Ages 5 through adult
Psychoeducational and academic testing in Escondido
Dyslexia and specific learning disorders, cognitive and academic achievement testing, and documentation for IEP, 504, and college accommodations. Every evaluation conducted start to finish by a licensed psychologist.
Why families come to us
The school says they need documentation
A psychoeducational evaluation identifies where the learning is breaking down, whether that is attention, a specific learning disorder like dyslexia, or processing speed, and produces a report the district can use.
Why families choose us for this
What makes an evaluation worth having
Every practice will hand you a report. These are the differences that decide whether it changes anything.
A licensed psychologist, every session
From intake through the feedback meeting. We do not employ psychometrists or testing technicians. Across the field it is common for a technician to administer the battery while a psychologist reviews the scores afterward, which means the person forming the opinion never watched your child work.
Support in advocating with the school
Psychological testing can be done to support the need for an IEP or 504 plan with the school system. Each report comes complete with a description of cognitive and academic abilities and weaknesses, recommendations, and any necessary accommodations for school. Once testing is complete, the psychologist can help you use the report to advocate for resources and accommodations.
Built to your school's requirements
Colleges and universities set their own documentation standards, and they differ. Tell us where your student is applying and we build the battery to meet what that institution actually asks for, rather than handing you a generic report to argue with.
No waitlist
Districts and private evaluators across the region routinely run months out. In most cases we can schedule within days, which matters when the school year is already underway.
Scope
What psychoeducational testing identifies
Each battery is built around the question your family and your child's school need answered.
Preparing for college
A college will not accept an IEP
Colleges and universities often require a recent academic testing report signed by a licensed psychologist, and will not accept an Individualized Education Plan as evidence of a disability.
Many students attend college with accommodations that help them succeed. Whether the diagnosis is a learning disability, ADHD, autism, or another condition that affects the ability to succeed in school without accommodations, we provide a full evaluation that meets the specific requirements of your school or university. Those requirements vary from school to school, so tell us where your student is headed.
When the evaluation is complete, you meet with a licensed psychologist who explains the results and how they apply to the academic setting and to the desired field of study. Adults returning to school can arrange the same evaluation. See psychological testing.
What colleges typically ask for
- A report completed within the last three years
- Signed by a licensed psychologist
- A specific diagnosis, not a school classification
- Standardized scores with clear interpretation
- Recommended accommodations named individually
- A statement of functional impact on learning
Requirements differ by institution. We build the battery to match the school your student is applying to. See psychological testing for scheduling and policies.
The deliverable
What you receive
Each evaluation report comes complete with a description of cognitive and academic abilities and weaknesses, recommendations, and any necessary accommodations for school.
You then meet with the licensed psychologist who conducted the testing, who explains the results and how they apply in the classroom. Reports are completed within 30 days of the final testing session. See psychological testing for full policies and scheduling.
Results are released only to the schools you choose, after you have signed a consent to do so. Nothing is sent anywhere without your signature.
Questions we hear most
Before you call
How long does testing take, and when do we get the report?
Testing runs several hours and is sometimes split across more than one session for a younger child. The written report is completed within 30 days of the final test, and rush turnaround is sometimes available for an additional fee. See psychological testing for full policies.
The school offered to test my child for free. Why pay for a private evaluation?
A school evaluation answers one question: is this affecting educational performance enough to qualify for services. A private evaluation answers what is actually going on, produces a medical diagnosis where one applies, and opens doors the school system does not control, including occupational therapy and outpatient treatment.
Many families do both. A private report gives the district substantive documentation to work from.
What is the difference between a school classification and a medical diagnosis?
They are different determinations, made by different people, against different criteria. As Dallin Hendry, MEd, a doctoral intern in school psychology working with our practice, puts it: the most important phrase in special education law is "adversely affects educational performance." Schools look at similar criteria to an outside evaluation, but what they want to know is whether it is making school harder for the child.
| Educational classification | Says the condition is affecting school. Opens an IEP or 504 plan, speech therapy, a classroom aide, extended time. Decided by the district. |
| Medical diagnosis | Says the condition is present. Opens occupational therapy, ABA, outpatient treatment, and in some cases disability benefits. Made by a licensed psychologist. |
A diagnosis is neither sufficient nor necessary for an educational classification, which is why some children qualify for school services and others with the same diagnosis do not. Documentation requirements are set at the state and district level, so ask your school what they specifically require.
Will this get my child an IEP or 504 plan?
It gives the district substantive documentation to work from and is frequently the necessary first step. The classification decision belongs to the school, which runs its own observations and assessments to determine educational impact.
Do you test for dyslexia?
Yes. Specific learning disorders in reading, writing, and math are a core part of psychoeducational testing, alongside cognitive abilities, processing speed, and academic achievement.
My child is applying to college. What documentation do they need?
A recent academic testing report signed by a licensed psychologist. Most colleges will not accept an IEP as evidence of a disability. Requirements differ by institution, so tell us which schools your student is applying to and we build the evaluation to meet them.
What if it turns out to be something other than a learning disability?
That happens often, and it is one of the reasons to test rather than guess. Attention, anxiety, and developmental differences all interfere with learning and can look like a learning disorder from the outside. Where that question is open we also evaluate for ADHD and autism, and we provide anxiety counseling where that is the driver.
Do you test adults?
Yes. Adults returning to school, pursuing a graduate program, or seeking workplace accommodations can have the same evaluation. See psychological testing.
Does insurance cover psychoeducational testing?
Psychological testing is private pay. We provide an itemized superbill you can submit for possible out of network reimbursement, and we accept credit and debit cards, HSA, FSA, and CareCredit with six months interest free.
From our clinical team
Guides for parents
