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University Counseling Center

Psychological Assessment Services

Formal diagnostic assessment of concerns affecting cognition and academic performance, as identified by UCC providers or other campus partners, is available at The University Counseling Center (UCC) for students who have at least one semester of enrollment at VU remaining. These include but are not limited to assessments for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disorder.

What to expect from UCC Assessment Services:

UCC clinicians diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, autism, and learning disorder) using evidence-based protocols and following DSM5 criteria. Having symptoms or traits of these disorders does not necessarily mean that the person’s presentation will meet the diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis. While a diagnosis is not required for a person to identify as neurodivergent, a formal diagnosis is needed to access certain treatments (e.g., stimulant medication) and accommodations.

What kind of information is collected?

For adults, a proper ADHD or autism diagnosis typically requires several steps: an interview with the individual, symptom rating scales (of ADHD or autism and other conditions) completed by the individual and by an informant (peer, partner, or friend as well as parent/guardian) who is familiar with the individual’s current and/or childhood behavior and symptom presentation. In some cases, review of early school records and/or conversations with other people in the individual’s life will be needed.

Is there any alternative to these requirements?

There are no shortcuts. Making a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis in individuals who are no longer children is not simple. It is critical for evaluators to understand how pervasive, consistent, and impairing the symptoms have been throughout the person’s life, as these are the fundamental determinants of whether an ADHD and/or autism diagnosis is appropriate. An accurate diagnosis requires careful consideration of the many causes of a person’s current symptom presentation, which may be a complex and time-intensive process. The use of informants, including someone who knew the student well in childhood, is critical for an evidence-based evaluation. Under some circumstances, school records may suffice in place of a parent-provided (or guardian) developmental history, but this cannot be determined until those records have been reviewed.

Will I be able get academic accommodations?

While the documentation from UCC diagnostic evaluations is sufficient for requesting accommodations at Vanderbilt, UCC documentation may or may not be sufficient to secure accommodations on standardized testing outside Vanderbilt (e.g., GRE, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT or state/national licensing examinations). Because outside agencies often require a test battery that is significantly more comprehensive than is required for diagnosis, the UCC is unable to provide this level of evaluation and documentation.

How do I get a referral for an assessment at the UCC?

For students with an established UCC provider, please discuss a referral with your provider. If you would prefer to work with a community provider who does psychological assessments and is familiar with UCC documentation requirements, please contact Student Care Coordination for assistance with a referral. Students may self-refer for assessment services or may be referred by a UCC or other Student Care Network provider. Students who wish to self-refer must first contact Student Care Coordination (SCC) to facilitate the referral.

What are the steps in the evaluation process?

Diagnostic evaluation for conditions including ADHD, autism, learning disorder, and other psychiatric conditions that are affecting academic performance involve completion of the following steps:

  1. The student has attended a 30-minute Assessment Intake appointment with the UCC Case Manager to review the presenting concerns and identify one or more informants from whom additional data will be collected, including developmental history from a parent or other adult who is at least five years older than the student and has known the student since childhood.
  2. All self-report and informant-report rating scales have been completed and returned.
  3. The student has attended a 1-hour Assessment Consultation appointment with a psychologist or other member of the UCC Assessment Team to assess current concerns, review results of screening measures, and discuss recommendations for addressing the referral concern.
  4. Further formal testing may or may not be indicated based on the outcome of the Consultation appointment. It is also possible that the student may be recommended to begin intervention before further testing is considered. These interventions may include but are not limited to academic/wellbeing coaching or engagement in mental health treatment (i.e., counseling and/or medication management of symptoms). Recommendations will vary by student and presenting concerns.
  5. If intervention is recommended, the student will engage in the recommended intervention for a specified period. Providers of those intervention services may be asked to consult with the Assessment Team during or at the conclusion of the recommended course of treatment.
  6. Further formal diagnostic evaluation may be indicated once the above steps have been completed.

The Student Care Network recognizes that the process outlined above involves considerable time and effort on the part of the student. The intention is to connect students to appropriate intervention services as early in the assessment process as possible. Sound clinical decision-making regarding referral for formal testing is necessary to ensure that assessment services are provided equitably.

Are there other supports available to address ADHD/Executive Functioning concerns?

The UCC offers a weekly group workshop series and individual psychotherapy to address issues related to executive functioning, learning, and attention problems as well as ongoing medication management of  ADHD for students with a diagnosis confirmed by previous psychological evaluation report. Please follow this link to UCC medication management services for additional information about required documentation of previous ADHD diagnosis.

 

This page was last updated June 2024