Child & Family Psychological Associates
(CFPA LLC)
Akron Area Office
822 Portage Trail
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
330-923-9344
To schedule an ADHD Evaluation- email
ADHD Evaluations: Information and Frequently Asked Questions
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Below is a brief overview of our ADHD assessment services. After reviewing this information, if you have additional questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us using the ADHD Evaluations email link above.
We provide comprehensive ADHD assessments for children and adults, beginning at age 7.
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FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
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How do I schedule? Click on the email link above. In the message, please tell us the name and age of the person you would like to have assessed.
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Who conducts the evaluations? Dr. Geoffrey Putt. Dr. Putt is a Board-Certified Psychologist. In addition to conducting ADHD testing at Child & Family Psychologists since 2003, he also ran ADHD Clinics at a local hospital for 11 years and at a Community Mental Health Center for 9 years before that.
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How many appointments is the assessment? Appointment length varies based on the areas of concern identified. However, the standard assessment is 4 appointments (which includes the intake and feedback appointments).
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How much does it cost? The total charge billed to your insurance will be $850. Each additional session beyond that is billed at $270 per session. The necessity of additional appointments will be discussed with you before they are scheduled. The specific amount that you will have to pay will depend on your specific insurance plan, deductible and out-of-pocket max. You will be charged after the EOB is received for each appointment.
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Where is testing conducted? Child & Family Psychological Associates, 822 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, OH. This is located in Summit County, one mile from the Portage Trail exit on Route 8.
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Can any of it be done via telehealth? Under certain circumstances, the intake and feedback appointments can be done via telehealth. The testing appointments must be completed face-to-face.
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I sent an email to the address above. Is there anything else I need to do? Contact your insurance company before the first appointment to make sure Dr. Geoffrey Putt is a provider on your insurance panel and to determine if a prior authorization for testing
is required. Dr. Putt is paneled at other locations; however, for this assessment, it is necessary that he is on your insurance panel for this location. The location is Child & Family Psychological Associates (CFPA LLC) at 822 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221.
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If your insurance company requests this information, Dr. Putt will use the diagnosis code F90.0 and the following psychological testing billing codes: 96130, 96131, 96132, and 96133. While many insurance plans do not require prior authorization for testing, some do. Please contact your insurance provider to confirm whether these services are covered and whether prior authorization is required.
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If your insurance company needs a form completed, notify our office and we will submit it on your behalf. Please be aware that failure to obtain prior authorization when required will result in denial of insurance payment and will make you responsible for all charges associated with the assessment.
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Once you have confirmed whether prior authorization is needed, please inform our office. This information is required before the first session can be scheduled.
If you need assistance with any part of the prior authorization process, our office is happy to help guide you. We can clarify what your insurance company is requesting, provide any necessary documentation, and submit required forms on your behalf.
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What insurance do you take? We do contract with most insurance plans.
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What if insurance doesn’t pay? There are times insurance does not pay (e.g. if the deductible is not met). The final financial responsibility for all charges will rest with you. As such, you will be asked to complete a financial authorization and acknowledgement of payment form during the intake session. You will need to provide a credit card to complete this process. Most major credit cards and most HAS and FSA cards are accepted for this.
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When are appointments? Available appointment slots vary, but generally include Monday mornings, Tuesday afternoons/evenings, and some Wednesday evenings.
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How long is the wait to get in? This varies based on the volume of referrals. The wait can be as short as two weeks or as long as 2-3 months.
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Will I get a report when it is done? Yes, a summary report will be provided at the feedback appointment.
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Do you prescribe medication? No, we do not currently have anyone on staff who prescribes medication.
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Informational Slides from the World's Foremost Authority on ADHD
(Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
In April of 2008 Dr. Russell Barkley, the world's foremost authority on ADHD, was brought to Northeast Ohio by Dr. Putt and his colleagues to speak on topics related to the diagnosis. As part of that visit, Dr. Barkley conducted a day-long professional workshop for area physicians, psychologists, school professionals, and mental health practitioners. Below are the actual slides from that presentation. We would again like to sincerely thank Dr. Barkley for graciously agreeing to allow these slides to be posted free of charge for parents and professionals to view.
Please keep in mind that these slides were designed for professionals. Please feel free to contact our staff if you desire further information, services, or clarification. Any views, conclusions, and data presented in the slides are the intellectual property of Dr. Russell Barkley and may not be reproduced or professionally distributed without his expressed written permission.
Diagnosis & Etiology
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This presentation focuses on the background of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Diagnostic criteria are reviewed as well as information about different subtypes, genetic advances, neuroimaging and more.
To view this presentation, click on the link below
Theory of ADHD
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This presentation presents a thorough understanding of one theory of ADHD. It explains Executive Functioning and how it is involved with this diagnosis. It also addressed inhibition. The presentation discusses how these factors effect functioning.
To view this presentation, click on the link below
ADHD Over the Lifespan and Treatment Impact
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This presentation talks about ADHD and how it affects functioning. It focuses on how ADHD individuals are different from "controls" and what the disorder looks like over time in terms of educational functioning, employment, job functioning, and a host of other areas. It also discusses studies of these and other variables over time.
To view this presentation, click on the link below
ADHD Life Course and TX Impact
ADHD Home and School Management
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Practical, research-based suggestions are offered on how to manage ADHD both at home and at school.
To view this presentation, click on the link below
ADHD Home and School Management
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Useful Rating Scales
Vanderbilt Rating Scale- Parent
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This rating scale is both offered and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ). It is a fairly basic rating scale but does a nice job of covering the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and some conduct problems. This is a good document to print out and bring with you to your next pediatrician's appointment (if you suspect a behavior problem) or to your first psychological testing appointment. If there is more than one adult who is familiar with the child's behavior, it is generally recommended that they each fill out a form (e.g., each parent, a grandparent who provides a great deal of childcare, etc.). We use much more sophisticated rating scales in our assessments, but this tool is an extremely useful "first step" in the assessment process.
Vanderbilt Rating Scale- Parent
Vanderbilt Rating Scale- Teacher
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This rating scale is also a product of both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ). It is a fairly basic rating scale but does a nice job of covering the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and some conduct problems. This is a good document to give to each of your child's primary teachers. That is, their math and English teachers (if older). The more teachers who fill out the form (one per teacher), the better since children often behave differently in different settings.
Vanderbilt Rating Scale- Teacher
Additional Resources
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Does My Child Have ADHD?
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This form, also from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) gives you a format to organize your thoughts and questions related to whether or not your child has ADHD. After reading/completing this form and completing the above rating scales, you should have enough information to determine if a more thorough evaluation is needed or not.
Daily Report Card
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One really useful tool for determining what is going on with your child, is a Daily Report Card. This document is designed to efficiently and effectively gather information. It explains what a daily report card is, helps come up with goals, gives sample forms, helps with the trouble shooting process, suggests rewards, and even gives samples. This may be a fairly long document (6 pages), but it does a really nice job of giving you all of the tools that you need to establish this extremely useful tool.
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Working With Your Child's School
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Here are some things to think about that might help when trying to work with your child's school.
ADHD and Sleep
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Sleep is often a problem for children with ADHD. This form offers some initial/basic tips to consider if your child is having sleep problems. If your child is taking a stimulant medication, consider changing the time that the medication is taken. Discuss this with your prescribing physician. There are often fairly straightforward changes that can be made if medication, poor bedtime routine, or certain habits are the cause of the sleep problems.
Some Things To Think About
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ADHD is "a disorder of rule-outs". That means that other things that look like ADHD must be ruled-out first before the diagnosis can be accurately made. The list of things that "look like" ADHD is enormous (e.g., Learning Disabilities, MR, giftedness, depression, lead poisoning, etc.). If efforts are not made to rule-out these common "look alikes", then it is impossible to have any confidence in the diagnosis.
Many professionals can make the diagnosis of ADHD, that does not mean they should. The person making the diagnosis should have gathered data before making a diagnosis. Good quality data and some experience go a long way when assessing for ADHD.
A child cannot be accurately diagnosed by sitting in an office and observing their behavior, attention, or level of activity for a few minutes. In fact, the research shows that the child's behavior in the office is basically irrelevant and not even an accurate predictor of diagnosis. This is because it is a new/novel situation, the person they are meeting with is an authority figure (in a white coat, or Dr. So-and-So), the situation is one-on-one, etc. Diagnoses should only be made after a thorough evaluation.
What is a thorough evaluation? In a nutshell, a thorough evaluation gathers information from many different people (multiple informants), from a variety of settings (across domains), and rules-out other things that look-like ADHD (comorbidities or alternate diagnoses).
There is a ton of research out there on everything from ADHD and driving, what treatments are the most effective, if stimulant medications are addictive, if red dyes cause ADHD, what classroom accommodations are helpful, if television watching causes ADHD, etc. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Knowledge is power. Be an advocate for your child and learn as much as you can about how to assess for ADHD, how to treat ADHD, and anything else that might help along the way.
ADHD & Adults
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ADHD diagnosis in adults is very different than with children. The criteria is different, the tools are different, the impairments are different, etc. If you are an adult and suspect you might have ADHD, be sure to see someone who understands how to establish "a paper trail of impairment" and what the criteria are for adults. One size does not fit all when it comes to ADHD assessment.
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To schedule an ADHD Evaluation- email
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