Early Childhood Evaluation Services

What is the purpose of an early childhood psychological evaluation? The purpose of the evaluation is to address your family’s concerns, questions and priorities. We will use standardized tests and informal assessments in a play-based way to provide information about your child’s level of functioning, social-emotional needs, and aspects of everyday life. After the evaluation, we will develop recommendations and provide resources based on the assessment findings.

Do I have to separate from my child? In most cases, you will not be asked to separate from you child. You are the expert on your child, and therefore are an important part of this evaluation. We will ask you questions about how your child is at home and other pertinent information. We ask that you stay close to your child, as needed, throughout the evaluation. At times, we may observe the child-caregiver relationship, and this will require a brief separation. If this is needed, we will take the time to explain this process to you and why it is helpful.

How do I get an evaluation for my child? To determine if your child needs an evaluation, a referral from your child’s primary care provider or pediatrician will be needed before we can schedule an appointment. If the child is in the custody of Department of Human Services and social-emotional or behavioral evaluation is warranted by a caseworker, this type of referral is also accepted. Once we receive your referral, we will call you regarding next steps and scheduling.

What areas does an early childhood evaluation measure or address? An evaluation will typically address the following areas, however, this may change based on your child’s needs and the referral concern:

• Cognitive and developmental functioning

• Social and emotional interactions/engagement

• Sensory information and response to sights, sound, touch, and movement

• Review of medical and developmental history

• Adaptive functioning (toileting, eating, self-care, etc.)

Where is the evaluation completed? The early childhood evaluations will occur in the CFD Central Building located at 1234 High Street, Eugene, OR 97401.

Who will be part of this evaluation? A licensed pediatric psychologist, primary caregivers/family members and the child will be part of the evaluation. Due to CFD being a training facility for university students, there may be students observing or participating in the evaluation. This will only occur with your permission, however.

What does an evaluation day look like? The evaluation process begins with a clinical intake appointment that is typically 90 minutes in length. The intake appointment allows us gather your child’s comprehensive developmental history and briefly observe your child. You will be asked questions about your child’s behaviors at home and/or school, and asked to complete one or more questionnaires. This is your chance to share your child’s strengths and areas of concern with someone who understands and specializes in early child development and mental health. Based on your child’s unique history and the information you provide, we will develop an assessment plan. In most cases, the evaluation will start in the morning, and last upwards of 3 hours. Some evaluations take less time, but it should not take more than 3 hours. During this time, your child’s cognitive development and social-emotional functioning will be assessed. Your child will be observed as they interact with the psychologist and with you. During the evaluation, breaks can be taken as needed, as well as toileting and snack breaks. To ensure your child has the chance to do their best, in some cases we may decide to evaluate your child over the course of several days. If this is the case, we will discuss this with you and your family. Once the evaluation is over, you can return back home. Your family feedback meeting to go over results will be scheduled for the following week as a virtual or in-person appointment; whichever you prefer. 

How many people can I bring to the evaluation? As the rooms can be small and we will want ample space for your child to play and roam, we typically advise that children be accompanied by at most 2 adults.  However, if it seems warranted, exceptions can be made.

Do you provide evaluations in languages other than English? Yes, CFD will provide a translator to complete the evaluation in your child’s primary language.

What should I bring to the evaluation?

• Food or snacks

• Diapers, wipes, extra clothes

• Your child’s preferred toys or items of comfort

• Copies of previous evaluations, medical records, early intervention records, etc. How do I prepare for the evaluation beforehand? Make sure your child is well-rested and fed prior to the evaluation, if this is possible. Have your child dressed in comfortable clothes that are easy to play in.

Will I get a copy of the evaluation results? The psychologist will write a report documenting the results of the evaluation. The report will be ready in approximately one month. You will receive a copy of the report in the mail, or you can pick up the report in-person. The final report is also sent to your child’s primary care provider if needed. If you would like others to receive a copy of the report, such as early intervention providers or the school system, then you will sign a release of information form at the time of the evaluation.

What happens after the evaluation? After the evaluation you will be scheduled for a family feedback meeting for the following week. At this meeting, results, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations will be shared to ensure your child’s well-being. This can be virtual or in-person. A month after your family feedback appointment, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled to check in on you and your child, and to answer any questions or concerns you may have. If you find yourself having difficulty accessing the resources or recommendations that were provided to you, you can discuss it with the psychologist at this time.