Dyslexia Testing & Diagnosis in Florida at The Morris Center

Assessment & Testing

The Morris Center offers a complete array of learning difficulty testing at our Florida clinic locations.

To get an accurate picture of how someone learns, we conduct neuropsychology testing, which includes a psychological assessment and a thorough assessment of cognitive and motor functions. This identifies strengths, weaknesses and likely contributors to learning, language or sensory difficulties. Oftentimes a learning difference assessment and diagnosis proves to be a relieving discovery to both child and adult clients. Walk through our learning difficulty testing process below.

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Introductory Screening

Prospective clients will meet with Dr. Conway before treatment. This ‘meet and greet’ allows families to ask the licensed professionals questions in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere. Client history is discussed and established, and treatment options are reviewed based upon the client profile before learning difference testing.

Phase 1

Learning Difficulty Testing

This is a broad neurodevelopmental evaluation, assessing attention/focus skills and some processing skills, to determine if the individual is a good candidate for TMC’s extensive range of treatment services.

The Phase 1 learning difference testing typically takes 1.5 days to complete (or 1 week to complete if a classroom observation is conducted) and includes the following components:

Background information

Before the Phase 1 assessment begins, we will ask you to complete detailed questionnaires on the client’s medical, developmental and academic history. Also, we request that you provide copies of previous evaluations and test results. We will also need treatment summaries from other clinics (speech/language, academic, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, tutoring, etc.). All questionnaires, forms and previous records must be returned to TMC at least 2 business days prior to the first part of the Phase 1 evaluation — which is a meeting with the Psychiatrist or Psychologist, called a “Diagnostic Interview.”

In addition to the background forms, there will be several standardized questionnaires about attention and behavior. You and one of your child’s teachers must complete and return the questionnaires prior to scheduling the first evaluation appointment. Significant concerns about attention, behavior, or social skills at home, school or work may be identified by the responses to the questionnaires. If so, then we may ask to conduct a classroom observation or talk with a teacher.
During a meeting at TMC between you and the neuropsychologist, the professional will thoroughly review the primary concerns, medical, developmental and academic history. Also, behavior, emotions, personality, and social skills will be discussed, as well as any previous treatments for the primary concerns or problems identified.
This neuropsychology testing is a formal evaluation of attention skills – the ability to focus, sustain, divide and switch one’s attention between various tasks that may or may not be of high interest. Attention is usually assessed using tasks that involve auditory (hearing) tasks and visual (seeing) tasks. Since 50-70% of children with learning difficulties also have attention disorders, it is important to assess whether attention problems could be contributing to the learning difficulties or primary concerns. It can be problematic to assume that attention abilities are fine and to skip formally evaluating attention.
 
Undiagnosed and untreated attention disorders may cause additional testing of academic, language, sensory motor or other skills to be invalid or to provide vague information about attention versus cognitive abilities. For example, in a child with attention problems it is very difficult to determine whether low scores on a reading test are due primarily to attention problems or to problems reading words. We will discuss options for addressing attention problems, if needed, prior to proceeding to the Phase 2 learning difficulty testing.

1. Diagnostic Interview

Our physician conducts a standardized, neurodevelopmental assessment to identify the client’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of language, vision, learning, fine/gross motor and attention abilities. At this time, background information is also collected from additional sources, e.g. Questionnaires completed by parents/caregivers, teachers, tutors, other healthcare providers.

2. Attention/Focus Assessment

We gather, review, and evaluate our own information along with patient history to help determine if an attention disorder is present. Possible diagnoses which include ADHD-Inattentive, ADHD-Hyperactive, or ADHD-Combined Type. ADHD may interfere with cognitive, academic and behavioral skills, as well as academic achievement.

After the Phase 1 data collection is completed, The Morris Center staff processes the collected information internally.

Diagnostic Team Meeting

Our transdisciplinary team of professionals (Neuropsychology, Psychiatry, Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) & Occupational Therapy (OT)) reviews the results of the Phase 1 evaluation to determine:

1.

Is a clinical diagnosis of ADHD supported?

2.

Are there weaknesses in skills that would justify explicit SLP, OT, Academic/IQ/Achievement and/or neuropsychology testing to provide detailed analysis of scope and breadth of these weak skills?

3.

A plan for a comprehensive Phase 2 learning difference testing. The primary focus of TMC testing services is to guide planning for effective treatment(s). These can help an individual’s weak skills become stronger, lead to improved skill development, and support improved functional abilities in academic and/or occupational skills, which are consistent with an individual’s true potential.

Interpretive Meeting

The clinic’s director and the psychologist or psychiatrist who participated in the Phase 1 evaluation will meet with you to review the transdisciplinary team’s findings and their recommended assessments for the Phase 2 portion of our unique learning difference testing process. The next step in the assessment process will either be pursuing comprehensive treatment of ADHD (before the Phase 2 evaluation) or to begin scheduling the detailed Phase 2 evaluation. You will receive a cost estimate for Phase 2 evaluation.

Phase 1 Testing Summary

Team

  • Nurse Practitioner or Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician
  • Clinical Psychologist or Pediatric Psychiatrist
  • Consultation with the Director of The Morris Center and the Speech-Language Pathologist

Neurodevelopmental Testing to Include:

  • Medical and Developmental History & Exam.
  • Screening of all brain systems including neuromotor, perception, learning, attention, speech, language, memory, motor planning and cognition.
  • Nutrition, sleep, behavior, allergies, medical history etc.

Psychological Diagnostic Interview to Assess:

  • Psychosocial background
  • Educational background
  • Behavioral background
  • Family history

Phase 2

Learning Difficulty Testing

Based on the information obtained during the Phase 1 evaluation, a comprehensive assessment plan is developed for Phase 2 learning difference testing. These evaluations use professionally developed tests that compare you or your child’s current performance to a nationwide sample of same-aged peers’ performance on these same professional tests.

Phase 2 evaluations are scheduled based on the individual’s age, ability and stamina. Children’s evaluations typically occur in the morning and last from 3 to 4 hours per day; high school students, college students and adults may complete 4 hours of testing in a morning, have an hour lunch break and then complete 2-3 more hours of testing in the afternoon. We aim to obtain the best measurement of an individual’s performance in each professional discipline (i.e. Speech-Language, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology/Neuropsychology evaluations).

1. Cognitive Testing

2 hours

The psychologist/neuropsychologist or psychometrician tests general intellectual abilities (Intelligence Quotient – IQ) and other cognitive skills, such as processing speed, learning, and memory

2. Academic Testing

3 to 4 hours

The psychologist, psychometrician or speech-language pathologist conducts age-appropriate measures of reading, written language, and math skills. Reading skills include decoding (sounding out words with phonics and phonological skills, as well as visual memory of sight words), reading comprehension and reading fluency (reading quickly and accurately). Writing skills include spelling, writing sentences, writing an essay and writing fluency. Math skills include performing basic calculations, word problems, applying math concepts to everyday problem-solving and math fluency. Typically, the academic testing occurs on the same day as the cognitive ability testing, but this depends on the child’s age and stamina.

3. Speech and Language Testing

3 to 4 hours

The speech-language pathologist and/or psychometrician tests phonological processing, naming, receptive language and expressive language skills. Other speech skills, such as articulation, may be tested.

4. Sensory Motor/Sensory Processing Testing

2 to 3 hours

The occupational therapist tests fine and gross motor skills, balance, body awareness, reflexes, postural control and the ability to process and modulate sensory information, e.g. visual perception/processing. Also, she will meet with you for 30 minutes to review one of the sensory processing questionnaires and to listen to your specific concerns about sensory, motor, sensory processing and functional abilities at home, school and in other settings.

After the Phase 2 evaluation is completed, the transdisciplinary team meets and discusses the test results.

Transdisciplinary Diagnostic Meeting

The transdisciplinary team compares and contrasts results across each discipline in a comparison and contrast format — e.g. do the speech-language test results influence the interpretation of the occupational therapy, academic or psychological assessment and vice versa between all disciplines. Next, the team develops a profile graph of the individual’s specific strengths and weaknesses, determines specific diagnoses, and creates an individualized treatment plan.

Interpretive Meeting

The clinic’s director and the psychologist or psychiatrist who participated in the Phase 1 evaluation will meet with you to review the transdisciplinary team’s findings and their recommended assessments for the Phase 2 portion of our unique learning difference testing process. The next step in the assessment process will either be pursuing comprehensive treatment of ADHD (before the Phase 2 evaluation) or to begin scheduling the detailed Phase 2 evaluation. You will receive a cost estimate for Phase 2 evaluation.

Treatment Cost, Start Date & Schedule

At the end of this meeting, if treatment at TMC is something you choose to pursue, some logistics will be discussed including: an estimate of treatment costs, typical or available daily/weekly treatment schedules and the next available treatment start date.

After the final interpretive meeting, a start date for treatment will be identified. Start dates for treatment at TMC are open-ended and are based on availability on a first-come first-served basis. We are unable to determine or guarantee an exact start date for treatment with TMC’s unique team of professionals and research-based treatment programs prior to the completion of our evaluation process.

A cost estimate for the individually-prescribed treatment plan (listing discipline, duration, frequency, intensity for treatment) will be provided. A financial deposit is required to reserve treatment services at TMC.

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Phase 2 Summary

At any time, if you have any additional questions about the learning difficulty testing process at The Morris Center, then please ask the Office Manager, officetmctt@morriscenters.com or call +1 (866) 792-3514. The Office Manager will either answer your questions or relay your questions to the appropriate professional team member to get an answer for you as soon as possible.

  • Takes about 2 to 10 weeks to complete if ADHD medication is needed.
  • Takes approximately 2 to 4 weeks if no ADHD medication is needed.
  • Provides detailed information about the client’s strengths and weaknesses from a state-of-the-art transdisciplinary perspective.
  • Will guide the development of individualized, research-based treatment plans.

At any time, if you have any additional questions about the learning difficulty testing process at The Morris Center, then please ask the Office Manager, officetmctt@morriscenters.com or call +1 (866) 792-3514. The Office Manager will either answer your questions or relay your questions to the appropriate professional team member to get an answer for you as soon as possible.

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