Evaluation Services
Testing can sound opaque — instruments with acronyms, hours in an office, a report at the end. It shouldn’t. Psychological assessment is simply a structured way of understanding your child — how they think, communicate, learn, and relate — measured carefully enough that the answer can be trusted and acted on.
Every evaluation follows the same arc: a free 15-minute consultation, a thorough developmental-history interview, one day of child-friendly testing, and an unhurried feedback conversation within two weeks — with the full report written in hand. Dr. Capretto has specialty training in early childhood assessment — something few psychologists provide — and evaluates ages 2 through 21. She stays current with disability-services requirements, choosing assessments that both meet your child’s needs and help them access educational and disability services. The services below are a survey of what she offers, not a menu you must choose from: some children need exactly one, and many are best served by a combination. Finding the right fit for your child is what Dr. Capretto is here for.
A Deeper Dive
Child Autism Evaluation
The comprehensive evaluation most families come for. It answers one question thoroughly: does autism explain what you’re seeing — and if not, what does? It pairs the ADOS-2, a structured hour of play and conversation with your child, with an in-depth autism diagnostic interview with you, plus cognitive, developmental, and adaptive measures chosen for their age.
For your child, the day feels like games, puzzles, and talking with someone easy to be with — nothing scary, and no passing or failing. You leave with a clear answer, an unhurried feedback conversation, and a full written report within two weeks that schools, physicians, and insurers act on.
Toddler & Early Childhood Evaluation
The earliest signs of autism or other developmental delays can be subtle — a toddler who doesn’t point, doesn’t turn to their name, or plays differently than other children. Early evaluation uses gold-standard tools built specifically for very young children.
Sessions are shorter, on the floor, and paced entirely by your child — to a two-year-old, the visit looks like playing with a new grown-up who has very interesting toys, and parents stay in the room throughout. Early answers matter most: intervention changes outcomes most powerfully when it starts young.
School Age and Teen Evaluation
Many neurodivergent and autistic teens — girls especially — learn to camouflage: watching, copying, holding it together at school at real cost. By adolescence the question is often not “is something wrong?” but “why is this so hard for a kid this capable?” This evaluation is built for exactly that question.
For a child, the day mostly feels like a conversation — structured, but genuinely respectful of their age — alongside reasoning, academic achievement, and problem-solving tasks. Results come with answers a teenager can own: an honest conversation about what the findings mean for them, alongside the full report and a plan. For late teens and young adults, particular attention goes to planning the transition to adulthood and coordinating the resources it calls for.
Neurodevelopmental Evaluation
Not every question is an autism question. Children with intellectual or cognitive delays, genetic conditions, executive-functioning challenges, or complex early histories often need a broader map: how they learn, where their skills sit relative to peers, and which supports fit their actual needs rather than a label’s assumptions.
Testing draws on cognitive, developmental, adaptive, and executive-functioning measures selected for your child — the same instruments used in academic medical centers — with the scope set together at the consultation. The report translates scores into specifics for home, for school, and for eligibility.
Re-Evaluations
Children grow, and answers need refreshing. A re-evaluation provides an updated picture of your child — documenting progress, addressing new areas of concern, and renewing the findings that schools, physicians, and programs rely on. What was accurate at four may not describe the same child at nine.
Families return for re-evaluation to help their child access therapies and educational supports, to update documentation as requirements change, and — for older teens — to plan the transition to adulthood. The scope is set at intake, and is often narrower than a first evaluation: the history is already known, so testing focuses on what has changed.
Second-Opinion Review
Sometimes a prior evaluation doesn’t sit right: the findings don’t match the child you know, the report raises more questions than it answers, or an important decision rests on results you’re not sure of. The answer is rarely to start testing over. Dr. Capretto begins instead with a careful review of your child’s complete evaluation records.
The review concludes with a 60-minute conference and a written opinion letter — without repeating testing. If the records show that new testing is genuinely warranted, the review fee credits in full toward a comprehensive evaluation, so a second look never costs you twice.
Post-Diagnostic Family Consultation
The weeks after a diagnosis bring a new kind of question — “what now?” This structured three-session program is built for exactly those months: three meetings with Dr. Capretto, spaced across the season after the evaluation, so each next step is taken with guidance rather than guesswork.
Families leave with a written action plan, a school-ready letter, and a curated referral list matched to your child — with email access to Dr. Capretto between sessions for the questions that come up along the way.
Professional Training for Clinicians
Identifying Autism in Clinical Practice is a half-day intensive — 4 contact hours — for masters- and doctoral-level clinicians, school psychologists, psychiatrists, and pediatric providers. It draws on the training Dr. Capretto has delivered for years to physicians, fellows, and medical students: how autism actually presents in clinical settings, and how to recognize the children who are most often missed.
The training is commissioned as a single engagement and hosted at your clinic, agency, or district, with a full participant toolkit included.
Two Ways to Begin
Start with a free consultation
A free 15-minute consultation is the fastest way to get your questions answered and confirm we’re the right fit. Most families start here.
Book aconsultation
Already certain?
If you know an evaluation is what you need, you can request the full intake packet instead. Dr. Capretto reviews completed packets within two business days, and we’ll contact you to schedule your intake appointment directly.If you know an evaluation is what you need, request the full intake packet. Dr. Capretto reviews packets within two business days.
Request the intake packetIf you would prefer to begin with a phone conversation, please call 918.309.5025.