Assessment & Testing Services
Sometimes the most important step in getting the right help is understanding what’s going on. A comprehensive psychological assessment can provide the clarity, diagnostic insight, and concrete recommendations that make all the difference — whether you’re trying to understand why your child is struggling in school, seeking an explanation for lifelong patterns of difficulty with attention or organization, or looking for diagnostic clarity to guide treatment decisions.
At Chicago Psychotherapy, our assessment services are led by an experienced psychologist who specializes in psychological and psychoeducational evaluation for children, adolescents, and adults. Every assessment we conduct is thorough, individualized, and designed to answer your specific questions — not just assign a label, but provide a roadmap for meaningful support.
Our Assessment Services
Child & Adolescent Comprehensive Assessment (Ages 3–18)
Our most thorough evaluation for children and teens, this assessment provides a complete picture of your child’s cognitive, academic, and psychological functioning. It is designed to answer questions about learning disabilities, processing disorders, ADHD, executive functioning, and emotional or behavioral concerns — and to identify the specific strengths and support needs that will guide recommendations for school, home, and treatment.
This assessment evaluates developmental history, IQ, full academic achievement, attention, executive functioning, psychological symptoms, learning and information processing (including memory and visual-motor processing), and social perception and functioning. Areas where your child is currently struggling receive more in-depth exploration.
The comprehensive assessment includes intake diagnostic interview(s) and questionnaires, records review, administration and scoring of all assessment measures, creation of a comprehensive report summarizing findings, a school-based observation or consultation call with school personnel, a feedback meeting with parents, and a feedback meeting with school staff.
An autism-specific assessment option is also available, which includes everything listed above plus ADOS-2 administration and scoring.
For students who need documentation to support accommodations on high-stakes standardized tests (ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and others), we offer specialized add-on testing and report preparation designed to meet the requirements of specific testing organizations.
Adult Comprehensive Assessment (Ages 18+)
For adults seeking to understand patterns of difficulty with attention, executive functioning, learning, or cognitive processing, our adult comprehensive assessment provides diagnostic clarity and actionable recommendations for the workplace, academic settings, or daily life.
This evaluation assesses developmental history, IQ, attention, executive functioning, psychological symptoms, and information processing. It includes intake interview(s) and questionnaires, records review, administration and scoring of all assessment measures, creation of a comprehensive report, a collateral interview with an informant (such as a partner or family member), and a feedback meeting with the client.
A comprehensive adult autism assessment is also available, evaluating developmental history, IQ, executive functioning, psychological symptoms, and social communication, including ADOS-2 administration.
As with child assessments, we offer add-on testing and specialized reports for standardized testing accommodations.
Psychodiagnostic Assessment (Ages 3+)
A psychodiagnostic assessment is appropriate when the primary question is about psychiatric diagnosis — not academic or cognitive testing. This evaluation assesses developmental history, current and past psychological symptoms, and personality profile, and is suitable for individuals seeking diagnostic clarity for conditions including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, trauma-related disorders, psychosis, impulse control disorders, and personality disorders.
The assessment includes intake interview(s) and questionnaires, semi-structured diagnostic interviews as appropriate, records review, specialized questionnaires, report writing, a collateral interview with an informant, and a feedback meeting with the client.
Psychological Immigration Evaluations
We provide psychosocial assessments designed to support individuals navigating the immigration system. Our evaluations are appropriate for individuals applying for Extreme Hardship Waivers, VAWA protections, DACA, U-Visas, and T-Visas. These evaluations document psychological impact and are prepared with the specific requirements of immigration proceedings in mind.
A La Carte Testing (Ages 3+)
For clients who have previously received a comprehensive assessment and need updated testing in a specific area — for example, updated reading scores following tutoring or reassessment of executive functioning after cognitive rehabilitation — we offer individual test administration on an hourly basis.
Neurodevelopmental Evaluations for Girls, Women, and Gender-Expansive Clients
Traditional diagnostic criteria for neurodevelopmental conditions—such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD—have historically overlooked how these profiles manifest in girls, women, and gender-expansive individuals. Because these clients often develop sophisticated masking strategies or present with significant internalizing symptoms, their differences are frequently missed, misdiagnosed, or identified only later in life.
Dr. Upton specializes in providing affirming, culturally responsive, and clinically nuanced evaluations tailored to these unique profiles. Utilizing a strengths-based, trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming approach, Dr. Upton helps clients understand their cognitive and sensory processing styles, fostering self-compassion and providing a clear roadmap for personalized support, accommodations, and self-advocacy.
What to Expect
The assessment process is thorough, collaborative, and designed to feel as comfortable as possible for the person being evaluated. Here’s how it works:
- Initial screening call. Your process begins with a free phone consultation. We’ll discuss your concerns, answer your questions, and help determine which type of assessment is the best fit for your needs.
- Diagnostic interview. A comprehensive intake session where the evaluator gathers detailed developmental, medical, educational, and psychological history. For child assessments, this typically involves an in-depth parent interview.
- Assessment sessions. The evaluator administers standardized tests and measures selected specifically to address your diagnostic questions. For comprehensive assessments, this typically involves one to two in-person testing sessions.
- Collateral information. Depending on the assessment type, this may include a school observation, teacher questionnaires, consultation with school personnel, or a collateral interview with a family member or partner.
- Feedback meeting with comprehensive report. You’ll receive a detailed written report summarizing all findings, diagnostic conclusions, and individualized recommendations. The evaluator walks you through the results in a dedicated feedback session, with time for questions and discussion. For child assessments, a separate school feedback meeting is included to ensure that findings translate into appropriate support in the classroom.
- Ongoing consultation as needed. We remain available for follow-up questions, school meetings, and additional support after the evaluation is complete.
Most evaluations can be scheduled within two to three weeks of the initial call, and the full process typically takes one to two months from start to finish.
Beyond the Assessment
A comprehensive assessment often raises questions about next steps. We offer additional support services to help families and individuals act on assessment findings, including attendance at IEP or 504 Plan meetings, creation of specialized letters or report summaries for schools, educational advocacy services, and assistance completing applications for accommodations or benefits.
Why Choose Chicago Psychotherapy for Assessment
Thorough, individualized evaluations.
We don’t use a one-size-fits-all testing battery. Every assessment is tailored to the specific questions you need answered, with in-depth exploration of the areas where you or your child are struggling most.
Clinician-led, not technician-administered.
Your assessment is conducted by an experienced psychologist who integrates clinical judgment with test data — not simply a technician administering a standard battery. This means the report reflects a nuanced understanding of the whole person, not just a set of scores.
Reports designed to be used.
Our reports don’t just describe findings — they provide specific, practical, prioritized recommendations that schools, employers, treatment providers, and families can act on immediately.
School collaboration built in.
For child and adolescent assessments, school consultation and a dedicated school feedback meeting are included because we know that assessment findings only matter if they reach the people who work with your child every day.
Connected to treatment.
As a practice that offers both assessment and therapy, we are uniquely positioned to ensure continuity of care. If your assessment reveals a need for treatment, we can connect you with the right clinician on our team or provide a targeted referral.
Is an Assessment Right for You?
Consider an assessment if your child is struggling academically and you don’t know why; if you suspect ADHD, a learning disability, or autism but haven’t received a formal evaluation; if you need documentation to support school accommodations (IEP, 504 Plan) or standardized testing accommodations; if you’re an adult who has always struggled with attention, organization, or processing and wants answers; if a previous evaluation was incomplete or didn’t feel accurate; or if you need diagnostic clarity to guide treatment decisions.
If you’re not sure whether an assessment is the right step, our free initial screening call can help you decide. We’re happy to talk through your concerns and recommend the most appropriate path forward.