Evaluations
When the problem isn't grades or focus
For children, teens, and young adults across north Atlanta.
Sometimes the presenting problem isn't grades or focus. It's a child who's stopped wanting to go to school. A teen who's withdrawn, irritable, or overwhelmed. Stomachaches every Sunday night. Emotional health and learning are deeply connected: anxiety can look like inattention, depression can look like laziness, and an unidentified learning problem can quietly generate years of anxiety. Testing untangles it.
Signs that bring families in
- Persistent worry, perfectionism, or fear of failure
- School avoidance or refusal
- Sadness, withdrawal, or loss of interest that lingers
- Irritability or anger that seems to come from nowhere
- Physical complaints (headaches, stomachaches) with no medical cause
- A therapist or physician who wants diagnostic clarity to guide treatment
What the evaluation includes
Psychological assessment uses standardized measures of mood, anxiety, and behavior alongside cognitive testing when learning or attention questions are part of the picture. Dr. Marshall looks at the whole child: what's happening emotionally, what's happening academically, and how the two interact. Every Pedia IQ evaluation includes emotional and behavioral screening for exactly this reason.
What you get
Diagnostic clarity that helps therapy and treatment target the right thing, documentation for school supports when emotional health is affecting learning, and a plan. When ongoing counseling is appropriate, Dr. Marshall can coordinate referrals seamlessly.
Questions & Answers
How do I know if it's anxiety or ADHD?
You often can't tell from the outside, because both disrupt focus, memory, and school performance. Testing measures attention and executive functioning directly while also assessing emotional functioning.
My child is already in therapy. Why would we need testing?
Testing and therapy answer different questions. Therapists frequently refer clients to Dr. Marshall when treatment has stalled or when they suspect that an underlying attention, learning, or developmental issue is complicating the picture. Results give the therapist a sharper map.
Can emotional problems qualify my child for help at school?
Yes. Anxiety, depression, and related conditions can qualify a student for a 504 plan or, in some cases, an IEP when they significantly affect school functioning. The report provides the documentation schools need.
Do you take insurance?
Pedia IQ is private pay, and you'll receive a superbill with diagnostic and billing codes to submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Rebecca Marshall has helped families answer the question underneath every referral: what's really going on with my child, and what do we do about it?