Dr. Kot utilizes state of the art testing techniques and contemporary assessment strategies to gain a better understanding of the whole individual. By providing a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s estimated intelligence, visual-motor coordination, academic achievement, behavior, and personality, Dr. Kot can identify an individual’s particular strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to his 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. 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 personality assessments. 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 comprehensive assessment battery contains several components:

• Clinical Interview
• Intelligence Testing
• Academic Achievement
• Behavioral Surveys
• Personality Assessment
• Feedback Session

Such a comprehensive battery is necessary for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the comparison of intelligence and achievement is the recognized and essential technique of diagnosing learning disabilities as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the psychiatric compendium used by Child Study Teams for classification and insurance companies for reimbursement. Secondly, the invaluable information provided by clinical interviews of parent and child, behavioral surveys, and personality assessment aid in ruling in or out other disorders that may account for a learning deficits. These may include: Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Dr. Kot’s assessment battery is flexible and may be modified to emphasize assessment of other disorders, such as AD/HD. Dr. Kot has many years of experience assessing for and treating all of these disorders.

Administration of the battery normally proceeds as follows:

• Clinical interview with parent(s) and child
  Parent(s) and child are interviewed both together and separately by the psychologist. The guardian is asked to fill out a structured developmental history and complete behavioral surveys. At this time, behavioral surveys are also given to be filled out by the child’s teacher.
• Intelligence Testing
  The child’s intelligence is estimated using the most current and respected individually administered instruments available. Estimated intelligence is necessary to determine predicted academic achievement and cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
• Academic Achievement
  Dr. Kot uses standardized tests to assess academic achievement. Test selection is dependent on the needs of the child and the standards used by the child’s local Child Study Team. 
• Behavioral Surveys
  Using the most validated and current instruments in the field, a child’s behavior is assessed via rating scales from the very environments where problem behavior occurs: home and school. In this way, convergent observations can be made to determine not only where problem behavior most likely occurs, but how the child is impacted.
• Personality Assessment
  In keeping with best practices in the assessment of personality, Dr. Kot uses both objective and projective measures combined with thorough clinical interviews of both parents and child to gain a telling and plausible description of a child’s personality.

The battery of tests described above usually takes between six to eight hours of face-to-face test administration. 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 with parents or legal guardians at a feedback session.