Assessment Services

Having trained at Boston Children's Hospital worked as Chief Psychologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, I primarily conduct assessments for individuals aged 3-22, although occasionally I will see adults up to 50 years old depending upon the reason for referral.

For Schools

Dr. Gale is certified as a Nonpublic Agency with the Calif Dept of Education and have completed IEE (Independent Educational Evaluations) for more then 65 school districts in California and other states. Typical requests are for Functional Behavioral Assessments and Psychoeducational Assessments.

Private Practice

In his practice, Dr. Gale conducts a significantly smaller number of private assessments. The most typical request is for a psychodiagnostic assessment (presence of a learning disability, anxiety disorder, ADHD, Autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.) Sometimes he is called upon to perform evaluations that will result in testimony at Due Process hearings or other administrative or legal proceedings.

How Does the Assessment Process Work?

There are several steps to the assessment process and each situation must be individualized to meet a students' or adults' needs.

What Is the difference between a Psychodiagnostic and Psychoeducational Assessment?

They are very similar. Schools do not diagnose. Rather they find for educational eligibility (13 categories). Clinical psychologists are licensed to independently diagnose and treatment mental health conditions. It really depends upon the purpose and goals of the assessment.

What is a Functional Behavior Assessment?

The purpose of this type of assessment is to gather information about potential interfering behaviors that negatively impact a students' ability to function at school, home, or in the community. It is generally confined to those behaviors that are observable and measurable, although looking a potential adaptive skill deficits is often an important related area. This is often helpful as part of the behavior plan development process using Applied Behavior Analysis techniques.

Rapid Screener® Assessments

Developed by Dr. Gale and BehaviorTech Solutions, Inc, Rapid Screener® is a powerful assessment methodology that uniquely answers important questions using easy-to-understand charts and tables.

Rapid Screener® Answers Important Questions and Allow for Powerful Easy-to-Understand Data Analysis

Which areas are most important to address at both school and home? (Quickly develop team consensus).
Are there problems are reported at school that are not of concern at home? Parents often must reply on their child's version of events, which may not always be fully accurate. By including independently obtained multiple school personnel perspectives, a fuller picture of child functioning may be developed.
How much progress has my child made at school since the beginning of this semester/school year? By using the "Retrospective" version of Rapid Screener® it may be possible to better learn how much progress is being reported by school personnel and parents.

Would you like to learn more about Rapid Screener®? See our video describing this unique and valuable assessment instrument.

Watch a Video Overview

Rapid Screener® is available in both English and Spanish versions. Customized analyses can be performed upon request. To request an assessment using Rapid Screener and/or other survey tools, use the "contact us" form above.