PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING

The Fulton Psychological Group offers comprehensive psychological assessment services from a highly skilled team of professionals with diverse abilities and expertise. Children, adolescents and adults can be assessed for a variety of issues including; ADHD, emotional-behavioral issues, personality styles, relationship styles, intelligence, learning differences, developmental delays, Autism and many others. Assessments range from brief screenings to full neuropsychological batteries.

Our philosophy and approach is somewhat unique in the testing world and sets us apart from other professionals. Most importantly, we value a flexible, individualized, collaborative, meaningful, strength-based strategy that recognizes each individual's needs. This means that the test batteries are approached from the client's perspective, are constructed on a case by case basis, honor the client's and/or parent's desires, and clearly answer referral questions in a way that translates test scores into daily functioning. Moreover, we strongly believe that relying on the test data alone to inform educational and treatment decisions is limited. Therefore, we emphasize the need to involve community partners (i.e. teachers, physicians) in our assessments to gather information from multiple sources as well as diverse number of environments (i.e. classrooms). This process allows us to integrate information across multiple sources making for more informative and accurate results. To further make results more reliable and to promote their optimal level of performance, clients are seen across several sessions and environments to obtain a comprehensive sample of their behavior and skills. If a child or adult requires shorter test sessions across a greater number of days to demonstrate true capacities, then we will make the extra time to accommodate.

Psychological testing provides information for diagnosis, therapy treatment planning, academic programs, medication treatment planning and for a better understanding of the etiology of behavior. For children, academic achievement, ability, and intelligence tests may be utilized as a tool to assist in school placement, in determining the presence of a learning disability or a developmental delay, or in identifying giftedness. The most comprehensive levels of testing, the neuropsychological assessments, examines how a client's brain functions and why there may be problems in school, at home, with friends, or with overall success.

No client or parent should ever feel dissatisfied at the close of the assessment process. Our reports are readable and tailored to specific audiences. Our goal is to help clients feel a sense of relief and gain a much richer understanding of the mechanisms that have caused "road blocks" in the past, with hope for overcoming those obstacles in the future. The end product of the assessment process is the "feedback session" and delivery of the test report. Our reports are written in a flexible, concise, individualized manner, capturing the essence of the patient and answering the initial questions. The most essential component of the report, the recommendations, is formulated after careful analysis and integration of multiple pieces of information. Through specific recommendations we strive to help those professionals that are currently or will be working with the client to be able to easily understand and implement various strategies into their own work. Lastly, after the testing is completed, we help to link clients to the appropriate medical and educational resources that are available in their surrounding community. Most importantly, the testing relationship does not end at the feedback session. We understand that many questions may arise following feedback, and we are available to consult with other professionals, to explain results again, to attend IEP meetings, or simply to offer support!