If your child struggles with emotional or learning disorders, Dr. Alan Tepp can help. A child evaluation with Dr. Tepp typically involves about five hours – three hours that need to be scheduled as appointments, and two other hours that involve an hour for the review of records and data, and another hour for the preparation of a written report.

Dr. Tepp’s first scheduled appointment to assist your child involves a Comprehensive Developmental Interview, and is an opportunity for Dr. Tepp to meet with parents to take a full history and get a good idea of their perception of the problems – as you see them – that you want him to address. In the case of teenagers, it is recommended that your teen attend this session so that he or she can have some time alone with Dr. Tepp towards the end of the hour. In addition, talking with parents in front of the teen helps them to feel that their parents are not talking behind their back.

In the second appointment, called the SDI or Structured Diagnostic Interview, Dr. Tepp will meet with your child.

In the third appointment, called the Feedback, Dr. Tepp will again meet with the parents. It is in this appointment that he will go over his findings and recommendations. Typically, children under age 13 do not attend this appointment.

The other two hours of work that are part of the evaluation do not involve face-to-face work with the patient or their family. The fourth hour of work occurs before the Feedback appointment and is set aside for time spent reviewing the data that has been collected from interviews with parents and the child, forms filled out by the parents and the child, and possibly any prior reports that you have brought for Dr. Tepp to review.

The second hour of non-face to face work is typically the day after the feedback session, and involves a written report, sent to your child’s pediatrician, along with a copy to the parents.

The cost of the evaluation is variable depending upon the time and office location you choose, along with your level of behavioral healthcare insurance coverage. Treatment, when recommended, may involve play therapy with young children, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or attachment based psychotherapy.

Frequently asked questions about child evaluations

• Do both parents need to be present for the initial appointment?
• Do both parents have to be present for the feedback appointment?
• What should I tell my child about coming to the appointment for him/her?
• What does the written report offer me at the end of the evaluation, and do I get a copy?

Do both parents need to be present for the initial appointment?

While it is ideal for both parents to be present at the Initial Appointment, it is not absolutely necessary.

Forms mailed to you after you have set up your initial evaluation appointments will give each parent ample opportunity to give their own perspective on the issues with which you want help.

Do both parents have to be present for the feedback appointment?

Yes. Here, Dr. Tepp presents his findings. He will review what he did, what he found, and what he recommends. It is always best for both parents, whenever possible, to be present for this feedback appointment.

What should I tell my child about coming to the appointment for him/her?

Dr. Tepp recommends that you tell your child one of two things:

1. If there is something that is bothering your child, tell him or her that you have gone and talked with someone about this issue, and he believes that he can help you with this problem, and he would like to speak with you about it.
2. If your child is very hesitant about coming in for an appointment, or does not express any complaints or concerns about an issue, you can tell your child that you have talked with someone about your parenting issues and now the doctor wants to hear your child’s side of the issue.

What does the written report offer me at the end of the evaluation, and do I get a copy?

The report details the findings of the evaluation. Dr. Tepp sends this report only to your child’s primary care physician (likely his pediatrician) with a copy sent to you. You then can send a copy to anyone else.

No report is sent out of Dr. Tepp’s office without your express written consent.

The office policy is to routinely send a copy of the written evaluation to your pediatrician. This is the way Dr. Tepp practices. He feels that this is appropriate professional practice because he sees your child’s pediatrician as the “Hub of the Wheel,” in your child’s overall health.

Just as any Pediatric Pulmonologist, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, or Pediatric Cardiologist would routinely send a report to your pediatrician after a consultation, Dr. Tepp, as a Pediatric Psychologist, feels similarly professionally obligated to integrate his care of your child with your child’s primary care physician.

To learn more or to initiate an evaluation, contact us or call 914-232-1000.