PEDIATRIC ASSESSMENT

We specialize in the in the evidence-based assessment and treatment of children,
adolescents, and young adults with academic, learning, and other neurocognitive
differences that affect academic, social, and behavioral functioning. We use a scientific approach to provide each patient with an individualized assessment based on empirically- validated research of brain-based conditions.

Dr. Friedman and her team of doctors are Licensed Clinical Neuropsychologists who have specialized pre-and post-doctoral training in brain-behavior relationships.

Comprehensive Neurodevelopmental Assessment
Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations
Accommodations Assessment (SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT)
Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE)
Psychoeducational Testing
Neuropsychological Testing

How will assessment help my child or young adult?

1. Accurate diagnosis
2. Understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses
3. Understand how a child learns best
4. Creating a customized plan of action
5. Understand why a child may have behavior problems
6. Understand how problems with the brain may relate to problems at school,
home, or with peers
7. Work with other doctors and teachers to develop the best treatment and school
plan for a child
8. Get help with an IEP or 504 Plan
9. Get accommodations at school or on standardized tests (i.e., SAT, ACT, GRE,
MCAT)

Ultimately, an educational or neuropsychological evaluation helps you better understand your child’s functioning in areas such as attention, organization, planning, memory, as well as emotional, social, and behavioral functioning. This information will help you and your child’s teacher, therapist, and physician provide treatments and interventions for your child that will meet his or her unique needs. Additionally, testing may be done to obtain a baseline against which to measure the outcome of treatment or the child’s development over time.

Most importantly, testing provides a better understanding of the child’s behavior and learning in school, at home, and in the community, and can you to better help your child achieve his or her highest potential.

How are our assessments different from those provided by a school?

Pediatric Neuropsychologists and school staff sometimes use some of the same tests. However, school evaluations focus on deciding if a child has a problem with academic skills such as reading, spelling, or math. Moreover, school evaluations are not diagnostic.

Pediatric Neuropsychologists have specialized post-doctoral training that allows them to understand why a child is having problems in school or at home. They can provide an integrated, comprehensive, and unbiased diagnosis and recommendations for school based on your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This is done by examining academic skills but also examining all of the thinking skills needed to perform well in and outside of school – skills like memory, attention, and problem-solving. Because neuropsychologists have pre-and post-doctoral training in clinical psychology, they are also able to diagnose developmental and emotional disorders like ADHD, autism, depression, and anxiety.

Our assessments can help identify difficulties in areas of:

Intellectual Functioning (IQ)
Problem solving
Executive functioning skills
Language skills
Academic skills, such as reading or math
Attention and focus (ADHD)
Working memory
Processing speed
Visual-spatial processing
Social functioning
Depression and anxiety
Aggression and impulsive behavior

The Evaluation Process

The evaluation process can take anywhere from about 5 to 10 hours. Here’s what to expect at these meetings.

Initial visit: The doctor will take a detailed case history either in-person or via telehealth. You may be asked to fill out questionnaires about your child’s development and behavior. From there, the doctor will decide on the appropriate tests to give your child.
Testing: Depending on the referral question, your child will come in for assessment one or two times (more if needed). A session can last from 90 minutes to three hours (with breaks, of course). The doctor will determine the session length that’s right for your child.
Review and diagnosis: Once the doctor has reviewed the test results, you’ll meet again for a feedback session approximately 4 weeks after your child’s final testing day. If your child is a teen, she or he will likely be part of this discussion. The doctor will describe what the tests show and how they explain what you’re seeing in your child’s learning or behavior. If your child has one or more learning and thinking differences, the doctor will identify them.
Treatment Plan: The doctor will give you a detailed treatment plan, with specific recommendations, and may recommend that your child get specific supports and services at school or on standardized tests.

Working With Schools

Dr. Friedman and her staff can provide recommendations for IEPs and 504 Plans and can attend any school meetings. The school will have the assessment report, but it’s usually a good idea to have the doctor be part of the conversation, and can help make sure that the school’s treatment plan addresses all of your child’s issues.

Let’s say your child’s diagnosis is dyslexia, the school might include special reading instruction in his IEP, but your child may need other supports or services to help with particular executive functioning or language-based issues. Maybe he or she has trouble with phonological awareness. The specialist might recommend that your child be able to work with a speech-language the rapist.

These types of details can be lost or minimized in a long report, having a Neuropsychologist there means that the doctor can act as an advocate for your child, and help to answer the team’s questions and explain key details in the report.

For more information about pediatric neuropsychological and educational assessments, please visit https://theaacn.org/pediatric-neuropsychology/

Our Team

Dr. Friedman is an expert in the cognitive and academic assessment of young adults and older adults. She received her Master’s in Education from Harvard University, her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and completed her neuropsychology clinical externships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. She continued at the UCLA Medical Psychology Assessment Center, David Geffen School of Medicine for her APA-approved Clinical Internship in Neuropsychology and Major Mental Illness, as well as her Post-doctoral Fellowship at the UCLA ADHD Genetic Study. She has been in private practice since 2013.

Dr. Philip Levin

Pediatric Neuropsychologist

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Dr. Levin has 30+ years of experience in the assessment of children and adolescents. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1995 Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. In 1997 Dr. Levin became the inaugural Post Doctoral Resident of UCLA’s Pediatric Neuropsychological Fellowship in Community Mental at The Help Group, and in 2000, Dr. Levin was named the Program Director of The HELP Group/UCLA Neuropsychology Program. Dr. Levin is Voluntary Clinical Faculty at UCLA’s Medical Psychology Assessment Center (MPAC). He has also held adjunct faculty positions in graduate psychology programs at USC and Loyola Marymount University, and has presented at national meetings of the American Psychological Association and the International Neuropsychological Society, as well as locally for parent and teacher organizations throughout Southern California.

Dr. Levin is a volunteer clinical faculty member at UCLA’s Medical Psychology Assessment Center (MPAC). He has also held adjunct faculty positions in graduate psychology programs at USC and Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Levin has also presented at national meetings of the American Psychological Association and the International Neuropsychological Society, as well as locally for parent and teacher organizations throughout Southern California. Currently, Dr. Levin focuses on the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders and their impact on education, socialization, and emotional development. He provides specialized assessments on the cognitive and behavioral impacts of diagnoses such as: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and Bipolar Disorders. His goal is to empower families with the information they need to advocate for their children’s special needs both at home and at school.

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Psychological and neuropsychological assessments for children and adolescents can be extremely helpful in providing diagnostic clarification and identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses. Our team has over 30 years of combined experience and offers a wide range of services to help your child succeed emotionally, academically, and socially. We tailor each assessment specifically to your child’s needs, taking into account behavioral concerns, academic functioning, mood disorders, emotional functioning, difficulties with attention, and cognitive ability. By identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses, we can provide recommendations for interventions and accommodations that can greatly improve your child’s success. Some of the types of assessments we offer include: -Intelligence testing to assess cognitive abilities and academic potential: Intelligence testing has been used for over a century to assess cognitive abilities and academic potential. The most common intelligence tests include the Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler scales. These tests measure a range of abilities, including verbal reasoning, mathematical skills, and memory. Intelligence testing is often used in schools to identify gifted and talented students, as well as those who may need extra support. The results of intelligence tests can also be used to predict success in later life. Studies have shown that people who score higher on intelligence tests are more likely to achieve academically and professionally than those with lower scores. However, it is important to remember that intelligence tests only provide a snapshot of an individual’s abilities at a particular point in time. Intelligence is not fixed, and people can always improve their score with practice. -Achievement testing to identify specific areas of academic strength and weakness: Academic achievement testing is a type of educational assessment that measures what students have learned in school. These tests can be used to identify areas of academic strength and weakness, as well as to track student progress over time. Achievement tests are usually given at the end of a school year or term, and they often focus on specific subject areas such as reading, math, and science. While achievement tests can be helpful in assessing student learning, they should not be the only measure used to evaluate academic performance. Other factors such as attendance, class participation, and homework completion should also be taken into account. In addition, achievement tests may not accurately reflect the abilities of some students, particularly those with special needs or English language learners. When used correctly, however, achievement tests can be a valuable tool for educators and parents alike. -Memory and executive functioning testing to evaluate abilities related to learning and attention: Memory and executive functioning testing is used to evaluate abilities related to learning and attention. Memory tests measure how well a person can remember information. Executive functioning tests measure how well a person can plan, organize, and complete tasks. Memory and executive functioning are both important for academic success. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, memory difficulties can impact reading comprehension, math fluency, and the ability to remember what was just read or heard. Executive functioning difficulties can impact organization of school materials, time management, and task completion. Memory and executive functioning testing can help identify areas of strength and need so that accommodations and supports can be put in place to help a student be successful in school. -Personality testing to understand your child’s emotional functioning and overall adjustment Parents want what is best for their children and often go to great lengths to ensure that their kids are happy and well-adjusted. While some parents may have a good sense of their child’s personality and emotional needs, others may feel at a loss when it comes to understanding their child. One tool that can be helpful in understanding a child’s emotional functioning and overall adjustment is personality testing. Personality testing can provide insights into a child’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they are likely to respond to different situations. This information can be invaluable for parents who are trying to figure out how best to support their child. While personality testing is not a perfect science, it can be a useful tool for parents who are looking for guidance in understanding their child. -Social skills testing to identify areas of strength and weakness in social functioning The ability to interact effectively with others is a crucial social skill. Unfortunately, not everyone is equally adept at social interaction. Some people may have difficulty reading nonverbal cues, while others may have trouble starting or maintaining conversations. As a result, social skills testing can be a useful tool for identifying areas of strength and weakness in social functioning. A variety of different tests are available to assess social skills. The most commonly used measure is the Social Skills Rating System, which assesses a range of skills such as conversation skills, assertiveness, and cooperation. The test can be administered by a clinician or psychologist, and it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.While the Social Skills Rating System is the most widely used measure of social skills, there are other options available as well. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, for example, is a structured interview that includes questions about social skills and other areas of functioning. Whether you’re looking to assess your own social skills or those of someone you know, social skills testing can be a valuable tool. By identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses, you can develop a plan for improving social functioning. -Projective testing to explore your child’s inner thoughts and feelings Projective testing is a type of psychological assessment in which people are asked to respond to ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots or incomplete sentences. The theory behind projective testing is that people will project their own inner thoughts and feelings onto the stimuli, revealing hidden aspects of their personality. While projective tests are often used with adults, they can also be useful for exploring a child’s inner world. For example, a child who is asked to interpret an inkblot may reveal fears or fantasies that he or she is not consciously aware of. By understanding a child’s inner thoughts and feelings, parents can better respond to their needs. If you are seeking psychological or neuropsychological assessment for your child or adolescent, please contact us today to learn more about our services. We would be happy to answer any of your questions and help you get started.