Our Services
About the Initial Appointment
Most patients begin with an initial 50-minute intake with Dr. Pontillo in order to discuss openly your concerns about your child. This is your opportunity to share your concerns, ask questions, and provide any collateral information you feel would help Dr. Pontillo get to know your child better (e.g. academic records, report cards, IEP/504 plans, previous evaluations, or medical records). Parents are welcome to bring their child with them to the appointment if they wish, but this is not required. By the end of the session, a tentative plan is made between clinician and parent/guardian as to the next steps to take to best meet the needs of the child and family. Those who prefer may elect to have a screening in place of their initial appointment. Schedule an initial appointment.About Screenings
If you prefer, a screening can be set up in place of an initial intake appointment. Screenings are 50-minute appointments with you and your child that allows Dr. Pontillo to briefly screen for developmental, social, emotional, or behavioral concerns. Screenings are preferable to parent-only initial appointments when you are seeking Dr. Pontillo's impressions based on observations or interactions with your child. A screening does not allow sufficient opportunity for diagnostic conclusions to be made. Nonetheless, a screening can provide information on areas of strength and weakness, and culminates in concrete and specific recommendations on how to ameliorate any concerns/difficulties. In addition, screenings can determine whether or not further evaluation or intervention is warranted. Schedule a screening.About Evaluations
No two evaluations are alike. Rather than imposing a 'template' of a specific number of tests and/or hours to answer a particular diagnostic question or concern, formal evaluations are tailored individually to suit the needs of each child. As time and money are very valuable resources, Dr. Pontillo aims to be comprehensive, while at the same time eliminating extraneous tests and/or batteries that would not prove useful in diagnostic clarity. At the conclusion of the initial appointment, if Dr. Pontillo and you feel that proceeding with formal testing is the best course of action, options as it pertains to the testing will be discussed.The nature and content of the evaluation itself will vary based on the question/concern and age of the child. Evaluations may include some or all of the following components:
• Interviews with parents, teachers, and/or other treating health professionals.
• Standardized tests designed to assess developmental/cognitive or academic skills.
• Standardized questionnaire measures completed by parents/caregivers and/or educator(s).
• Behavioral observations of the child within the office, in his/her classroom, or at the home.
• A prepared written report detailing the evaluation results and specific recommendations.
• A parent-only feedback session in order to go over the results and recommendations.
Action Plans: Regardless of the type of evaluation conducted, all assessments (from the very brief to the most comprehensive) culminate in an action plan. This is a set of very concrete and specific recommendations on how to maximize your child's developmental potential. Dr. Pontillo's action plans are individually tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each child and may include: strategies for use at home or at school, recommendations for therapy/counseling, referrals to other disciplines, or a list of individualized goals to measure your child's progress.