You have watched your child struggle, and you know something is different. The teacher sends another email about focus or reading. Homework turns into a nightly standoff. The grades slide even though your child is trying as hard as they can. If the school has a long evaluation waitlist or the testing came back “does not qualify,” you are left with the same worry and no answers.
ADHD testing, what psychologists call a psychoeducational evaluation, does more than confirm that something is wrong. It explains why school is hard for your child and exactly what will help. At ElevateU Educational Psychology, we have tested and supported Denver-area families since 2015, and we serve Lakewood families from our office a short drive east in Denver. Our fees are published, so you know the cost before you start.
Testing is led by Ashley Vacante, Ed.D., NCSP, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who has spent her career inside schools. That background matters in Lakewood, where parents want more than a label. They want a plan a Jeffco classroom will actually put to work. Your child is never a number here.
Signs It May Be Time to Test Your Child
Most Lakewood parents reach out after weeks or months of watching the same thing repeat. Your child is bright at home but shuts down at school. Reading is a fight, or the words seem to move on the page. Homework that should take twenty minutes takes two hours and ends in tears. The teacher has started using words like focus, behavior, and falling behind, and you cannot tell whether you are looking at ADHD, a learning difference, anxiety, or a child who simply needs more time.
Some families come to us with the opposite worry. Their child is clearly capable, even gifted, yet bored and coasting, and no one at school can explain why the grades do not match the ability. Testing turns that guessing into answers. It tells you what is happening, why it is happening, and what will change it, so you can stop bracing for the next email and start acting on a plan.
What We Test For in Lakewood Children
| ADHD Testing For the child who cannot focus, sit still, or finish what they start. We tell you whether it is ADHD or something else, and what the school should do about it. | Psychoeducational Evaluation A full look at how your child learns, used to identify learning disabilities such as dyslexia and the processing differences behind a reading or math struggle. |
| Cognitive and Gifted Assessment Ability testing for gifted identification and for twice-exceptional children who are both gifted and challenged at the same time. | Social-Emotional Screening A read on anxiety, big feelings, and behavior that is getting in the way of learning, so support targets the real cause. |
| Kindergarten Readiness Clear guidance for families deciding whether their child is ready to start school, based on where the child actually is today. | School Consultation and IEP/504 Support Help understanding the results, knowing what to ask the school for, and walking into the meeting prepared. |
Why Lakewood Families Choose ElevateU
An evaluation is only as good as what the school does with it, and that is where Ashley’s background changes the outcome. As a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, she has sat on the school’s side of the table for IEP and 504 meetings, so she knows the documentation and the exact language a district needs before it will act. A report that reads well to a parent but says nothing a school can use is a report that fails your child.
ElevateU is a small, individualized practice rather than a clinic with a rotating roster. The person who tests your child is the person who writes the report and sits down to explain it to you. We look at the whole child, which means the family, the student, and the school together, because a score on its own rarely tells a Lakewood parent what to do on Monday morning. And because every fee is published, you can decide whether to start without a sales call standing in the way.
Reports Your Child’s Lakewood School Will Actually Use
Lakewood children are served by Jeffco Public Schools, one of the largest districts in Colorado, and every school in it works under the same federal and state rules. A private evaluation helps only when it speaks that language. Because Ashley writes reports in the format schools require, the results do not sit in a drawer. They become the basis for a specific request you can make, and the school can grant.
If your child qualifies for special education services, that request is an IEP. If your child mainly needs accommodations, such as extra time or a quieter room for testing, it is a 504 plan. If your child is gifted, Colorado schools build an Advanced Learning Plan, or ALP, and our testing gives you the body of evidence to support one. Walking into a spring eligibility meeting with an independent report in hand changes the conversation, especially when the district waitlist is long, or the school has already told you your child does not qualify.
What Testing Looks Like
Step 1: Reach Out
Tell us about your child and what you are seeing at home and at school. There is no cost and no obligation to start the conversation.
Step 2: We Talk Through the Full Picture Together
Ashley reviews your child’s background and walks you through what the evaluation involves, which tests fit your concerns, and what to expect on testing day. The sessions are built to feel calm and low-pressure for your child, not like an exam they can fail.
Step 3: You Leave With Answers and a Real Plan
After testing, you receive a detailed report and a school-ready action plan that your family, your child, and your Lakewood school can all use right away.
What an Evaluation Costs
We publish our fees because paying for an evaluation should not come with surprises. The exact cost depends on the tests your child needs, and we tell you which ones those are before any work begins.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Cognitive assessment | About $750 |
| Kindergarten readiness | $1,500 |
| Psychoeducational assessment for a learning disability (dyslexia, ADHD, and similar) | About $2,500 to $4,000 |
| Hourly consultation | $250 per hour |
See the full breakdown on our fees page, or call and we will walk you through what your child’s evaluation would involve.
Serving Lakewood From Our Denver Office
ElevateU works with families across the west metro, including Lakewood and the surrounding Jeffco communities. We see children at our office at 90 Madison Street, Suite 304, Denver, CO 80206, a short drive east from Lakewood, and we keep scheduling flexible so testing fits around your child’s school day.
Call us today at (303) 691-2020 to talk through what you are seeing. Ashley will review your child’s background, explain the evaluation with no pressure and no obligation, and help you take the first step toward a brighter future for your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is This Different From the Free Testing My Child’s School Offers?
School evaluations are built to decide whether your child qualifies for services, and the waitlists can run for months. A private evaluation is more detailed, happens on your timeline, and gives you an independent report you own. If the school declined to test or came back with “does not qualify,” our evaluation gives you the documentation to ask again.
Will My Child’s Lakewood School Accept Your Report for an IEP or 504?
Yes. Ashley has worked inside Denver-metro schools and writes reports in the language and format that Jeffco and other districts need in order to act. The report includes the specific, school-ready recommendations you can bring to an IEP, 504, or ALP meeting.
How Much Does ADHD Testing Cost for Lakewood Families?
A psychoeducational assessment for a learning disability such as ADHD or dyslexia runs about $2,500 to $4,000, depending on the tests your child needs. Cognitive assessments are about $750, and consultations are $250 per hour. Every fee is published on our fees page.
How Do We Get Started?
Call (303) 691-2020 or schedule a consultation. Ashley reviews your child’s background, talks through what you are seeing, and explains the evaluation, with no pressure and no obligation.