FAQs: CDL's Clinical Evaluation Services

Following are answers to some common questions about our clinic services.

What can the CDL clinic do for my child?
We provide neurodevelopmental and psychoeducational evaluations of students in order to assess academic skills, cognitive processes important in learning (e.g., attention and memory), and social, emotional and behavioral functioning. We will identify the presence of specific disorders, such as Attention-Deficit Disorders and dyslexia, and provide specific and useable strategies to address these as well as other challenges the student may have.

Who conducts the evaluations?
The evaluations at CDL are conducted by doctoral level licensed psychologists.

How long do the evaluations take?
The time required for Neurodevelopmental and Psychoeducational Evaluations is approximately 8 to 10 hours and often is scheduled over a two-day period. Selective testing such as testing for dyslexia, eligibility for placement in a Gifted Program in the public school system, and testing to determine possible eligibility for extended time when taking college entrance examinations (ACT/SAT) may be completed in one day.

How long does it take to get the results?
Immediate feedback is provided to the parents and student, when age-appropriate, when testing is completed. During this feedback session, evaluation findings are discussed and recommendations are given. The final written report of evaluation findings takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks to complete and is generally 20 to 25 pages in length.

How much do evaluations cost?
Costs vary depending on the evaluation and services needed. Call our office for information on fees.

Do you accept insurance?
No, we do not accept insurance because insurance companies generally do not provide reimbursement for diagnoses of learning disorders and/or testing that is considered to be educational in nature. However, if the student is diagnosed with an Attention-Deficit Disorder, and your insurance policy provides mental health coverage, you may receive some reimbursement for the cost of the evaluation. Upon request, we will provide you with an invoice that you can present to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. This invoice will include diagnostic and procedure codes.

My child was evaluated at school, why should I have him/her evaluated at CDL?
School evaluations are generally conducted for the purpose of determining a child's eligibility for special education services. Often they do not fully identify causes or reasons for poor performance. Additionally, school systems do not diagnosis Attention-Deficit Disorders and parents are not given detailed feedback about their child's performance during testing sessions.

What do we do after testing is completed?
Final reports offer strategies for parents, teachers, and the student to help address difficulties and challenges. For example, teachers may be asked to give children extra time to complete their work or to present information to students in different ways such as giving directions both verbally and in writing. Parents may be given suggestions for getting homework completed or for helping their child remember information when studying for tests. Students may be advised to use certain computer programs designed to increase specific skills or to use specific organizational or memory strategies when studying. Additionally, specific remediation strategies are provided that may be used by other professionals, such as speech/language therapists or reading specialists, who work with the student after the evaluation has been completed.

If after the evaluation, it is determined by the psychologist and parent that a student is in need of special education services, the report of the evaluation findings may be submitted for a Non-Parish Review in the State of Louisiana. Parents residing in other states who have their child evaluated at CDL should contact their school board's special education office for information regarding special education requirements for services.

Do you provide therapy or counseling?
Our primary mission is to provide detailed evaluations and identification of learning profiles. However, at times, our psychologists will provide some coaching and therapy for students and their families after full evaluations have been completed.