FAQ’s

Unfortunately, there is no handbook that equips parents with answers to the questions they might have regarding their child’s development. You know your child best, and if you suspect that they may have a learning difference or developmental difficulty, a trained professional is equipped to get you the answers you need.

Because the evaluations are so comprehensive and broken down into three components -cognitive, academic, and social/emotional – parents will receive evidence-based data for which they can get a better understanding of their child and their needs.

An evaluation can answer questions like this, and more:

• Are my child’s social difficulties related to anxiety, temperament, or an autism spectrum disorder?
• Does my child have ADHD?
• Is my child performing to his/her potential?
• Why is my child having difficulty learning to read?
• Does my child have a learning disorder?
• Are emotional factors, such as anxiety, preventing my child from showing his/her true capabilities?
• Is my child ready for preschool?
• What are some strategies my child and I can use to help with homework completion?
• What areas of learning should be a target of intervention for my child?
• How much of my child’s disruptive behavior in class is a result of lack of inhibition versus disregard for the classroom rules?
• What can we do in the classroom and at home to increase my child’s success?

A comprehensive psychological assessment begins with an interview with the parent in order to gain a thorough understanding of the child’s history and current functioning.

The total time required to complete an assessment is usually 8-12 hours of administration. In order to ensure that the child is sustaining maximum attention and effort, and to minimize problems with fatigue, appointments are typically spread out over multiple days.

The activities vary among hands-on tasks, visual-spatial puzzles, verbally answering questions, drawing, and play-based interactions. Plenty of breaks will be scheduled into the session, and your child can request additional breaks as needed. Please send a snack or lunch with your child, as this will help maintain attention and energy.

Afterward, the psychologist scores and analyzes the data, and prepares a comprehensive report explaining and summarizing the results of the evaluation. Additionally, the report includes specific recommendations that parents, teachers, and providers can implement to help the child achieve his/her full potential.

A one- to two-hour feedback session is scheduled with the parents to review the results. The child or adolescent often attends a separate meeting after the parents have received the results so that they can gain an understanding of their strengths and areas to improve.

What you share with your child depends on how much they/them can understand. Be straightforward and brief, and use language that your child is familiar with, such as “trouble reading,” “problems listening,” or “trouble making friends.” Tell your child that you are trying to learn more about they/them strengths in order to help they/them. You may also tell your child that nobody gets every question right and that the important thing is to “try your best.”

Most children find the evaluation interesting, and they enjoy the interactive nature of the assessment. The information that is learned will contribute to your child’s learning and success.

For over a decade, Dr. Sutera has worked closely with many Fairfield County area families to get them answers they need. With a soft, yet direct approach, she uses clear communication to work collaboratively with both parents and children. Knowing that children may be wary of meeting with a psychologist, she has the ability to build rapport and trust quickly. In fact, she gets a lot of referrals for adolescents who may be particularly skeptical about working with someone new.

With a passion for learning about people, her goal is to give parents peace of mind so that their children can thrive and succeed.