Some questions cannot be answered by a single test. When the goal is a complete, accurate picture of how someone thinks, learns, feels, and functions, not just a single diagnosis or a snapshot of one area, a comprehensive assessment is the right tool. Whether you are seeking clarity about a possible diagnosis, trying to understand your child’s academic and behavioral challenges, or simply wanting to know yourself more fully so you can perform and thrive at a higher level, a comprehensive assessment provides the depth of information that targeted testing alone cannot.
At Old Town Psychology, we offer expert comprehensive psychological assessments for children and adults in Alexandria, VA, with immediate openings.
What Is a Comprehensive Psychological Assessment?
A comprehensive assessment is a multi-method, multi-domain evaluation conducted by a licensed psychologist that examines a person’s psychological, cognitive, and functional profile in far greater depth than any single test can provide. Rather than evaluating one area of concern in isolation, a comprehensive assessment integrates findings across multiple domains. including intellectual functioning, memory, attention, academic achievement, executive functioning, personality, and emotional health, to produce a complete, nuanced picture of who you are, how your mind works, and what is shaping your strengths and challenges.
The result is not simply a list of scores. It is a detailed, clinically interpreted report that connects the data to your real-world experience, explains what the findings mean in practical terms, and provides specific, actionable recommendations.
Every comprehensive assessment at Old Town Psychology is followed by a dedicated feedback session in which your psychologist walks through the findings with you, answers your questions, and ensures you leave with a clear understanding of the results and what to do with them.
Comprehensive assessments are available for both children and adults at Old Town Psychology, and are conducted by psychologists with specialized expertise in psychological evaluation across the full lifespan.
Who Is a Comprehensive Assessment For?
A comprehensive assessment is appropriate for anyone who wants or needs a thorough, evidence-based understanding of their psychological and cognitive functioning. Common reasons people pursue a comprehensive assessment include:
- Wanting a complete diagnostic picture when multiple concerns are present or when previous evaluations have been incomplete or inconclusive
- Concerns about ADHD, learning disabilities, or autism that have not been fully evaluated
- Unexplained struggles in school, work, or daily life that have not responded to standard interventions
- Understanding a child’s academic, behavioral, social, or emotional challenges in order to build the most effective support plan possible
- Identifying a child’s or adult’s cognitive strengths and areas of challenge to inform educational or career planning
- Meeting the requirements of a specific job, program, or application that calls for formal psychological documentation
- Establishing a cognitive or psychological baseline for tracking performance and growth over time
- Supporting a high-achieving individual who wants to better understand their aptitudes and optimize how they work and learn
- Identifying giftedness, twice-exceptionality, or areas of exceptional talent alongside areas of difficulty
If you are not sure which type of assessment is right for your situation, we are happy to talk through your questions in a consultation before you commit to anything.
Comprehensive Assessments We Offer
At Old Town Psychology, we offer two types of comprehensive assessments, each designed for a different purpose and depth of evaluation.
Full Psychological Evaluation
Our full psychological evaluation is our most thorough and clinically comprehensive assessment option. It is designed for individuals (children or adults) for whom a complete diagnostic picture is the primary goal. This evaluation integrates assessments for ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and specific learning disabilities (SLD) into a single, unified evaluation, and memory assessment can be added when indicated.
This option is appropriate when multiple diagnoses are being considered, when previous evaluations have been limited in scope, or when a thorough clinical record is needed for school accommodations, workplace supports, medical decisions, or other formal purposes.
Domains assessed include:
- Intellectual functioning (IQ): A comprehensive measure of cognitive ability across multiple domains, including verbal comprehension, visual-spatial reasoning, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed, showing how you compare to others your age and identifying specific areas of strength and challenge.
- Attention and ADHD: A thorough evaluation of sustained attention, impulse control, distractibility, and the executive functioning challenges associated with ADHD.
- Autism spectrum disorder: A multi-method assessment of social communication, behavioral patterns, sensory sensitivities, and other features associated with ASD.
- Specific learning disabilities: An assessment of reading, writing, and mathematics abilities relative to cognitive potential, identifying any discrepancies that point toward a learning disability.
- Memory (optional add-on): Evaluation of verbal and visual memory, learning efficiency, and recall, particularly relevant for individuals with concerns about memory functioning or cognitive decline.
- Executive functioning: Assessment of planning, organization, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and the self-regulatory capacities that underlie performance across all areas of life.
- Personality and emotional functioning: Evaluation of psychological symptoms, emotional patterns, personality traits, and mental health concerns that may be contributing to the presenting challenges.
360 Assessment
Our 360 Assessment is a broad-spectrum evaluation designed not primarily for diagnosis, but for self-understanding, performance optimization, and growth planning. It is ideal for individuals who want a detailed, data-driven picture of their complete psychological and cognitive profile, including areas that traditional assessments often overlook, such as creativity.
The 360 Assessment is well-suited for high-achieving adults and students who want to leverage their strengths more strategically, parents seeking a comprehensive understanding of their child’s abilities and profile, and anyone who wants a complete and honest picture of how they think, learn, and function.
Domains assessed include:
- Intellectual functioning: A full IQ assessment measuring cognitive abilities across multiple domains and identifying how you compare to others your age.
- Achievement: Evaluation of math, reading, and writing skills and how effectively they are applied to real-world problems, including the grade-level equivalents of current academic skills.
- Executive functioning: Assessment of the planning, attention, multitasking, impulse control, and goal-directed capacities that drive performance in school, work, and daily life.
- Memory: Evaluation of how efficiently you take in, retain, and recall information
- Personality and emotional functioning: Assessment of personality traits, behavioral patterns, psychological symptoms, and social functioning, providing a deeper understanding of the emotional and interpersonal dimensions of who you are.
- Creativity: Measurement of creative thinking and creative potential, a dimension of cognitive functioning that is often missed in traditional evaluations but that is a meaningful indicator of giftedness and a reliable predictor of creative achievement over time.
"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
Whether you are seeking a formal diagnosis, trying to understand a child who is struggling, or simply ready for a complete and honest picture of your own abilities and potential, a comprehensive assessment at Old Town Psychology delivers the clarity you are looking for. We maintain immediate availability for new assessment clients. While many practices in the area have waitlists of six months or longer, we are ready to schedule your evaluation now.
To schedule a comprehensive assessment or to ask any questions, contact us today.
