Learning and Development

Development Experts

Childhood Development Experts

When you turn to UNC Children’s for a learning and development consultation, you’ll meet with an experienced developmental psychologist dedicated to supporting children and families.

We’ll put your child at ease, so we can get to know him or her and provide an accurate assessment. If medical consultations or other follow up is needed based on your child’s evaluation, you will receive referrals for him or her to be seen by additional specialists that work closely with our learning and development program.

Whatever the outcome, we’ll help you understand the diagnosis—and what it means for your child and your family—while we develop a plan for addressing his or her unique needs.

Evaluations

Conditions We Evaluate

We provide evaluations and consultations for a broad spectrum of conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders, including:

• Autism spectrum disorders
• Attention disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Behavioral and disruptive disorders
• Learning disabilities
• Developmental delays
• Emotional / adjustment problems, including anxiety and depression

Signs Your Child May Benefit From an Evaluation

Your child may benefit from a developmental-behavior evaluation if s/he exhibits any of the following signs:

• Delayed developmental milestones for his or her age
• Poor language or social skills
• Difficulty retaining information
• Extremely active, easily distracted and unable to follow directions
• Difficulty focusing and paying attention
• Impulsive or quick tempered
• Difficulty with slight changes to routine or rituals
• Difficulty reading, writing, spelling or doing math
• Frequent meltdowns when doing schoolwork
• School difficulties
• Problems with organizing, understanding, or remembering
• Difficulty getting along with others
• Academic difficulties or behavior problems while experiencing a condition that affects cognitive functioning, such as a brain injury, cancer, sickle cell disease, genetic abnormality, or seizure disorder

What To Expect

What to Expect at Your Child’s Evaluation

You’ll meet with our pediatric psychologist to discuss your concerns and then complete an individually designed evaluation based on your child’s age, areas of difficulty, and needs. We’ll conclude with a family conference, where we’ll talk about your child’s strengths, as well as areas needing improvement, as we develop a plan to help your child be his or her best self.

You’ll receive a written summary that can be shared with school and community professionals who work with your child. The written information provides documentation typically requested by schools to help determine eligibility for services if applicable.

Initial evaluations are generally scheduled in a two-hour block to allow time for discussing concerns and testing. Most evaluations take two sessions to complete.