mean, and recommendations to improve current functioning. In addition to this report, you will be asked to come back to the PCC one final time for a feedback session with your clinician and the supervising Psychologist. During this feedback appointment, the report, scores, and recommendations will be discussed and explained in detail. Coordination and communication with school, medical, and/or employment personnel is available.
The cost of assessment services varies depending on the referral question, the number of tests needed to thoroughly evaluate areas of concern, and the complexity of scoring and report writing.