At Conway Psychological Assessment Center, we offer solutions to a wide range of mental health concerns.
We are passionate about finding solutions that work for you and your family. With over 35 years of combined experience, our staff uses comprehensive evaluations and continued research to guide your future treatment plans.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What types of Assessment do you offer?
Psychological Assessment
Sadness, anxiety, lack of focus, irritability, and impulsive behavior may be related to many different causes. A thorough evaluation of current emotional and behavior concerns can provide clarity and options as you search for solutions.
Adult Autism and ADHD Assessments
There are many ideas from various sources of what autism and ADHD are. First, they are separate diagnoses. There are overlapping characteristics (not symptoms per se), such as executive functioning deficits, but they are not one disorder or on the same spectrum. Many people with autism also have ADHD. Few people with ADHD have autism. There is a lot of misinformation about autism and ADHD. For instance, pathological demand avoidance is not a recognized symptom of either disorder; however, people with autism may repeatedly avoid tasks that are outside of their normal routine or there is a sensory component to the tasks they avoid because it is aversive to them. People with ADHD systematically avoid tasks that require sustained attention (such as reading, paying bills, or listening to a podcast). Now, some researchers have been conducting research on whether this avoidance becomes pathological, meaning it interferes with their functioning. https://childmind.org/article/pathological-demand-avoidance-in-kids/
Another word that has been linked to autism is masking; however, that concept is not unique to autism. Masking may disguise emotions considered socially inappropriate within a situational context, such as anger, jealousy, or rage. Individuals may mask in certain social situations, such as job interviews or dates, or around people of different cultures, identities, or ethnicities. Since different social situations require different performances, individuals often switch masks and exhibit different masking behaviors in different contexts. People with depression mask every day. Friends and family may not even know their loved one is depressed because they smile and say everything is fine when it is not). Autistic masking, also referred to as camouflaging, is the conscious or subconscious suppression of autistic behaviors or the compensation of difficulties in social interaction by autistic people with the goal of being perceived as neurotypical. The reason it is important for us to mention these issues is to ensure you understand when you come in for an assessment, we are using research-based methods that assess various aspects of the disorders along with your perception and the perception of people close to you (especially those who observed you as a young child since these disorders are neurodevelopmental, meaning they were present when you were a child rather than developing over time or as an adult).
Dyslexia Assessment
A dyslexia or learning disabilities assessment will help to determine your (or your child's) pattern of strengths and weaknesses cognitively and academically. Recommended interventions will be most beneficial based upon the specific pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Rule out difficulties that can contribute to reading difficulties, such as attention or memory problems. Gain access to accommodations and interventions, including special education and 504 services.
Medical (Bariatric) Assessments
A Bariatric assessment will help determine your (or your child’s) motivations, emotional factors, readiness, and any other challenges that might impact behavior, coping, and adjustment pre- and post-operation.
Can you help me with stress relief?
Our world is constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up. Depression, anxiety, and trauma are common barriers to living a productive and happy life. We will work together to develop a holistic treatment plan to support your specific goals.
What type of assessment is needed for me or my child?
Our clinicians will listen to your needs and struggles and design an assessment that will explain the symptoms that are causing the most distress.
Is everything I tell CPAC confidential?
Therapy is where you can share your deepest, darkest secrets, fears, and vulnerabilities with the expectation that you won’t be judged and what you say won’t be shared. In fact, that’s the point of the whole process. Therapists must abide by a professional code of ethics to protect the confidentiality of information pertaining to their clients. That said, there are some specific situations when a therapist is legally obligated to report something a client says or does during a therapy session. These situations include but are not limited to instances when the client is a danger to self or others, or in the case of abuse of a child or elder.
Are there common symptoms or signs of depression?
Yes. A person with depression may report feeling sad, down, or blue; withdraw from family and friends; have appetite and sleep changes; feelings of guilt; trouble concentrating; and/or thoughts of self-harm. It is important to get help before the symptoms worsen.
Do girls with autism present differently than boys with autism?
There are differences between genders in individuals with high functioning autism. While boys may have restricted interests, like in planets or the Presidents of the United States, girls may have restricted interests in unicorns. Therefore, they may get overlooked since interest in unicorns is more common in girls. A lot of autistic girls are missed because they may share a smile, have a bit better eye contact, or they’re more socially motivated. It can be a more subtle presentation. These girls fight hard to fit in and imitate neurotypical children's behavior, so the social functioning issues may not be identified until the maturity gap is identified. In addition, girls with autism may present with depression and/or anxiety and clinicians may not look deeper to find the social impairment.
How much do assessments or therapy cost?
The cost for either service depends on your payment source. If you have insurance, there is a negotiated rate if we are in-network, so someone with United Healthcare may be charged differently from someone with Blue Cross Blue Shield. The cost also depends on the type of insurance plan you have (deductible-based or co-pay). Before you invest time and money into the process, the office staff can look at your benefits and tell you the cost to you if you choose to schedule an appointment. There are never any surprises. You will know up front before you are scheduled for your first appointment. Then, you have the choice to commit or not. Dyslexia is considered educational testing, so it is often not covered by insurance. Therefore, there may be an out-of-pocket cost for that assessment service.
Resources
Click below to see our full list of mental health resources, including local and national resources.