Dr. Krasa specializes in the evaluation of children, adolescents, and college students with learning difficulties, including specific challenges in reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as the often broader troubles associated with problems focusing or sustaining attention, or with behavioral or emotional difficulties. She also evaluates adults who are no longer in school but experience similar difficulties at work or in their daily lives.
What to Expect
Diagnostic evaluations typically take from 3 to 7 hours. For children and adolescents, the evaluation begins with a one-hour parent interview. In addition, completion of questionnaires may be requested of parents and other adults who know the child well. The child will then be seen for a series of short tasks. These are mostly pencil-and-paper activities or answering questions verbally. Some of them are school sorts of tasks--reading, writing, arithmetic--while others are more like games or puzzles. Adolescents may also be asked to complete a questionnaire. The aim is to get a sense of how the child thinks and of what comes easily and what is hard for that child. College students and adults will be interviewed themselves; the rest of the evaluation is similar, however.
Evaluation sessions can be schedule flexibly according to an individual's ability to remain engaged over time or around their other daily obligations.
What's Next
After the completion of the evaluation, Dr. Krasa will draft a report. The report will include your chief concerns and personal history, the results of the in-office evaluation and the questionnaires, a diagnostic impression, and recommendations. Once that is complete, the parents, the parents and adolescent, or the adult individual will come back to the office for about an hour to review the results and recommendations. The report will then be completed and sent to the parents or adult. With the parent's or student's permission, test scores can be sent directly to the school or college as documentation to support academic accommodations or services. Dr. Krasa can also provide referrals to other professionals for follow-up care.
Fee and Insurance
Fee for service is determined by the nature of the clinical question, not by the number of hours. Thus, you will be given the fee information when you arrange for the evaluation. Occasionally, other difficulties are discovered during the course of the evaluation, requiring a change in fee. Those possibilities will be discussed at the outset, as well. Typically, Dr. Krasa requests an initial payment at the first session and then bills for the balance when the report is sent out. If necessary, a payment schedule can be arranged.
Dr. Krasa is not under contact with any insurance carriers. If you wish to have your medical insurance cover the fee, you are encouraged to check whether your plan covers the service and whether a doctor's referral is required before scheduling the evaluation. Dr. Krasa can then provide you with the document you will need to file your own claim.
