You’ve sensed something is different. ElevateU helps you understand what’s actually going on — with doctoral-level educational assessments individualized to your child’s academic and social-emotional needs.
We work with gifted, twice-exceptional, and complex learners across Denver Metro — and we don’t stop at the report. We build a team around your child and walk with your family through every step.
Tired of Waiting for Answers While Your Child Falls Further Behind?
You’ve felt it for a while. Something isn’t clicking — at school, socially, or both. Navigating the academic and social-emotional needs of your child can be overwhelming, stressful, and lonely. Finding the right child assessment in Denver shouldn’t add to that weight.
Here’s what families tell us before they find ElevateU:
- “The school keeps saying he’s fine — but we know something is different.” — Ashley has worked directly inside Denver Metro public and private schools. She knows exactly what gets missed in those systems, and why — and she builds assessments that surface what a generalist evaluation would overlook.
- “We waited months just to get a callback.” — You shouldn’t have to chase someone down to get answers about your child. We respond, we communicate, and we treat your timeline like it matters.
- “They handed us a 40-page report and walked us out the door.” — A report no one can act on isn’t an answer — it’s a paperweight. Every ElevateU assessment comes with findings your family and school can actually use.
- “I just want to understand what’s going on with my child” — not be passed around between generalists.” Ashley Vacante Ed.D., NCSP, specializes specifically in gifted, twice-exceptional, and complex learners. You get a specialist from day one — individualized to your child, not a cookie-cutter process.
Getting Started Is Simple
Step 1: Reach out — it takes just a few minutes. Call us at (303) 691-2020 or fill out our contact form and share a little about what’s going on with your child.
Step 2: We talk through your child’s needs together. We’ll have a real conversation — not an intake interrogation — to understand your child’s history, your concerns, and what kind of educational assessment makes sense. No pressure. No obligation.
Step 3: You leave with a step-by-step plan your whole team can follow. After the assessment, we walk you through the findings in plain language, give you a report built for real-world action, and make sure your family, your child’s school, and any support providers know exactly what to do next.
Assessments Individualized to Your Child’s Academic and Social Emotional Needs
Gifted and Talented Identification
Some children think differently, learn faster, or feel more deeply than their current environment can support. This assessment identifies whether your child meets criteria for gifted and talented classification and, in Colorado, informs the development of an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). You leave with a clear picture of your child’s cognitive strengths and a plan to make sure their school environment actually matches their needs.
Twice-Exceptional (2e) Identification
Twice-exceptional learners are both gifted and navigating a learning difference — and they are routinely missed by schools that only look for one or the other. This assessment is designed specifically for children whose giftedness may be masking a challenge, or whose challenge may be masking their gifts. You leave with a complete picture of how your child learns and a team-based plan that addresses both sides of who they are.
Learning Disability and Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) Identification
This assessment identifies Specific Learning Disorders in Reading (Dyslexia), Written Expression, and Mathematics — the three areas where unidentified learning differences most directly affect a child’s academic trajectory. Understanding exactly where and why a child is finding things hard is the first step toward getting them the right support. You leave with a clear identification, eligibility guidance for school-based services, and a plan that your child’s team can act on immediately.
ADHD and Attention Assessment
This evaluation looks at your child’s executive functioning, attentional control, and capacity for self-regulation — across multiple settings, not just a single snapshot. ADHD presents differently in every child, and a thorough assessment accounts for that. You leave with a clear understanding of how attention is affecting your child’s day-to-day experience, along with recommendations for school, home, and any additional support providers.
Social Emotional and Behavioral Screening
Academic performance and emotional well-being are not separate — they shape each other constantly. This assessment looks at anxiety, depression, perfectionism, behavioral patterns, and emotional regulation to help identify what may be getting in the way of your child’s ability to learn and connect. You leave with a fuller understanding of your child’s inner experience and a plan that addresses their social-emotional needs alongside their academic ones.
Psychoeducational Assessment
A psychoeducational assessment brings together cognitive, academic, and behavioral data to give your family and your child’s school a complete picture of how your child learns. This is the foundation for IEP eligibility, 504 Plan development, MTSS/RTI planning, and private school placement decisions. You leave with a thorough, actionable report and the clarity to advocate effectively for your child in any school setting.
Why Denver Families Choose ElevateU for Child Assessment in Denver
Ashley Vacante Ed.D., NCSP, brings a level of specialization that most Denver families have never had access to before. Her doctorate from the University of Denver focused specifically on the identification, academic, and social-emotional needs of gifted and talented students — a niche that most educational psychologists treat as a secondary specialty, if they address it at all.
Ashley is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) through the National Association of School Psychologists — one of the most rigorous credentials in the field. She has worked directly inside Denver Metro public and private school systems, which means she understands how schools think, what they look for, and where children fall through the cracks. That systems-level knowledge is something no amount of clinical hours in a private office can replicate.
ElevateU’s model is built around the whole child — not just the student sitting across the table. We work with families, school staff, coaches, tutors, and any other support providers in your child’s life. Consistency across settings is what turns a good assessment into a plan that actually sticks. Including school staff, parents, the student, and others is not optional for us — it’s the model.
Our Cherry Creek location reflects the standard of care we hold ourselves to: a premium, established practice where every family is treated as an individual, not a case number.
Common Questions About Child Assessment in Denver
How much does a child assessment cost in Denver?
Educational assessments in Denver typically range from $500 for a focused IQ or gifted screening to $2,500–$4,500+ for a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation. The scope of the assessment — how many areas we’re evaluating and the complexity of your child’s profile — determines the investment. We’ll talk through what your child actually needs during our initial conversation, so there are no surprises.
Does insurance cover educational testing or psychoeducational assessments?
ElevateU does not accept insurance, but we will provide a receipt which you can submit to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement; you must check directly with your provider for coverage. Most private insurance plans do not cover educational testing or psychoeducational assessments. Some plans may cover portions of an evaluation when there is a medical component. We’re happy to discuss what the process looks like financially during our initial conversation.
How long does the assessment process take?
Most assessments involve one to two testing sessions, followed by scoring, analysis, and report writing. From your first contact to receiving the final report, families typically complete the process within a few weeks. We’ll give you a clear timeline specific to your child’s assessment at the outset.
My child’s school already tested them — why would we need a private assessment?
School-based evaluations are designed to determine eligibility for specific services under IDEA or Section 504 — they answer a narrow question. A private assessment with ElevateU is individualized to your child’s full profile, not limited to what the school system is looking for. Families often pursue private assessments when school testing missed something, when they want a second opinion, or when they need a more complete picture for academic planning, private school placement, or gifted identification.
My child is gifted — do they still need an assessment?
Yes — and this is one of the most important assessments we do. Gifted children have academic and social-emotional needs that are just as real as those of any other learner, and they are often underserved because their strengths mask their challenges. In Colorado, a formal assessment is required to develop an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). An assessment also identifies whether your child may be twice-exceptional — gifted and navigating a learning difference at the same time.
What age range does ElevateU work with?
ElevateU works with students from preschool through college age. Whether your child is just entering school or navigating a transition into higher education, we can build an assessment individualized to where they are developmentally.
What happens after the assessment — do we just get a report?
No. A report without a plan isn’t useful to anyone. After your child’s assessment, we walk your family through the findings in plain language and build a step-by-step plan that your family, your child’s school, and any support providers can follow together. The goal is clarity and action — not a document that sits in a drawer.
Ready to Get Clarity on Your Child’s Academic and Social Emotional Needs?
You’ve been searching for answers. We’re here to help you find them — with an individualized assessment, a team approach, and a step-by-step plan built around your whole child. When you reach out, we’ll have a real conversation about what’s going on, what kind of assessment makes sense, and exactly what the process looks like. No pressure. No obligation.
We provide a supportive environment to help students and their families find the academic and social-emotional help they have been searching for.
ElevateU 90 Madison St, Suite 304, Denver, CO 80206 (303) 691-2020 Ashley Vacante Ed.D., NCSP