What is a “Test Episode”?

A “Test Episode” is what I refer to as a whole test, from the Initial Clinical Interview to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the psychological tests and records review, to the Feedback Session where I will share with you the test results and recommendations.

How much does a test cost?

Since each test episode for every client is a highly personalized experience, the cost of testing can vary greatly. Additionally, costs also vary from insurance plan to insurance plan, so any estimate I could post here would very likely be significantly higher than most people would end up paying; it would be inappropriate to state with a strong degree of certainty what a test episode will cost on a website. What I can do is provide a “Good Faith Estimate” that is in compliance with the No Surprises Act for what may be considered an uncomplicated testing episode.

Reach out to me and I’d be happy to learn a little bit about your situation and provide you such an estimate at no obligation to you.

How long will it take to get my results?

There are some factors beyond our control that can slow down a testing episode. Sometimes, it is really difficult to reach teachers to complete rating scales on a client. Sometimes, clinics or schools may be slow to respond to a records request. If a prior authorization is required by your insurer, it can take 5 to 10 days for them to respond, sometimes they respond immediately. If a prior authorization is denied, an appeal may take up to 30 days for them to respond.

Assuming everything goes smoothly, a test episode can take about 2 to 3 weeks to complete once started.

What happens after scheduling my first appointment?

I will reach out to you to finish the onboarding process and grant you access to our Client Portal. You’ll receive the authorization forms, informed consent documents, screeners, and blank releases for your informants, doctors, therapists, and schools. I’ll gather your insurance information or draft a Good Faith Estimate for you should you wish to forgo using your insurance.

After our Initial Clinical Interview is finished and further testing is determined to be warranted, I’ll work with you to identify two high-quality informants in your life to support the diagnostic process. One should be able to objectively report on your symptoms and behaviors for the last 6 months across multiple settings in your life and the other informant should be someone you trust who could objectively report on your behavior as an adolescent (for ADHD) or preschooler (for Autism). We’ll then schedule a diagnostic interview and send out the rating scales via email to your informants. For the diagnostic interview, I’d like to schedule it so that you and the informant who is reporting on your childhood behavior can attend together. You and the informant who can report on your current behavior and symptoms will be given the rating scales to complete on your own.

I’ll also be reaching out to your doctor and/or school to request your records once I have a release of information signed granting me permission to do so.

Once all of the tests have been completed and I’ve received all of the requested records, I’ll write the assessment report. Once finished, I’ll reach out to you to schedule the Feedback Session, where I’ll share with you the test results and my recommendations.

Once the testing episode has been concluded, I’ll send out a claim to your insurer. Insurance has rules stating that claims must be submitted within 90 days of the 1st service delivery (the Initial Clinical Interview). However, if everything runs smoothly with contacting informants, scheduling interviews, and receiving records, your results can be ready within 3 weeks.

Can I get tested for both, ADHD and Autism?

One of the most important questions in a testing episode is the “referral question”. A good test administrator will want the test episode to answer a very specific question. Sometimes, I’ll get a referral for a “neurodiversity assessment”, which could encompass several potential diagnoses and involve so many different tests that they’re results may start conflicting with each other, making a bigger clinical mess than we started with. For this and other reasons (insurance will simply not cover 12 hours of testing), I test for one specific diagnosis at a time by attempting to rule it out by considering possible alternatives.

That said, ADHD and Autism do have some overlap, so during the initial interview, I’m already considering one or the other as a possibility, amongst other explanations, too. I will explain to you what I’m noticing and share my thoughts and recommendations with you every step of the way. If one diagnosis seems more likely than the other, I’ll let you know and we’ll determine together if we’re going to explore that path or another. It is possible to have both diagnoses and there may be a simple way to get the answers you’re looking for without driving up costs or administering unnecessary tests.

Do I have to live in the Quad Cities to schedule a test?

Since I’m licensed to independently practice anywhere in Illinois and Iowa; as long as you’re physically located in either state while we are engaged in test-related services, we are in full compliance with the laws of both states. I’ve served clients living in Iowa City, Bettendorf, Davenport, Clinton IA as well as Moline, East Moline, Rock Island, Bloomington, Chicago, and Galesburg IL. One of the benefits scheduling with a local test administrator is that they are more familiar with resources and supports that are available to you.

For those who are looking for testing but aren’t from the Quad City area, I’m happy to do some online research to identify resources and supports that are relevant to you.