Independent Educational Evaluation

ADHD Evaluation for Children and Adolescents

Published fee: $800

A comprehensive evaluation helps families understand whether ADHD is present, how it affects the student’s functioning, and which supports may help at school and at home.

Who Is This Evaluation For?

An ADHD evaluation may be appropriate for a child or adolescent who:

Has difficulty sustaining attention or completing assignments
Is easily distracted, forgetful, or disorganized
Frequently loses materials or needs repeated reminders
Has trouble following multistep directions or managing time
Acts impulsively or has difficulty waiting and listening
Appears unusually active or restless
Understands the material but performs inconsistently
Becomes overwhelmed by tasks requiring sustained mental effort
Needs diagnostic clarification or updated information for educational planning

Some students with ADHD earn good grades or behave appropriately at school but use considerable effort to keep up. Others struggle primarily at home, during homework, or as academic demands increase. The evaluation considers functioning across settings rather than relying on one behavior or source of information.

What Does the Evaluation Involve?

Each evaluation is designed around the student’s history, current concerns, and referral questions. The process typically includes a clinical interview and review of developmental and educational history, school records, previous evaluations, grades, interventions, and other relevant information.

Parents, teachers, and the student may complete standardized rating scales examining attention, activity level, impulse control, executive functioning, emotions, and behavior. Individualized testing may assess attention, working memory, processing speed, cognitive abilities, or other relevant areas. Observations and measures of sustained attention may also be included when appropriate.

No single test can diagnose ADHD. All findings are considered alongside the student’s developmental history, current behavior, and functioning in more than one setting. The evaluation also considers other possible explanations, including learning difficulties, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, stress, developmental differences, and environmental factors. Because more than one condition may be present, understanding how the concerns interact is an important part of the evaluation.

What Will Families Receive?

Families receive a comprehensive written report that explains the findings in understandable language. The report describes the student’s attention, executive functioning, behavior, and emotional adjustment and addresses whether the overall findings support ADHD or another condition.

Individualized recommendations may include:

Behavioral and organizational strategies
Classroom accommodations
Executive-functioning supports
Homework and study strategies
Parent and school-based interventions
Counseling or medication consultation
Guidance for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, if appropriate

A feedback conference is included so families can review the results, ask questions, and understand the recommended next steps. When appropriate, the findings can also be shared with physicians, therapists, and school teams.

The result is more than a diagnosis. It is a practical roadmap for understanding the student’s needs, building on strengths, and improving learning, confidence, and everyday functioning.

Simple and Individualized

What to Expect

The process is clear from the first conversation through the feedback conference.

Reports are typically completed within 21 days after testing.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Complimentary Consultation
Discuss concerns and determine whether an evaluation may be helpful.
Individualized Evaluation
Interviews, records, testing, rating scales, and information from knowledgeable individuals.
Comprehensive Report
Clear findings with practical and individualized recommendations.
Feedback Conference
Review results, answer questions, and discuss appropriate next steps.

Common Questions

FAQs

See all frequently asked questions

What types of assessments are used in an IEE?

The assessments vary based on the specific needs of the child but often include cognitive testing, academic achievement tests, and assessments of social-emotional functioning, behavior, and adaptive skills. Additional measures might be used if specific learning disabilities, attention difficulties, or emotional concerns are suspected.

Will my child need to miss school for testing?

Some testing may be scheduled during school hours, but we strive to minimize disruptions. Testing sessions can often be arranged to work around your child’s school schedule. We will work together to find times that are convenient for both you and your child.

Will this evaluation diagnose my child with a learning disorder or other condition?

If warranted, the IEE will result in a diagnosis, such as a specific learning disorder, ADHD, or an emotional disorder. However, our goal is not solely diagnosis; it’s to understand your child’s unique learning profile and provide recommendations that best support their educational and developmental needs.

What should we do to prepare for the evaluation?

Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a healthy meal before each testing session, as focus and energy are essential for an accurate evaluation. If you child is taking any medication (e.g., for ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc.), continue to take it per their normal schedule. It’s also helpful to encourage your child to simply do their best and let them know there are no right or wrong answers.

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Straightforward Information

Transparent Fees and Flexible Payment

SEC is committed to providing comprehensive, individualized evaluations with clear and transparent fees. As a streamlined independent practice, SEC is able to focus its resources directly on careful assessment and personalized client service.

Published fees include the initial interview, record review, individualized test selection, testing, appropriate rating scales, scoring, interpretation, a comprehensive written report, personalized recommendations, and a feedback conference. If helpful, fees may be divided into two equal payments.

Schedule a Free Consultation

9
Evaluation types, each with a published fee
2
Equal payments — fees may be divided
21
Days — reports are typically completed after testing

SEC is Private Pay Only

The Student Evaluation Center operates as a private-pay practice so evaluations can be designed around each client’s individual needs rather than an insurance company’s coverage rules. This allows us to select appropriate assessment tools, investigate educational and clinical concerns thoroughly, and provide detailed reports with practical recommendations for home, school, and treatment planning.

Private payment also allows SEC to evaluate concerns that health insurance may not cover, including learning disabilities, academic achievement, giftedness, and educational accommodation needs. Fees include individualized test selection, testing, scoring, interpretation, a comprehensive written report, and a feedback conference.

SEC does not bill insurance directly. Upon request, we can provide documentation that clients may submit to their insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement. HSA and FSA funds may also be eligible for evaluation expenses; clients should confirm eligibility with their plan administrator.