Testing
               And
Assessment

Dr. Kot utilizes state of the art testing techniques and contemporary assessment strategies to gain a better understanding of the whole individual.

The assessments that Dr. Kot administers serve a variety of purposes.

Some help better understand issues that individuals are facing, allowing for better treatment plans. Others are vital to a student’s quality of learning and education while others are necessary to allow individuals obtain the resources they deserve in the community.

A sharpened pencil like those used for standardized tests

Talk to Dr. Kot about Assessments

Dr. Thomas Kot is currently offering in-person services for psychological testing and assessment in Morristown, NJ.

He is more than happy to explain the assessment process and answer any questions you may have.

Contact Dr. Kot

Learning Disability Assessments

Dr. Kot utilizes state of the art testing techniques and contemporary assessment strategies to gain a better understanding of the whole individual.

By conducting a comprehensive assessment, Dr. Kot can identify an individual's particular strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to his or her cognitive, academic, and personal functioning.

More importantly, he uses this information to formulate remediation strategies for weaknesses and develop techniques to enhance functioning and capitalize on strengths.

The evaluation of Learning Disabilities is one area where Dr. Kot integrates current research in the field with existing laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This approach maximizes an individual's potential to obtain special accommodations that may be needed.

As part of a learning disabilities assessment, he administers the latest versions of intelligence tests, academic achievement tests, behavioral measures, and measures of symptom severity. By determining the levels of functioning in these diverse areas in a systematic and objective manner, Dr. Kot provides a verifiable and contemporary psycho-educational assessment of the individual that integrates recent developments in the field to provide more meaningful interpretation and remediation strategies.

A typical learning disability assessments battery usually takes between 6 to 8 hours of face-to-face administration. It is not unusual to require more than one session to complete the assessment.

Following the actual administration, a comprehensive report is generated that integrates all testing results and provides a diagnosis, as well as recommendations for remediation. The report is then discussed at a feedback session.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Assessments (ADHD)

Dr. Kot is trained in the areas of both Clinical and School Psychology and provides comprehensive assessments for AD/HD in both children and adults.

Utilizing the most contemporary and well-respected instruments in the field coupled with knowledge of current research in the area, Dr. Kot believes he provides some of the most comprehensive and valid assessments of AD/HD in the area.

Given the proliferation of literature in the popular media concerning AD/HD in both children and adults, Dr. Kot understands that the relative dearth of information on this often misunderstood diagnosis can be confusing and even distressing.

There is no one test that can distinguish the presence of AD/HD. In fact, reliance on a limited number or inappropriate types of tests can lead to misdiagnosis. In some instances, the symptoms of AD/HD are in fact better accounted for by other disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or even Learning Disabilities.

The issues of misdiagnosis and stigma cannot be overstated as they determine course of treatment and ultimately an individual's view of themselves.

Dr. Kot believes in a comprehensive, systematic, and objective approach to AD/HD assessment that evaluates the areas that can be impacted most by this disorder.  By attaining convergent validity with state-of-the-art instruments and weighing clinical judgment, Dr. Kot believes he provides a contemporary and verifiable assessment battery to reach an accurate diagnosis.

A typical Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder assessment battery takes between 4 to 6 hours of face-to-face administration. It can usually be completed in one session.

Following the actual administration, a comprehensive report is generated that integrates all testing results and provides a diagnosis, as well as recommendations for remediation. The report is then discussed at a feedback session.

Personality and Emotional Functioning Assessments

Assessment of both personality and emotional functioning is conducted either individually or in conjunction with a comprehensive assessment battery.

Purposes include diagnostic clarification and identification of relative strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Kot is more than happy to explain this process and answer any questions you may have.

Adolescent and Adult Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities

Parents of children with autism spectrum or other neurodevelopmental disorders are faced with unique challenges at all stages of their children’s lives.

While testing and assessment for special accommodations and services are often provided for during a child’s early education, these resources become more limited as the child becomes an adult.

Once an adult, parents often find their children require continued support and cannot rely on a school system or agency once their children have aged-out of programs. Oftentimes, it becomes necessary to secure certain entitlements and services, including social security and disability, from State and Federal programs. Entitlements and services, including housing, are a means of preparation for the future.

In these instances, a comprehensive assessment that details history and provides documentation of specific diagnoses as well as functional impairments is necessary to secure these entitlements and services from State and Federal agencies.

Dr. Kot has worked with individuals and families with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities for over 25 years and conducts these types of assessments in order to help individuals and families obtain services and security for the future.

A typical Autism Spectrum Disorders or Developmental Disabilities assessment battery takes between 6 to 8 hours of face-to-face administration. It is not unusual to require more than one session to complete the assessment.

Following the actual administration, a comprehensive report is generated that integrates all testing results and provides a diagnosis, as well as recommendations for remediation. The report is then discussed at a feedback session.

Intelligence Testing for Giftedness and School Placement

Intelligence testing is an extremely useful and oftentimes important component to understanding an individual’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses and academic potential.

A number of schools and other placements require intelligence testing on a prospective applicant to ensure that they meet some fundamental requirement to compete within their programs. Oftentimes, parents seek intelligence testing when they suspect their child is gifted or to follow-up with testing that was conducted at school, since the typical testing for a gifted and talented track performed at school usually consists of a group administered screening instrument which is in no way as valid and reliable as an individually administered intelligence test.

Lastly, adults also seek intelligence testing not only to evaluate for suspected giftedness but to also have a better understanding of their own cognitive abilities.

Dr. Kot conducts individually administered intelligence testing on children as young as 6 years of age through adulthood. He uses a variety of the most respected and updated, individually-administered intelligence tests available. He administers the tests based on an individual’s needs and provides a detailed written report and a feedback session to discuss the results and answer any questions you may have.

Assessments for Twice-Exceptional (2e) Children and Adults

Twice-exceptional (2e) children and adults, that is, gifted individuals  with co-morbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disabilities (LD), or psychological disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders, present with unique and nuanced challenges for assessment.

For instance, giftedness can often be ignored or mistaken for psychopathology, or, conversely, if they have a genuine disability, individuals with high intelligence are often able to compensate for their disabilities. Unfortunately, both the disability and giftedness go unrecognized resulting in a delay in identification and intervention.

Gifted individuals often display intense temperaments and issues with emotional self-regulation. A less than desirable learning or social environment can deprive an individual of opportunities to develop appropriate social skills as well as adequate executive functioning skills including planning, organization, and self-monitoring.

Conversely, identified problems may be reflective of a disability or indicative of a normal developmental stage. In this regard, they may be experiencing normal reactions to poorly matched learning or social environments that can adversely affect their academic and emotional functioning, now and in the future.

Dr. Kot provides comprehensive assessments for 2e individuals by examining intellectual, academic, and emotional functioning, as well as history. He then integrates his finding into thorough and understandable reports for diagnostic clarification and intervention.

Feel free to contact Dr. Kot with any questions you may have regarding this process and scheduling an appointment.

Special Accommodations for Standardized Testing

Individuals who had received special accommodations throughout primary and secondary education often find they require a continuation of these accommodations when planning to take standardized tests for higher education, including these:

On occasion, even high school students require additional assessment to secure accommodations for these exams:

The educational and testing organizations that develop and administer these tests require substantial documentation in order to procure special accommodations. Typically, this entails a current assessment (within three years) by a licensed qualified professional which not only documents the presence of a given condition but also a demonstrable impairment attributable to the condition.

These assessments include updated measures of cognitive and intellectual ability, memory function, academic achievement, and others, if necessary, depending on the nature of the condition and claimed impairment.

Special accommodations often take the form of addition time, testing in small groups, or frequent breaks which are tailored based on the needs of the patient.

Dr. Kot has conducted these assessments for over 25 years and would be happy to explain what can often be a confusing and frustrating process.

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