Every child has moments of distraction, impulsivity, or restlessness. But when those patterns are persistent, pervasive, and getting in the way of your child’s learning, relationships, and daily life, they deserve a closer look. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in childhood, and it is also one of the most frequently misunderstood and misidentified.
An accurate ADHD assessment does not just confirm or rule out a diagnosis. It provides a comprehensive picture of how your child’s mind works, what is driving the behaviors you are seeing, and what specific supports will make the greatest difference.
At Old Town Psychology, we provide expert child ADHD assessments in Alexandria, VA, with immediate openings and no waitlist.
What Is a Child ADHD Assessment?
A child ADHD assessment is a comprehensive, multi-method psychological evaluation designed to determine whether a child meets the criteria for ADHD and to rule out other explanations for ADHD-like symptoms. Many conditions can produce behaviors that resemble ADHD, including anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, sleep disorders, and sensory processing differences. A thorough evaluation distinguishes between these possibilities so that your child receives an accurate diagnosis and, from there, the right support.
At Old Town Psychology, our ADHD assessments are conducted by licensed psychologists and are built on the principle that no single test, questionnaire, or observation can capture the full picture. We gather information from multiple sources, across multiple settings, using multiple methods, because ADHD is a condition that shows up differently depending on the environment, the task demands, and the people involved.
Our assessment accounts for developmental, cultural, and contextual factors when interpreting the findings, ensuring the results are accurate, meaningful, and relevant to your child’s specific life.
Signs Your Child May Need an ADHD Assessment
ADHD presents differently depending on a child’s age, temperament, and the specific presentation of the condition. Some children are visibly hyperactive and impulsive, and hard to miss in a classroom. Others are primarily inattentive, appearing quiet and compliant while quietly struggling to keep up. Many fall somewhere in between. The following are signs that a formal evaluation may be warranted:
Inattention and focus:
- Frequently loses focus on tasks, especially those that are repetitive or require sustained mental effort
- Makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or activities despite apparent effort
- Has difficulty listening when spoken to directly, even without obvious distraction
- Struggles to follow through on instructions or complete tasks from start to finish
- Frequently loses belongings such as school supplies, books, or personal items
- Easily distracted by surrounding noises, activity, or unrelated thoughts
- Forgetful in daily routines and responsibilities
Hyperactivity and impulse control:
- Fidgets, squirms, or has persistent difficulty remaining seated when expected to do so
- Runs, climbs, or moves excessively in situations where it is not appropriate
- Talks excessively or has difficulty waiting for their turn in conversation or activities
- Acts impulsively: blurting out answers, interrupting others, or making decisions without thinking them through
- Difficulty engaging in activities quietly or with sustained calm
Academic and behavioral impact:
- Declining or inconsistent academic performance that does not reflect the child’s apparent ability
- Frequent teacher reports of inattention, disruptive behavior, or incomplete work
- Difficulty making or keeping friendships due to impulsivity or difficulty reading social cues
- Homework routines that are consistently difficult, prolonged, or conflict-laden
- A significant gap between what your child seems capable of and what they are actually producing
If these patterns have been present for some time and are meaningfully affecting your child’s functioning, a formal assessment is the right next step.
What Does a Child ADHD Assessment Help With?
An accurate ADHD assessment is the foundation for everything that follows. Without it, children too often spend years receiving the wrong support (or no support at all) while the gap between their potential and their performance quietly widens. A comprehensive child ADHD assessment at Old Town Psychology provides:
Diagnostic clarity. A clear, evidence-based determination of whether your child meets the criteria for ADHD, and if so, which presentation. It also gives families, educators, and clinicians the shared understanding needed to build effective, coordinated support.
Ruling out other conditions. Many children referred for ADHD evaluations receive a different or additional diagnosis that better explains their symptoms, or that coexists with ADHD and requires its own treatment. Identifying these conditions is only possible through a thorough evaluation.
A roadmap for school support. A formal ADHD diagnosis, documented in a comprehensive psychological report, is often the key that unlocks school-based accommodations and services, including extended time, preferential seating, reduced-distraction testing environments, and the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan.
Personalized recommendations. Every child with ADHD has a unique cognitive and behavioral profile. Our assessment goes beyond diagnosis to provide specific, practical recommendations tailored to your child’s strengths and challenges for parents, teachers, and any therapists or specialists involved in your child’s care.
A foundation for treatment. Whether the path forward involves behavioral therapy, school accommodations, parent coaching, medication management with a physician, or some combination, the assessment findings provide the evidence base that guides those decisions and ensures the support your child receives is the right support.
What Does a Child ADHD Assessment Look Like?
Our child ADHD assessment is a structured, four-step process designed to be thorough, accurate, and as convenient as possible for families. Here is what to expect:
Clinical Interviews
We begin with in-depth interviews with both the child and the parents or caregivers. These conversations provide context that no test can capture: your child’s developmental history, the specific behaviors you have been observing, how those behaviors show up at school and at home, and how they have evolved over time. Interviews can be conducted virtually for ease and flexibility.
Standardized Rating Scales
Parents and teachers complete standardized rating scales that capture how your child’s behavior compares to other children of the same age across multiple settings. These scales provide an important second layer of information that broadens the picture beyond what any single observer can see. Rating scales can be completed online at your convenience.
Psychological Testing
We administer a comprehensive battery of gold-standard assessments that measure your child’s cognitive abilities, academic achievement, attention, and executive functioning. The testing at Old Town Psychology may include:
- WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition): A comprehensive measure of intellectual functioning across verbal comprehension, visual-spatial reasoning, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.
- WIAT (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test): An assessment of academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, identifying how your child’s achievement compares to their cognitive ability and to same-age peers.
- WJ (Woodcock-Johnson Tests): A broad assessment of cognitive abilities and academic achievement that provides additional depth in areas relevant to learning and attention.
- D-KEFS (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System): A battery of tasks specifically designed to measure the executive functioning processes most affected by ADHD, including cognitive flexibility, planning, inhibition, and verbal and nonverbal problem-solving.
- NEPSY-II (A Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment): A comprehensive neuropsychological test that assesses attention, memory, language, sensorimotor skills, and social perception, providing a detailed picture of the cognitive processes underlying your child’s behavior and learning.
Comprehensive Report and Feedback Session
Once all data is gathered and analyzed, we prepare a detailed written report that documents the findings and provides a clear diagnostic conclusion along with specific, actionable recommendations. We then schedule a dedicated feedback session to walk through the report with you, answer your questions, and ensure you fully understand the results and the path forward, regardless of whether the assessment results in a diagnosis of ADHD.
"We brought our daughter in for testing and the OTP team was amazing. They were so kind, caring and great with children. My daughter is shy and takes a little time to warm up when first meeting someone new. The Doctor was patient and encouraging and my daughter had a wonderful time. They also provide fast results and meet with you to explain everything in the report. I would definitely recommend them."
"Very prompt response to our inquiry. Welcoming environment and very professional, thorough communication. The staff genuinely seems to care that your needs are met."
"Excellent service, knowledgeable staff, incredible responsiveness, diligence and follow through -- we feel lucky we found such a great therapy practice. We cannot recommend them highly enough!"
“My daughter took WISC-V test there and we are very pleased with our experience. They are professional, patient and wonderful throughout the entire process. My daughter had such a great time that she hardly felt that was a test - she even asked when she could take it again. I would highly recommend them to whoever needs child IQ testing services.”
“I took my children here for TAG testing. Both of my kids actually enjoyed their assessments. I was very pleased with the time and care taken to assess my children, the thoroughness of the report, and the fact that there was a follow-up session to discuss any questions that I had relative to the assessment included. Also-- the tea selection in the waiting room is top tier :)”
“Very prompt response to our inquiry. Welcoming environment and very professional, thorough communication. The staff genuinely seems to care that your needs are met.”
Take the Next Step
Your child does not have to keep struggling while the answers remain out of reach. An accurate, comprehensive ADHD assessment is one of the most meaningful steps you can take to understand your child and get them the right support. At Old Town Psychology, we maintain immediate availability for new assessment clients.
To schedule a child ADHD assessment or to ask any questions, contact us today.
