Founded in 2022, The Discovery Clinic is a part of the community wellness service array available at Austen Psychological Services. This clinic offers psychological evaluations.
We are not taking new evaluation clients at this time.
This clinic conducts psychological evaluations with a special focus in the areas related to Autism, ADHD, OCD, Dyslexia, and other neurodivergence individuals age 7 to 55 years old.
Evaluations:
are conducted in a neurodivergent-friendly format that is sensitive to sensory needs and energy levels.
consist of a mix of clinical interview, observation, and self-report via standardized surveys.
include fun and play for individuals of all ages.
may include a combination of psychometric cognitive tests, like IQ tests or those commonly used to identify ADHD or understand some brain functions
may inclue interviews with those who know your or your child well.
use up-to-date methodology inclusive of both clinical best practices and preferences of neurodivergent community.
The outcome of the evaluation process is a report centered on your strengths and needs. The report includes a summary of individualized recommendations.
Families/Sibling groups are accepted and encouraged.
Evaluations are meant to provide an overview of strenghts and needs . The infomation gathered from an evaluation can be to support education, accommodations for work or school, diagnostic clarity, or other reasons.
All evaluations are conducted by Dr. Julie Austen:
a licensed psychologist in PA and NC with over 20 years of experience working with children and families.
trained comprehensively in the application of the biopsychosocial model to evaluation practices.
holds a Phd in Health Psychology and Masters/Certificate of Specialization in School Psychology, all from East Carolina University.
identifies as neurodivergent, nerd, and a "yinzer". Learn more here.
At times, one of Dr. Austen's clinical staff or trainees may conduct an element of an evaluation, like an interview or a test. Or, they may be present to take notes so that Dr. Austen may focus on you. You will have the opprortuity to say whether you want to work with Dr. Austen only (which we welcome and encourage) , or if it is ok to include other staff. Thank you for this consideration, which allows us to train new clinicians, when appropriate.
Current Clinical Staff
Trainees Sarah Connor, MA Carlow University, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
Ryan Whitlow, MA Advanced Doctoral Student, Chatham University,Counseling Psychology PSYD program
Clinicians Jordyn Altruaifi, MA Clinical Psychometrist. Jordyn supports the clinic this summer by assisting Dr. Austen with clinical testing and administrative tasks.
In-Person, Virtual, Mobile, or Hybrid Format
Evaluations can be completed entirely in-person or through a hybrid of in-person and video.
All evaluations require at least 1 in-person visit.
Some of the visits can incorporate chat and asynchronous communication when preferred.
Some visits may be conducted at your home or your child's school, when suitable.
Learn more about the evaluation process below.
Location
GPS Address: 901 West St. Pittsburgh, PA 15221
Our office is located in Wilkinsburg, on the east side of Pittsburgh. It's less than five minutes from 376W and just a few steps from several bus stops. The busway is a 10 minute walk. Ample free parking available!
Accessibility
The building is ADA accessible with an elevator and an accessible, gender-neutral, single stall restroom.
Office Space
The space is calm and low stim with low lights, low sound and low scent. The testing area is free of visual clutter. There are many stims and fidgets available
Insurances accepted: BCBS, Highmark, Aetna and UPMC insurances are accepted. Medicaid also accepted. Individuals are reponsible for out-of-pocket costs including deductables and co-pays.
If you prefer to pay for the evaluation without using your insurance, the out of pocket cost is $2000 for a comprehensive evaluation. A $250 deposit will secure your first visit, with 50% due at the testing visit and the final portion due following the final visit.
For those that use insurance, billing occurs after the final visit. Payments may be made via client portal or in person (with credit card, Venmo, CashApp)
In this section is a description of each visit along with what you can do to prepare for each visit and what to expect. This evaluation will include between 1 and 4 visits. Individuals and families will be required to complete surveys and other forms, as necessary.
Initial Screening
A virtual or phone consultation will help us make sure you are in the right place and that Dr. Austen can meet your evaluation needs. Here, we will clarify what you'd like to be evaluated for. Once completed, you may schedule the first visit.
Following, you'll be asked to complete an intake survey and a few groups of surveys. Please aim to complete these ahead of your first visit. You'll have the option to complete web-based forms or to have forms read to you.
For children: Only the parents/caregivers should attend a phone consultation.
Visit 1 - Clinical Interview
Description: This is the first visit of the evaluation. During this visit I will collect additional or clarifying information related to childhood development, educational/work history, medical/mental health history, functional needs and strengths. Depending on the question we hope to answer in the interview, I will also conduct portions of a structured interview that will allow me to gather specific information about the referral question.
For children: Only the parents/caregivers should attend this visit.
What to Expect
This visit will last about 90 minutes to two hours.
The format can be virtual or in-person (entirely your choice and you can change this even at the last minute). We can also arrange a mobile visit where Dr. Austen comes to you (highly dependent on need).
This visit is often emotionally exhausting, as we tend to talk about things many people find emotionally difficult. We will touch on substance use and trauma history in this visit. You are welcome to “pass” any questions that are too uncomfortable.
How to Prepare
Adult Evaluations
If possible, you may wish to connect with those who raised to you ask them questions about what you were like as a child. If this is not possible, it’s ok – we’ll do the best we can with the information that is available. Please don’t feel that you need to be exhaustive in gathering information, if you choose to do it at all.
Some questions that are helpful :
What was my birth history like? Did I need intervention during birth?
Did I meet developmental milestones on time? Did I need or receive intervention, and how did that go? Did anyone express any concerns about me early on?
What was I like as a baby? How did others describe me?
What did I like to play with and who did I like to play with?
How did I do with eating, sleeping, and learning to soothe myself? Did I need more help than other kids seemed to need?
What was my energy like and did I have frequent tantrums, meltdowns, or outbursts? What seemed to help soothe me? What were the triggers?
How did I do in school? What feedback did teachers share about me?
What was I like as a toddler or school-aged child? What was unique about me? Did I have any strengths or needs that stood out to you?
Were there any major stressors that happened when I was a kid – big moves, loss of important people, divorce, financial struggles, fires/storm damages, personal trauma. How did I cope?
Child Evaluations: Parents, please consider the questions above regarding your child. This visit is for parents/caregivers only. You may wish to review home videos, photos, or any educational information you’ve saved. Please bring with you (or upload) any former evaluations or school records that seem like they are relevant.
Visit 2 - Testing Day
We will conduct standardized cognitive testing which often look like "brain games". These tests are standardized and will allow us to better understand how componants of your brain works. We will do this using IPADS, or paper/pencil tasks.
What to Expect
This visit will last between two and four hours. The format is in-person only and can occur in my office or in a space of your preference (must be suitable).
This visit is often mentally exhausting. We will plan for several breaks and you’re welcome to ask for more breaks.
For Child Evaluations: Parents should expect to join the first 20 minutes of this visit. At this time, I’ll obtain assent for participation from the child and we will play a short game that will allow me to build rapport and make some initial observations. Parents are encouraged to stay nearby in the waiting room so that they can be visited during breaks (which children love to do). Children and teens will be interviewed throughout the visit and may need to return for additional interview or testing, as needed.
For Adult Evaluations:: You may bring a support person, but they may need to wait in the waiting room unless they are providing interpretation.
How to Prepare
For Child Evaluations: Ensure your child gets to sleep on time the night before. Make sure they’ve eaten a typical meal and that they have snacks and water ready at the visit. Ensure they have taken their medications and that they have any devices they need (glasses/hearing aids). Help prepare them for the visit by sharing the steps and what to expect with them.
For Adult Evaluations: Please try to get a typical night’s sleep and eat typically (maybe a little extra). Be sure you’ve taken any medication you normally take, and that you bring your glasses/hearing aids. If you use medical cannabis, please abstain from using it the day of testing. Please let others know that you will not be available by phone during the visit (you’ll be asked to turn off any devices that you use).
Additional Testing Day – We may not finish all of the testing that we set out to complete. If we need to complete additional testing, we will schedule that visit when needed.
Visit 3 – Interactive Feedback
During this visit, we will review the data that was collected to identify strengths, needs and opportunities for support, and possible diagnoses.
This visit will last about 60 – 90 minutes
We will talk though recommendations, including potential accommodations, additional testing or referrals, and communicaiton to support or other indvidiuals.
For Child Evaluations: Similar to the first visit, this visit is for parents only unless we have made another arrangement, (for example, some teens like to be included)
For Adult Evaluations:: You may bring a support person who is welcome to join any part of this session. We can work out a plan to include them in whole or for parts of the visit, if you’d like.
Evaluation Completion
Next steps following rhe evaluation and feedback session:
You'll recieve a final electronic copy of the report.
You may request the release of either the full report or a summary of it. Report will be shared with all those for whom you provide consent.
You'll recieve a follow-up email six weeks after the visit to see how you're doing, ensure your needs have been met and to ask you to share your perspective on the process.
You may request a follow up visit to discuss anything related to the report anytime within the next year.
