Evaluations:
What
do they involve and how much do they cost?
An
evaluation typically involves about five hours, three hours that
need to be scheduled as appointments, and two other hours that involve
an hour for the review of all the records and data, and another
hour for the preparation of a written report.
In
regards to the three scheduled appointments, the first appointment
or Comprehensive Developmental Interview, is an opportunity for
Dr. Tepp to meet with the parents to take a full history and get
a good idea of their perception of the problems, as you see them,
that you want him to address.
In the second appointment, called the SDI or Structured Diagnostic
Interview, Dr. Tepp will meet with your child.
In
the third appointment, called the Feedback, Dr. Tepp will again
meet with the parents. It is in this appointment that he will go
over his findings and recommendations. Typically, children under
age 12 do not attend this appointment.
The
other two hours of work that are part of the evaluation do not involve
face to face work with the patient or their family. The fourth hour
of work occurs before the third evaluation appointment or the feedback,
and is spent reviewing the data that has been collected from interviews
with parents and the child, forms filled out by the parents and
the child, and possibly any prior reports that you have brought
for Dr. Tepp to review.
The
second hour of non-face to face work is typically the day after
the feedback session, and involves a written report, sent to your
child's pediatrician, along with a copy to the parents.
The
cost of the evaluation is variable depending upon the time and office
location you choose, along with your level of behavioral healthcare
insurance coverage.
Do
both parents need to be present for the initial appointment?
While
it is ideal for both parents to be present at the Initial Appointment,
it is not absolutely necessary.
Forms
mailed to you after you have set up your initial evaluation appointments
will give each parent ample opportunity to give their own perspective
on the issues with which you want help.
Do
both parents have to be present for the feedback appointment?
Yes.
Here, Dr. Tepp presents his findings. He will review what he did,
what he found, and what he recommends. It is always best for both
parents, whenever possible, to be present for this feedback appointment.
What
should I tell my child about coming to the appointment for him/her?
Dr.
Tepp recommends that you tell your child one of two things:
- If
there is something that is bothering your child, tell him or her
that you have gone and talked with someone about this issue, and
he believes that he can help you with this problem, and he would
like to speak with you about it.
- If
your child is very hesitant about coming in for an appointment,
or does not express any complaints or concerns about an issue,
you can tell your child that you have talked with someone about
your parenting issues and now the doctor wants to hear your child's
side of the issue.
What
does the written report offer me at the end of the evaluation, and
do I get a copy?
The
report details the findings of the evaluation. Dr. Tepp sends this
report only to your child's primary care physician (likely his pediatrician)
with a copy sent to you. You then can send a copy to anyone else.
No
report is sent out of Dr. Tepp's office without your express written
consent.
The
office policy is to routinely send a copy of the written evaluation
to your pediatrician. This is the way Dr. Tepp practices. He feels
that this is appropriate professional practice because he sees your
child's pediatrician as the "Hub of the Wheel," in your child's
overall health.
Just
as any Pediatric Pulmonologist, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, or
Pediatric Cardiologist would routinely send a report to your pediatrician
after a consultation, Dr. Tepp, as a Pediatric Psychologist, feels
similarly professionally obligated to integrate his care of your
child with your child's primary care physician.
Testing
What
if my child needs some kind of testing?
Sometimes,
you might know that psychological, educational, or other tests will
need to performed, and you can mention that to Dr. Tepp's office
when you call to schedule your appointments. Often, in the course
of the evaluation, together you will decide with Dr. Tepp if any
testing will be needed and if so, what kind of tests need to be
performed. Then, he will have the office schedule those appointments
with you.
Does Dr. Tepp conduct all the testing himself?
No.
While he does complete all the psychological tests, he has educational
specialists, and speech and language pathologists with whom he works,
to conduct these types of tests. Then he integrates the findings
of these professionals within his overall evaluation.
Scheduling
Appointments >> |
