Learning evaluation
Reading, writing, math and how a child takes in and uses information, so a family and a school can name what is getting in the way.
Overland Park, Kansas
Testing that explains how your child learns
Compass is a practice of two psychologists. We evaluate children and teens with learning or attention concerns, then sit down with parents to explain what we found and write the letter the school can read.
Evaluations
What we evaluate, and what comes after
Every evaluation starts with parents and ends with a meeting, a written report and a letter for the school.
The evaluations
Attention evaluation
Focus, activity level, planning and follow-through, seen at home and at school and checked one to one.
Combined evaluation
For children whose questions overlap. Learning and attention are looked at together, and written up in one report.
After the testing
Feedback meeting
An hour with the psychologist to hear the results in plain words, and to ask anything.
Written report
Each result, what it means for your child, and what we suggest at home and at school.
School letter
A short letter written to be read at a school team meeting.
Is it the right step
Is an evaluation what your family needs?
Testing answers a question about how a child learns or pays attention. It is not therapy, and we say so when another kind of help fits better.
| Therapy or counseling | An evaluation | |
|---|---|---|
| The question it answers | Therapy or counselingHow can my child cope with worry, mood or behavior, and feel better day to day? | An evaluationWhy are reading, writing, math or focus harder for my child than for others the same age? |
| What happens | Therapy or counselingRegular sessions over weeks or months, at a pace the therapist sets with you. | An evaluationA parent interview, one-to-one testing with breaks, forms from home and school, and a feedback meeting. |
| What you take home | Therapy or counselingA plan for the sessions. A report only if you ask for one. | An evaluationA written report and a letter for the school. |
| Who it is for | Therapy or counselingChildren and families who want support with feelings or behavior. We can point you to where to look. | An evaluationSchool-age children and teens whose parents have a question about learning or attention. |
Our approach
How we think about testing
A test score is one piece of information. We read it beside what you see at home and what the teacher sees at school, because a child who struggles in a testing room and a child who struggles in a classroom are not always the same child.
We use standard tests that psychologists have published and used for many years, and we choose them for the questions your family brought. We do not decide the answer before the testing is done.
What an evaluation is not
- Therapy or counseling
- A decision about your child's school placement
- A promise of any particular finding
How it works
An evaluation, in six steps
Each step is written down, so you always know where your family is and what comes next.
- 01Parents
Step 1: Intake
You tell us what you have noticed, and send what you have: report cards, earlier testing, notes from the teacher. We decide together whether testing fits.
- 02Your child
Step 2: Testing
Your child works with one psychologist at a table, in short blocks with breaks. Visits are planned around your child's age and energy.
- 03Behind the scenes
Step 3: Scoring
We score the tests and read them beside the forms from home and school. Your child is not there for this part.
- 04Parents
Step 4: Feedback
We meet with you to explain what we found, in plain words, and to answer your questions.
- 05In writing
Step 5: Report
The written report goes through each result, what it means for your child, and what we suggest at home and at school.
- 06For the school
Step 6: School letter
A short letter written for the school, to be read at a team meeting. You decide what to share.
Psychologists
The two psychologists you may meet
Each is licensed in Kansas, with the license listed below and at the foot of every page.
Dr. Gao evaluates children from kindergarten through middle school. She explains each task to a child in plain words, and she explains the results to parents the same way.
Dr. Desai evaluates middle and high school students, and meets with teens as well as parents when the report is ready. He writes the school letter himself.
In person
The office in Overland Park
All testing happens in one quiet office, with a small waiting area and a room set up for children.
Compass Psychology
Address: 11880 College Blvd, Suite 140 Overland Park, KS 66210Phone: (913) 555-0100Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: ClosedGet directions to the Compass Psychology officeHow fees work
An evaluation is one fee for the whole process, so this explains what it covers and when you hear it.
Insurance we work with
Plans differ a great deal on testing. Some pay part of an evaluation when it is done for a medical reason, and many do not pay for testing done for school or learning reasons. We help you check before you book, and we cannot promise coverage.
Some PPO and employer plans, by clinician
Medicare and Medicaid: not billed
If you pay yourself
An evaluation has one fee for the whole process: intake, testing, scoring, the feedback meeting, the report and the school letter. Your fee is given in writing before you start, and you pay by card in two parts. HSA and FSA cards work. A few reduced-fee spots are open at any time, so ask when you write. A visit canceled with less than 48 hours' notice is charged.
Receipts for reimbursement
If your plan reimburses care from an out-of-network provider, we give you an itemized receipt, called a superbill, that you can send to it. Your plan decides what it may reimburse. The receipt carries a diagnosis code, which your insurer sees, and reimbursement is not guaranteed.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate of what care will cost before you start, and we give you one in writing. If a bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
Before testing begins, we go through your plan's benefits with you. You can also call the number on your insurance card and ask:
Do you cover psychological testing for a child, and under which codes?
Do I need a referral or an approval first?
Is there a deductible, and how much of it is met?
Questions
What parents ask first
What happens at the first visit?
The first visit is for parents. We talk about what you have noticed, read what you brought, and decide together whether testing fits. Your child does not take any tests that day.
How many visits does an evaluation take, and how long?
Your child usually comes for one or two visits of a few hours, with breaks, planned around their age and energy. We tell you the plan at intake, and the feedback meeting comes after the scoring is done.
How much does an evaluation cost, and how do fees work?
An evaluation has one fee for the whole process, from intake to the school letter. We give you that fee in writing before testing starts, so there is no surprise at the end. The fees page explains what it covers and what it does not.
Do you take my insurance?
Some clinicians bill some PPO and employer plans, and many plans do not pay for testing done for school or learning reasons. We check your plan's benefits with you before you book. We do not bill Medicare or Medicaid.
Will my child get a diagnosis?
Some evaluations end with a diagnosis and some do not. Either way, the report describes what we saw, what it means for school and home, and what we suggest. We do not decide the answer before the testing is done.
Will the school accept your report?
A school team decides what to do with outside information, and we cannot speak for any school. We write the letter to be read at a team meeting, and you choose what to share.
Write to us
Tell us how you would like to start
We reply within one business day, by the method and at the time you choose. Tell us your child's grade and what you have noticed, in a few words.
Phone(913) 555-0100
Hours
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed