What to Expect During the Evaluation Process

Boulder Office

Littleton Office

For Adults Scheduling Their Own Evaluation:

Man sitting at a laptop and smiling

Below is a step-by-step process of what to expect:

Step One (scheduling): Call to schedule an appointment. Contact Us
Our receptionist will briefly gather some information about the patient and the presenting concerns, as well as the patient’s insurance information. You will decide what type of evaluation that you want. Click here to review our Evaluation Models.

Step Two (insurance preauthorization): Our team will contact your insurance company to preauthorize the claim and obtain an estimate of what you will owe out-of-pocket. We will provide you with that information shortly thereafter.

Step Three (create an account): You will create an account through our online portal system Patient Portal where you can communicate with our staff, submit paperwork, complete questionnaires, and view the final report.

Step Four (clinical interview): A few days before your appointment, your doctor will call you to conduct a clinical interview via Zoom or over the phone to gather more comprehensive information, which will allow them to better understand you and what goals you would like to achieve. This call will last approximately 30-60 minutes. If permitted, your doctor would also like to conduct a collateral interview via phone or in-person with a close friend or family member who knows you well. The intention of this call would be to gather their perspective of your strengths and weakness. However you have the right to opt out of your doctor conducting this collateral interview.

Step Five (day of the evaluation): Below are answers to commonly asked questions:

- What to expect on the day of the evaluation?
  Please arrive five to ten minutes early to check in with our receptionist. Your doctor will meet you in the waiting room. Together, you will all go to their office. Your doctor will facilitate introductions, explain the testing process, and make sure you are comfortable in the testing environment.
- What exactly do we DO in testing?
  During testing, you will complete different tasks like reading stories, solving puzzles, drawing pictures, answering trivia questions, filling out questionnaires about your emotions/behaviors, and much more. Many will seem pretty random; however, research shows us that each of these tasks is associated with a different part of the brain. As such, part of our goal is to figure out how your mind works. However, our BIGGEST goal is to determine how you can be the best version of yourself. We do that by figuring out your strengths and weaknesses (we all have them!) so that you can build on your strengths and get the help that you may need in certain areas. With that said, some of the tasks during testing will be easy, and some will be hard. What may be easy for you may be hard for the next person and vice versa. It is important to understand that not a single person will get all the items right. Why? Because it’s not possible! Also, much of the time, your doctor is more interested in how you are getting to your answer than what the answer is. There is no need to be worried or anxious. You will do great!
- How long will testing take?
  Testing takes approximately 3 to 3.5 hours for the basic or standard evaluation or 4.5 to 5 hours for a comprehensive assessment that includes a learning profile assessment. Click here to review our Evaluation Models.
- Should I bring food/drinks?
  Feel free to bring snacks, lunch, and/or something to drink. Complimentary snacks and drinks will also be available to you. If you are a parent yourself and bring your own child, please ensure that you also bring a babysitter, as your child will have to wait in the waiting room.
- Where should I park?
  Littleton Office: We are located at 7720 S. Broadway, Littleton, CO 80122 at the Littleton Adventist Hospital. Please park in the spaces near the Arapahoe Medical Plaza I Medical Office Building, where you will enter. Once inside the building, we are located on the third floor in Suite 300. Boulder Office: We are located at 3000 Center Green Dr., Boulder, CO 80301. Please park in front of the building or under the building. Garage entrances are on both sides of the building and there is an elevator in the garage. If you park out front, the elevator is through the left doors (if you are facing the building). There are also stairs through the right doors (if you are facing the building). Once inside the building, we are located on the second floor in Suite 230.

Step Six (feedback session): On the day of the evaluation, your doctor will schedule an in-person or Zoom feedback session for 2 weeks after testing. Whether conducted in person or via Zoom, the feedback appointment will take approximately one hour. During this appointment, your doctor will ask any remaining questions for the background section of the report, review the testing results, discuss diagnostic considerations, and recommend treatment interventions.

Step Seven (receive your report): Your doctor will upload a copy of the report for review in your portal within 4-6 weeks after your feedback session. Exceptions will only be made in emergencies. In the portal system, you can choose to have a hard copy of the report mailed or faxed to yourself or other providers.

For Caregivers or Parents/Family Members:

Younger woman hugging older woman Below is a step-by-step process of what to expect:

Step Two (insurance preauthorization): Our team will contact the insurance company to preauthorize the claim and obtain an estimate of what will be owed out-of-pocket. We will provide you with that information shortly thereafter.

Step Three (create an account): Create an account through our online portal system Patient Portal where you can communicate with our staff, submit paperwork, complete questionnaires, and view the final report.

Step Four (clinical interview): A few days before the patient’s appointment, the patient’s doctor will call you to conduct a clinical interview via Zoom or over the phone to gather more comprehensive information, allowing them to better understand the patient and what goals your family would like to achieve. This call will last approximately 30-60 minutes.

Step Five (day of the evaluation): Below are answers to commonly asked questions:

- What should we expect on the day of the evaluation?
  Please arrive five to ten minutes early to check in with our receptionist. The patient’s doctor will meet you and the patient in the waiting room. Together, you will all go to their office. The patient’s doctor will facilitate introductions, review the testing process, and make sure the patient is comfortable in the testing environment. Then you will return to the waiting room where you will complete questionnaires regarding the patient’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Once completed, you may stay or leave to run errands until testing is finished.
- Should I stay during the patient’s evaluation?
  That is entirely based on the family and the patient’s level of comfort. Our comfortable office offers a living room-style waiting room complete with a fireplace if you opt to stay. You would have full access to our kitchen and ensuite bathroom. There are many restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops within walking distance if you wish to grab coffee or food, shop, or walk.
- How long will testing take?
  The testing and interview process may take up to 4 hours.
- Should I bring food/drinks?
  Feel free to bring snacks, lunch, and/or something to drink. Complimentary snacks and drinks will also be available to you.
- Can I bring a friend, family member, or other children to stay with me while I wait?
  Absolutely! Our comfortable office offers a living room-style waiting room complete with a fireplace if you opt to stay. You would have full access to our kitchen and ensuite bathroom. There are many restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops within walking distance if you wish to grab coffee or food, shop, or walk.
- Where should I park?
  Littleton Office: We are located at 7720 S. Broadway, Littleton, CO 80122 at the Littleton Adventist Hospital. Please park in the spaces near the Arapahoe Medical Plaza I Medical Office Building, where you will enter. Once inside the building, we are located on the third floor in Suite 300. Boulder Office: We are located at 3000 Center Green Dr., Boulder, CO 80301. Please park in front of the building or under the building. Garage entrances are on both sides of the building and there is an elevator in the garage. If you park out front, the elevator is through the left doors (if you are facing the building). There are also stairs through the right doors (if you are facing the building). Once inside the building, we are located on the second floor in Suite 230.

Step Six (feedback session): On the day of the evaluation, your doctor will schedule an in-person or Zoom feedback session for 2 weeks after testing. Whether conducted in person or via Zoom, the feedback appointment will take approximately one hour. Caregivers and parents/family are strongly encouraged to attend that session, but it is not mandatory. During this appointment, the patient’s doctor will ask any remaining questions for the background section of the report, review the testing results, discuss diagnostic considerations, and recommend treatment interventions.