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The Assessment CenterWhat is the Assessment Center? The Assessment Center provides testing and assessment services for individuals, attorneys, schools, and state boards. "Assessment" means taking into consideration all the information about an individual including: individual and family sessions, doctor's reports, or community relationships and records. "Psychological testing" is a more formal process where scientific tests are given in certain environments. The Assessment Center provides both assessment and testing to gain a complete picture of what the individual is experiencing. What makes us different? Environmental Testing: We test in a way that will mirror how the client will function during the exam they are going to take. Click here to read more about our testing process (link to on track learning page). Public vs. Personal: We handle all the public correspondence to school boards, doctors, and other necessary entities. In addition, we provide a personal learning plan for the individual that incorporates all the information we have gathered. Experienced Staff: Our staff is certified by Dr. Greene in the On-Track Learning assessment method. They are consistently exposed to updates in continuing education. More importantly, they are friendly and will answer any questions about your assessment program. Here are some examples of what we have done for various clients. The names and details have been changed to protect their identities. Advocacy: 1) College Admissions: Jerry, a 17-year old senior, attended a prestigious L.A. high school. He was unable to enter UC Berkeley due to his grade point average and low SAT scores. Although he was a creative and intelligent young man, his academic record did not accurately reflect his strengths enough to gain admission to UC Berkeley. After significant family and client interviews and medication consultation with his physician, we composed a letter directed to the Dean of Student Affairs. Jerry increased his SAT score and wrote an essay about being disabled. All of this information granted him admission into UC Berkeley. 2) Special Needs Child/Family: A mother and father were having trouble with their 12-year-old son, John, who was acting out in school. After extensive family interviews, it became evident that John had significant emotional reactions to his unique cognitive style. Our assessment included cognitive testing and consultation with a speech pathologist. The presentation of this information guided the family toward placing their son in a school ideally suited for special needs children where his intelligence was more clearly demonstrated and his emotional symptoms subsided. John's school district did not see the need for special accommodations. The presentation of the information to an I.E.P. as well as a due process hearing with Dr. Greene as an expert witness was necessary in order to have the school pay for the private placement. 3) Special Needs Child/Family: A family came to see us with 8-year-old twins, Sarah and Julie. Sarah had cerebral palsy syndrome and Julie had autistic spectrum disorder. The children were having trouble emotionally and the parents did not know what to do. Through family interviews, testing, referrals, and education, we were able to provide them with the help they needed. Through documentation and an expert witness appearance by Dr. Greene in court, the children they were granted special accommodations from the twins' school district. Forensic: 1) Immigration: The Garcia family was sent to us by their immigration lawyers to assist them in documenting and presenting to the court the "extreme and unusual hardship" of their family's experience. We had an all day interview with the family, which included two children and a mother and father. Our assessment of the children demonstrated that both of them had significant learning disabilities. This information was documented along with data about the family's involvement in the community. We took this information and presented it to the children's school, which allowed an IEP to be developed, and also to the court. It was proven that the children not being allowed to stay in the United States and be treated for their learning disabilities would result in "extreme and unusual hardship". 2) Immigration: The Hu family needed documentation to delineate why the mother could not learn English well enough to receive a green card. The mother was interviewed extensively and the results demonstrated that she had suffered from two near drownings in her youth. The tests administered demonstrated clear neuro-cognitive deficiencies that would not allow her to learn the basics of English or any other language. Her language process had become arrested at the third grade level which is when the trauma had occurred. The documentation and presentation of this information to the immigration board provided exemption. 3) Personal Injury: Mrs. Wilson, a 60-year-old woman, suffered from emotional trauma from a car accident. She had been treated for advanced lung cancer previous to the accident. After administering tests, visiting her home, and interviewing her family, we arrived at a complete picture of her pre and post-injury life. The delineation of her anxiety and re-activity generalized from the pre-existing cancer allowed her council to accurately quantify emotional damages from the motor vehicle accident. 4) Complex Head Injury: Mr. Simms suffered a car accident with significant head injuries. He was confused, overwhelmed and in much physical pain. Although there was extensive medical and neuropsychological documentation, the key point was our video-taped interview of fifteen individuals in his prayer group, family, and friends that demonstrated how he was before and after the accident. The combination of the clinical and testing evidence from the clinical interviews and symptom histories that his friends were able to give provided a complete picture for his council and in court.
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