Assessment: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)image

Q: How much experience does your assessment team have?

A: Herman & Associates has been in business since 1988. We are an expert team of professionals with extensive experience in both psychology and education. Dr. Herman is a licensed psychologist and has over 30 years of assessment experience and has worked in special education settings. He worked for 17 years as part of a highly respect research team and has co-authored many research articles. Dr. Herman has presented papers at numerous local, national, and international conferences on research related to learning disabilities, attention disorders, and autistic spectrum disorders.

Patricia Sullivan, the Director of Herman & Assoicates, has Master's degrees in both education and counseling. She has over 30 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, Vice Principal of a special education school, and Principal of a special education school. 

Dr. Hess is our Clinical Director.  Dr. Hess has much experience in the field of special education and is espeically skilled in work with clients who struggle with depression and anxiety. She has been our Clinical Director and conducting assessments since 2005.

Q: Do you have any specialties?

A: Yes. Our assessment team has developed a specialty in evaluating individuals who have ADHD, learning disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorders. We also have extensive experience working with intellectually gifted individual and have been the assessment team Caltech and many of the local private schools commonly refer to.

Q: Do you offer second and/or expert opinions?

A: Yes. It is a common occurrence that we will review another clinician's testing results and offer a second opinion. These reports can originate from another private psychologist or from a school district.

Q: How much will an assessment cost?

A: Each assessment will vary in cost depending on the goals of the assessment, which are discussed at the initial conference and varies greatly.  The cost for a full assessment averages $5,400.

Q: How much will an Initial Conference cost?

A: The Initial Conference is approximately 45-minutes in length and typically costs $250.

Q: Do I have to sign up for the full comprehensive assessment?

A: No. We have a number of options and will work to find the right option for your needs.

Q: Does my health insurance cover the cost of an assessment?

A: It depends on your coverage. Please ask our doctor at the initial conference.

Q: Do you have payment plans or partial scholarships available?

A: We do not have payment plans available, but we accept VISA, Master Card, Discover and American Express. Partial scholarships are available to clients in financial need.

Q: How much time will the assessment take to complete?

A: The length of time it takes to complete the assessment varies greatly based on a number of factors, but you can expect our comprehensive assessments to take 12-15 hours of testing time, which is usually divided into five or more 3-hour sessions.

Q: How long until I have the final report?

A: You will typically receive the final comprehensive report within three to four weeks following the Final Conference.

Q: Do I have to pull my child out of school?

A: We will only test when attention and concentration skills are optimal. If you want to complete the testing quickly, then it's best to take the first available appointments.

Q: How will the appointments be scheduled?

A: Our Director or Clinical Director will most likely contact you through e-mail to setup the appointments. She will offer appointments based on our openings. Choosing and keeping the first appointments available will ensure that the assessment proceeds in a timely manner.

Q: What if I live outside southern California?

A: Please see our fly in, fly out assessment program.

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