Services Educational Consultation Services Psychiatric and Psychological Services Educational Consultation Services An individual's ability to meet academic expectations in a positive and productive manner strongly influences self-esteem, personal growth, and motivation for and success in learning. Educational assessment provides the means of answering how best to support the individual child, adolescent, or adult in the process of academic learning. Assessment usually includes an initial interview and psychoeducational testing and behavioral observations relevant to academic performance, followed by a conference to review results and discuss recommendations. Key components are providing assistance in understanding learning differences or disabilities, if they do exist, and making appropriate recommendations for remediation. Services also include ongoing monitoring of individuals' progress, including revision and modification of recommendations, as well as consultation to parents and to other professionals regarding educational concerns and plans. Clients at ABCD are enrolled in a wide variety of public, private, religious, and specialized educational institutions. Frequent referral issues: kindergarten/school readiness diagnosis of learning disabilities, including dyslexia determination of learning style general review of academic status gifted child concerns determination of appropriate program placement Melyssa Higgins, Ph.D. Return to Top Psychiatric and Psychological Services Social, emotional, and behavioral problems often interfere with a child's or adolescent's adjustment at home and in school. In adults, such problems can disrupt work performance and marital relationships. Psychiatric and psychological evaluations help to explain the reasons for these problems and determine the best course of treatment. Evaluations usually consist of separate interviews with parents and children/adolescents and may include testing of cognitive or emotional functioning and conferencing with teachers. Test results, diagnostic conclusions, and treatment recommendations are reviewed in detail with the family. Treatment possibilities include brief and long-term psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults and families. Parent training, social skills training and group therapy are also available. Psychiatric services can include treatment with medication and consultations with primary care physicians concerning medications and diagnostic issues related to their patients' care. Frequent referral issues: hyperactivity, inattentiveness (ADD/ADHD) strong-willed, challenging behavior school readiness, failure to learn depression excessive anxiety, panic attacks bedwetting, soiling poor peer relationships effects of marital conflict or divorce obsessive/compulsive behaviors gifted child concerns Mary-Ellen Diorio, M.D. Thomas R. DuHamel, Ph.D. S. Wayne Duncan, Ph.D. Christopher McCurry, Ph.D Teresa M. Piacentini, Ph.D. Allison Remmers, M.D. Jessica Tarantino, Psy.D. Return to Top 155 NE 100th St., Suite 306 Seattle WA 98125 206.361.6884     Copyright © 2009-2012, ABCD, Inc.