Assessments
We look at every angle
Our comprehensive approach allows us to take the time to fully understand your child’s strengths and needs. When you first contact us, our intake team may recommend various assessments, which could include those that address social and emotional concerns, development, speech and communication, or the gross and fine motor skills needed for daily living.
St. David’s offers Diagnostic Assessment for children up to age six. A Diagnostic Assessment is conducted by a licensed mental health professional, this evaluation gathers information about your child’s background, current concerns, and family history to create a full picture of their social and emotional well-being. Through these assessments, families gain a greater understanding of their child, and work with our team to determine their child’s unique treatment path and goals.
Assessments include:
Children’s Mental Health Assessment
Mental Health assessments help clinicians and caregivers understand what might be causing social or emotional challenges for your child. From there, we help families identify the types of services or support that will allow them to thrive at home, school, and in their communities.
Learn more about the types of services that might be recommended on our Mental Health services page.
Speech Therapy Assessment
A Speech therapy evaluation will help clinicians alongside families determine what goals and treatment interventions will help increase a child 's communication and interactions with others. Evaluations include an assessment to get an overall picture of your child's strengths and areas of need such as how they may understand and process language, clearly express wants and needs, and use social interactions to build relationships. To learn more about our ongoing speech therapy services, visit our Speech therapy services page.
Occupational Therapy Assessment
An Occupational therapy evaluation helps caregivers and clinicians identify the areas of daily living where a child might need support in order to build their independence. Evaluations include a caregiver interview, and a skilled assessment of how your child responds to sensory input, motor skills and coordination, self-care skills, play skills, social participation with others, and emotional regulation. To learn more about our ongoing
occupational therapy services, visit our Occupational therapy services page.
Scheduling an Assessment
To schedule an assessment, you can contact us. Our team will guide you through the process and answer any questions you have.
Assessments Questions
See our FAQs to learn more about our assessments process, as well as the types of assessments you may need to seek elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Assessments
Yes—please complete any intake forms sent by our Central Intake Team. If your child has had previous assessments or testing, sharing that information helps us better understand their journey so far.
Most insurance plans do cover mental health diagnostic assessments, but coverage can vary. We encourage you to contact your insurance provider to understand your specific benefits.
Assessments help us understand what your child is experiencing and how we can best support them. They guide our recommendations and ensure we’re connecting you with the right services, at the right time.
We do not offer psychological testing or neuropsychological evaluations, but we do provide diagnostic assessments.
- Diagnostic Assessment
Help in understanding your child’s mental health. Conducted by a licensed mental health professional, this evaluation gathers information about your child’s background, current concerns, and family history to create a full picture of their social and emotional well-being.
St. David’s Center offers Diagnostic Assessments for children up to age six. - Psychological Testing
Some children may need more in-depth evaluation using standardized tools to explore areas like cognitive abilities, language, memory, and emotional development. These assessments help clarify diagnoses and guide treatment planning.
St. David’s does not provide psychological testing, but we can help connect families to external providers. - Neuropsychological Evaluation
In certain cases, a specialized evaluation by a board-certified neuropsychologist is needed—especially when brain-based conditions like injury, epilepsy, or neurological disorders may affect thinking and behavior. These assessments provide critical insights for diagnosis and long-term support.
St. David’s does not provide neuropsychological evaluations, but we can help connect families to external providers.
It’s complicated! While we sometimes identify signs of autism and provide that diagnosis through our current diagnostic assessment process, we do not conduct evaluations exclusively focused on autism. Autism often presents alongside other diagnoses. If additional evaluations or services are needed that we do not provide, your clinician will discuss recommendations with you, which may include further testing.
There are many reasons that a child might act impulsively, move their body quickly, or have difficulty concentrating that may or may not be caused by ADHD. We do not offer ADHD assessments at this time, as they require a neuropsychological evaluation. While we do offer diagnostic and occupational therapy evaluations, which may suggest if an ADHD diagnosis is present, or if there are other causes for concerns.