Assessment Policies

Health & Safety Guidelines

To help keep our patients and staff safe, please review the following before your visit:

If anyone in your household (including you or your child) has been sick within the past 7 days of the appointment, please call us at 480-659-5563 to reschedule.
Reschedule your appointment if you or a family member has: respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, congestion), a fever, recently returned from a high-risk area (within the past 14 days).
Take the temperature of your child and household members before the appointment. Please reschedule if anyone is feeling unwell.
Temperatures will be checked upon arrival. If anyone shows signs of illness, the appointment will need to be rescheduled.
Our office is cleaned and sanitized throughout the day and professionally cleaned each night.
Please limit attendees to only those essential for the appointment.
Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Presence: If you wish to speak privately with the examiner, please bring another adult to supervise your child.
Children may not be left unattended in the office.

Appointment Preparation

Appointments typically last 2-4 hours
Please ensure your child:

Is in good health
Gets a full night’s rest
Eats a full meal before the appointment (breakfast or lunch). Avoid sugar, caffeine, carbohydrates, and heavily processed foods before the appointment.
Brings a simple snack and water. No adult food or drink other than water is allowed in the assessment rooms. Leave all other drinks at home or in the car.

Appointment Guidelines

Attendance: Only two adults (one being a legal guardian) may accompany the child to the appointment; to maintain the integrity of our testing process. No additional children or adults are allowed under any circumstances, as the presence of other children can disrupt the session and compromise the accuracy of standardized results. Please arrange for any siblings or other children to remain at home. If you arrive with individuals who do not have a scheduled appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.
Child Supervision: If you wish to speak privately with the examiner, please bring another adult to supervise your child. Children may not be left unattended in the office.

Phone Calls

We receive a high volume of phone calls each day. Please leave a detailed message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. We strive to return phone calls within 24 hours. Messages left on Fridays may not be returned until Monday.

IMPORTANT. YOUR APPOINTMENT MAY BE CANCELLED IF:

You or your child are exhibiting any signs of cold or flu such as coughing, runny nose, fever, or other symptoms of illness. Please do not bring anyone into the office that is not 100% healthy. NO EXCEPTIONS. If your child has allergies that cause any of these symptoms, please let us know when you arrive. Children may not be on any cold or cough medication at the time of their assessment. We reserve the right to reschedule appointments for any child that we feel may not be healthy and ready for testing when they arrive. This is in the best interest of both your child and our clinicians so that we gain valid testing results while protecting the health of our staff and their ability to be available for other families.
If you bring siblings or other children into the office that do not have an appointment you may be asked to reschedule. Other children within the testing room interrupts the session and can throw off the validity of our standardized results. It is not allowed under any circumstances. Please arrange for care for any other children so that they may remain at home.
If you have not submitted your current insurance information prior to the appointment. Many insurance carriers require a minimum of 10 days to provide authorization for the appointment.

Two kids boys and little toddler girl playing with family dog in garden. Three children, adorable siblings having fun with dog. Happy family outdoors. Friendship between animal and kids

Paperwork

Intake paperwork: This will be sent to you once you schedule your evaluation. The intake paperwork is required to be completed within 48 hours from booking, otherwise the system will automatically remove your evaluation. If you need additional time or assistance, you will be responsible for contacting the office in a timely manner to address any concerns.
The Quote of Benefits: This will be sent to you via your messaging portal 3-4 weeks prior to your appointment. This document contains the quote for the cost of your appointment and does require a signature of acknowledgement. Please be advised, we have only been provided with a quote of your benefits. The benefits quoted to us are not a guarantee of coverage. It is your responsibility to communicate any insurance changes as soon as possible. We are unable to verify insurance benefits on the day of the appointment, you may be subject to the cash price of the appointment.
Rating Scales: Rating scales will be sent to you via your messaging portal approximately 2 weeks prior to your appointment. Failure to complete rating scales 72 hours prior to your appointment will result in the appointment being cancelled.
Check-in Form: This will be texted to the main number on the patients profile the morning of the appointment. Please have this completed before you arrive to the office.
Previous Records: If your child has had a prior evaluation, please send those records (IEP or MET reports) at least five business days before your appointment. This helps minimize assessment time and ensures a smoother process.
Records can be sent via:
Fax: 480-584-3014
Email: info@depsteam.com
HIPAA compliant secure messaging portal

Consent for Minors

Both biological parent(s)/legal guardian(s) are required to consent to the psychological evaluation. If one of the biological parent(s)/legal guardian(s) does not consent to the evaluation, the appointment will be canceled.
If one parent/legal guardian has sole custody; legal documentation will need to be provided during the intake process.
If the child is adopted or through DCS; legal documentation will need to be provided during the intake process.

Cancellation / Rescheduling

At DEPS, we strive to serve individuals and families as promptly as possible. If you are feeling unwell on the day of your appointment, please contact our office to reschedule. We will do our best to accommodate you at the earliest available time. 
We understand that unexpected circumstances may arise, in order to ensure availability for all our patients, we kindly ask that you notify our office at least 48 hours in advance if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. Please note that a cancellation fee of $50 will be charged for any appointments canceled or rescheduled with less than 48 hours’ notice. This fee is in place to cover the time reserved for your appointment and ensure fair access to our services. 
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please call our office as soon as possible. This allows us to accommodate other families in need of services and provide timely care.
No show appointments will not be rescheduled.

Expectations for Appointment

Attendance: Only two adults (one being a legal guardian) may accompany the child to the appointment. No additional children or adults are allowed under any circumstances, as the presence of other children can disrupt the session and compromise the accuracy of standardized results. Please arrange for any siblings or other children to remain at home. If you arrive with individuals who do not have a scheduled appointment, you may be asked to reschedule.
Duration: Plan to be in the evaluation room for 2 – 3 hours.
Results: You will be given all results and any accompanying diagnoses verbally, following completion of testing. A written report that provides a full summary of the evaluation will be sent to you through our HIPAA compliant portal 3 weeks from the date of the appointment. This report is provided in a virtual format so it can be easily shared with your child’s care team.
HIPAA compliant secure messaging portal
Reports are completed in the order that children are seen, please refrain from calling the office to request your report earlier. We take time to carefully prepare detailed reports to ensure your child is able to access any necessary support services. You will be provided with written resources that are appropriate for your child on the day of their appointment.
Monitoring: Closed-circuit cameras are in every assessment room so that your supervising psychologist can observe the assessment.

Cute little girl play doctor game with toy hedgehog

Assessments for Children Under the Age of 4

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will remain with their child for the duration of the evaluation. If you wish to speak privately with the examiner, please bring another adult to supervise your child.
Children may not be left unattended in the office.
We will be completing standardized testing that is play-based and developmentally appropriate for your child. The children typically enjoy their time in the assessment room. Your clinician will provide any additional instructions for testing at the time of your appointment.

Assessments for children between the ages of 4-5 years old

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will remain with their child for the duration of the evaluation. If you wish to speak privately with the examiner, please bring another adult to supervise your child.
Children may not be left unattended in the office.
After entering the evaluation room and reviewing intake information with the evaluator, you will have the opportunity to discuss your primary concerns regarding your child’s development and daily functioning. Topics may include your child’s daily routine, sleep patterns, feeding, toileting, social interactions, and other relevant areas of development.
During the evaluation, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be asked to complete rating and behavior scales. Your evaluator will provide specific instructions. These tools help us gain insight into your child’s functioning at home and in everyday settings.

Assessments for Children 6 Years and Older

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) will remain in the waiting room while the child is being assessed. While in the waiting room, please refrain from making private telephone calls as there are offices and assessment rooms on both sides.
If you wish to speak privately with the examiner, please bring another adult to supervise your child. Children may not be left unattended in the office.
Upon arrival, a private intake interview with the parent(s)/guardian(s) will be conducted. Whenever possible, we ask that this portion be completed without the child present to allow for open and focused discussion.
During the evaluation, parent(s)/guardian(s) will be asked to complete rating and behavior scales. Your evaluator will provide specific instructions. These tools help us gain insight into your child’s functioning at home and in everyday settings.