Psychological Assessment Charlotte

February 2012 is an important month for

this member of the pediatric therapy team

at Child and Family Development:

·         Melinda Bumgardner, Speech-Language Pathologist – 1 year

Melinda joined the team in 2011, but it seems like she’s been part of the team for much longer. While she’s practiced in the Charlotte community for about 13 years, C&FD gives her the ability to collaborate directly with other professionals and be holistic in her approach. She was accustomed to treating along with Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, this has been her first opportunity to work closely with Psychology and Education practitioners. She enjoys using our blog to share information and suggestions with the public. She completed Hanen training a few months ago and is hoping to offer parents groups this year. Melinda stays busy outside of the office too and is teaching a Junior Roller Derby class starting this month. 

You are an important part of our mission- to provide comprehensive, quality and integrated services to children and families.

•Happy New Year•

In 2012, Child and Family Development

will continue to participate in these Insurance plans:

Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy

Aetna

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
Cigna

Med Cost

NC Medicaid
Primary Physician Care

SC Medicaid (OT, PT)

United Healthcare

Behavioral Health (Psychology) Services

Aetna

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
Primary Physician Care

Educational Services

(not filed to insurance)

We will file to other plans on an out-of-network basis.

The front office team is available
to assist in determining network coverage.

Along with many rating scales and other standardized tests, the team of child psychologists at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, NC often uses a continuous performance test as one part of our psycho-educational assessments.

The Brain Train website, www.braintrain.com, provides a detailed description of the IVA+Plus and other tests and protocols. 

The IVA+Plus is a unique combined auditory and visual continuous performance test which provides data in order to to help psychologists and other clinicians better assess the ADHD symptoms of individuals ages 6 through adult. Following the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-IV, IVA+Plus provides data that allows for differentiation between the four sub-types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (formerly called ADD), ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, ADHD Combined Type, and ADHD Not Otherwise Specified.

The IVA+Plus is a useful tool. It provides a wealth of objective data, follows the DSM-IV guidelines for a unique integrated format, identifies both auditory and visual inattention and impulsivity, mixes visual and auditory stimuli, creating a "real-life" task, increasing test sensitivity and power and improves diagnostic accuracy. In a validity study, IVA+Plus correctly identified clinician diagnosed ADHD children 92.3% of the time and accurately assessed treatment and medication effects. Research studies demonstrate excellent test-retest reliability and stability.

Established in 1980, Child and Family Development is a multi-disciplinary pediatric therapy practice with a mission to provide comprehensive, integrated and quality services.  Our team of more than 35 therapists spans Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Education and Psychology. 

Currently, there is a full-time position for an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist available at our Midtown office.

Visit the Careers tab on our website, www.childandfamilydevelopment.com, for more information.

Cogmed Working Memory Training is a home-based program that helps people with attention problems by training and increasing their working memory capacity.

Clinically proven results demonstrate that after training, people improve their ability to concentrate, control impulsive behavior, and better utilize complex reasoning skills. Better academic and professional performance can be achieved.

Working memory is critical for focusing, appropriately shutting out distractions and for complex thinking. Improved working memory capacity generalizes to improved attention and impulse control. 8 out of 10 users who complete training show measurable results. In children, research and clinical data show improved grades following Cogmed training. Parents and teachers report improved social skills, talking initiative, remembering instructions and completing assignments more independently.

Visit www.cogmed.com, for more information about this state-of-the-art intervention. A free parent webinar is available.

To find out if Cogmed Working Memory Training is right for your child, call us at 704-541-9080 to schedule an initial appointment at our South Charlotte office with child psychologist, Dr. Joy Granetz.

With diverse clinical expertise, interests and experiences, the Child and Family Development team of psychologists is ready to provide a wide range of evaluation and treatment services.

MIDTOWN OFFICE

Carol Capehart, MA, LPA, is a licensed psychological associate with

about 20 years of clinical experience. Carol has extensive training and

experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism

spectrum disorders (ASD) and founded our ASD evaluative services in

2006. Prior to that, she spent many years working in public schools with

children of all ages and learning abilities.

Gretchen Hunter, Ph.D., CRC, is a licensed psychologist and Certified

Rehabilitation Counselor with a specialty in neuropsychology. She has

experience providing neuropsychological evaluations to children and

adolescents with neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, learning

disabilities and attention related disorders. She provides individual,

family and group psychotherapy and behavior intervention to children

and adolescents.

Kristina Murphy, Psy.D, HSP-P, is a licensed psychologist who

provides psychotherapy and evaluations to children, adolescents and

young adults. Her specialized focus is adolescents and transitions to

High School and College. Areas of clinical expertise include anxiety,

depression, attention disorders, learning disabilities, life transitions and

adjustment issues.

SOUTH CHARLOTTE OFFICE

Annada Hypes, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in

the treatment of adolescents and young adults. Dr. Hypes specializes in

treating mood and impulse-control disorders, including depression, self harm,

substance abuse, disordered eating and attention disorders. She regularly offers social skills groups for girls. 

Joy Granetz, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with over thirteen years

of experience. She provides neuropsychological and psychoeducational

evaluations with special focus in working with children and adolescents

with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders

and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz is one of a few practitioners in North Carolina

offering Cogmed Working Memory Training, an innovative computer based

training program to help children with attention difficulties.

Chris Vrabel, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in child

evaluation and child and family therapy. He has expertise in the assessment of

autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention disorders, learning disabilities and

other developmental, behavioral and emotional problems. Dr. Vrabel also

provides therapy to children and families with concerns regarding ADHD,

behavior problems, depression, anxiety, social difficulties and other issues.

Read the blog, visit the website, or contact the offices to learn more about our child psychology services.

Lost homework? Messy room and book bag? Cramming the night before a big test? Does this sound familiar?

Most teens can benefit from learning organization skills. Teenagers with ADHD have specific neurological differences that often affect executive functioning, or the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain that “executes” tasks. Executive functioning refers to fundamental brain-based skills of getting organized, planning, staying on task, and inhibiting impulses. Fortunately, parents and teenagers can work together to improve executive functioning.

Regardless of whether your child has ADHD, teaching him or her executive functioning skills can foster independence and success. The first step often involves becoming aware of one’s strengths and weaknesses. The knowledge of one's own cognitive skills is called “metacognition.” Developing metacognitition can actually help improve executive functioning. The primary purpose of identifying strengths and weaknesses is to be able to design and implement interventions to address these weaknesses. A psychologist at Child and Family Development often works with families to formulate such a plan. One book that is often recommended is Smart but Scattered (2009), which has easy-to-read information, charts and tables, and plenty of real-world examples for home and school.

Source: Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson, Ed.D. and Richard Guare, Ph.D. (2009).  

Bipolar disorder is a condition in which people go back and forth between unusual mood changes. Mood swings are a normal part of life. However, the mood swings in Bipolar Disorder are intense. Moods vacillate between mania (very elevated mood) and depression (very sad mood). The feelings are strong and happen along with extreme changes in behavior and energy levels. The "mood swings" can last days to weeks or change within a day.

Bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. It usually starts between ages 15 - 25. The exact cause is unknown, but there is a genetic link. Right now, there is no cure for Bipolar Disorder. However, symptoms can be effectively managed, usually through a combination of medication and therapy. Effective treatment begins with accurate diagnosis. If you think you or a loved one has Bipolar Disorder, talk to your physician or speak with a psychologist.

To find out more about Bipolar Disorder in teens and young adults, visit this link: http://www.halfofus.com/disorder/Bipolar.aspx

This month marks 31 years of service in Charlotte for Child and Family Development.

We are proud of the multi-disciplinary approach that includes Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Psychology and Education services and are pleased to work with so many kids, families and professionals in the community. 

As has been our mission since 1980, our pediatric therapy team will continue to provide comprehensive, integrated and quality services.

The term ‘IQ’ actually stands for Intelligence Quotient, which was coined by William Stern in the 1920’s. There are many different theories on intelligence and how and if it can truly be measured.

IQ tests, currently often referred to as cognitive tests, have their limitations.

One may seek out cognitive testing, or IQ testing, for certain purposes. One reason may be to gain access into a private school or to receive enrichment services. Another reason it to gather information on a child’s  thinking and reasoning skills in conjunction with academic functioning to investigate if a learning disability is present.

If you have questions about testing, you can contact a child psychologist at Child and Family Development to see if testing your child is appropriate.

Does your child resist completing assignments that require handwriting?  Does he find ways to avoid writing activities?  

Handwriting is a complex skill that requires postural stability, fine motor strength and coordination, good visual perceptual skills, motor planning, higher level cognitive skills.  There could be several explanations for this avoidance as there are many skills needed to write.



What skills does my child need to be able to write?

1. Your child must have a strong base of support or core muscles to sit upright at a table to complete writing activities.
2. Your child needs adequate fine motor strength, coordination and grasping skills to write for any length of time
3. Your child must have strong visual perceptual skills to allow for visual memory of formation of letters, visual spatial awareness for spacing and alignment, etc.
4. Your child must demonstrate good motor planning or praxis skills and executive function in order to form an idea, organize his/her thoughts, and put his/her thoughts into writing

How do I know what area my child is struggling with?

One of the first steps you can take is to schedule an occupational therapy evaluation for your child.  An occupational therapist will assess your child, focusing on the skills identified above, to determine what area(s) might be impacting your child's success with writing.

An occupational therapist can then provide you with a list of recommendations to address the areas of difficulty that were identified during the evaluation. If your child does not qualify for occupational therapy services, he may be referred for a psychological/educational evaluation to determine if the he may have difficulty with executive function, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or another learning disability.

What can I do to help my child?

• Don't assume that your child is being disobedient or defiant in not completing his writing assignments
• Encourage and support your child, praising him for the work they have completed
• Help your child break down writing assignments into smaller portions so that they can handle them without becoming overwhelmed
• Provide your child with a way to help him organize their thoughts such as a "word web"
• Allow your child to type out his assignments to eliminate the handwriting portion while trying to put his thoughts into words
• Implement other strategies recommended by an occupational therapist, child psychologist or educational specialist