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| Child Assessment & Consultation Services |
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FAQs |
| Why is important to
choose a clinician with experience in working with children adopted either
domestically or from abroad? Children adopted from abroad usually have
histories and experiences that vastly differ from home-reared children.
Such pre-adoptive histories can affect cognition, emotions, and behaviors.
A professional without expertise in working with children with institutional
histories is at a disadvantage in terms of understanding the possible contributions
of early institutional care on current and future functioning. While there is often more preadoptive historical information available for families adopting domestically, many similar issues can arise (e.g., pre or perinatal conditions). Parenting a child that does not share inborn characteristics, such as temperament and personality can make it difficult to understand a child's needs and behaviors. What's the difference between a pediatrician and a psychologist who works with children? A pediatrician is a physician (MD or DO) who successfully completed medical school receiving training to diagnose and treat infant and children's physical or medical conditions. A psychologist has a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) and has received both clinical and scientific/research training. A clinical psychologist has advanced clinical training in diagnosing and treating conditions specific to cognition, behavior, and/or emotions. To work primarily with children, a psychologist needs specialized training experiences with children. Ideally, physicians and psychologists work together collaboratively to help children and their families. For instance, a psychologist can diagnose a condition, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) based on a comprehensive assessment and, if warranted, a physician can prescribe and monitor appropriate medication. In terms of international adoption, pediatricians assess a newly adopted child's medical condition and general developmental status. In some cases, a more in-depth developmental assessment may be warranted and a pediatrician can refer parents to a clinical psychologist who specializes in early childhood development. Are all adopted children in need of an assessment? Children with known risk factors or preadoptive experiences that make it difficult to adapt to a new family are especially in need of an assessment. In particular, those with histories of prolonged institutional care, negligent or abusive care, notably depressed physical growth measurements, or "special needs" designations will need close and consistent monitoring of their medical, developmental, and psychological status. Any child who is not performing up to their potential can benefit from an assessment to assist in identifying problematic areas. How do I know if our family would benefit from my child being assessed? Prior to determining whether an assessment should be done, parent(s) meet with me for an in-depth initial interview regarding their child and family. This initial meeting assists in determining whether identified questions or problem(s) can be appropriately addressed through periodic consultation, behavioral interventions, a modifying a specific milieu, parental guidance or if an assessment is needed. My child is not adopted, would I still be able to have him or her assessed by Dr. Nelson? Absolutely. Dr. Nelson has worked with a wide range of children with varying presenting problems. What about insurance coverage? Insurance coverage for psychological services is a controversial issue. Before deciding whether to have insurance cover any psychological service, parents may want to consider the following: (a) Will this assessment or service be covered?
(b) Do I want my insurance company to know about
the psychological, developmental, cognitive, or socioemotional functioning of
my child? (c) If my insurance company knows the above information what consequences
will that have on future coverage, assessments, and treatments? Does Dr. Nelson accept insurance? Not at this time. Payment plans can be flexible and individualized if needed. |
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