Olive Tree Psychological Associates

Specializing in tailored cognitive and psychological testing for all ages

What We Do

We specialize in assessment

Psychological assessment is the approach that clinicians use to identify specific issues for individuals and determine whether symptoms meet thresholds for a diagnosis, or evaluate specific capabilities in the moment. This is done by using standardized tests, tailored to an individual client's needs and identities. Assessment helps in making psychiatric diagnoses, including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disabilities, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and mental health diagnoses like anxiety, depressive, personality, or substance use disorders.

Psychologists also use testing to guide clinical impressions and treatment recommendations. Tests are carefully selected based on referral reasons, and results are compared to individuals with similar identities (age, assigned sex at birth) to assess individual performance and level of functioning.

Currently we are conducting assessments with clients age six and older.

Why do clients seek psychological assessment?

Documentation for accommodation requests at schools or with employers
For accommodations on college entrance, professional licensing tests or professional certification assessments. These include tests like the SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, Bar Exam, or tests where state or national exams are needed for certification or licensure.
Entrance requirements for select private schools
To ascertain whether a child is intellectually gifted
For assessing concussions and/or providing baseline estimates of thinking skills that can be used for comparison if a concussion is sustained. This is especially helpful for youth who are in sports with high impact and/or collision risk.
To provide additional information when therapists are unsure of a client’s psychological conditions or diagnoses
For self-insight, self-growth

What does testing look like?

Sessions vary depending on referral goals and requirements. At Olive Tree, we treat each client with dignity and honor their personal strengths while using a scientific approach and well-validated tests.

An experienced clinician meets 1:1 to evaluate abilities related to your specific question. What is done in a testing session varies based on several factors, but often includes:

gathering background information, interviews,
self-report questionnaires,
and administration of standardized psychological tests.

After the formal assessment, we use a process called triangulation, looking at all the information gathered during testing collectively, to determine if a diagnosis can be made and what specific recommendations can be made based on the results.

Every assessment includes a written summary, or formal report, of the findings and a feedback session to discuss results, recommendations, and next steps.

In many respects, our logo is an excellent metaphor for the process of testing. Here's how we view the process:

The Olive Tree Approach to Assessment

Leaves: Individual Sources of Information

Different assessment measures and approaches help us look at a client holistically. We do this through interviews, formal testing, observations, and sometimes interviews with others who know the client well.

Branches: Linking Across Information

Next, we scrutinize the information gathered in testing for areas of agreement, difference, and context - looking for connections that shed light into making a diagnosis or ruling one out

Trunk: Diagnostic Integration

Converging evidence is organized into a clear clinical picture to determine whether diagnostic criteria are met.

Roots: Diagnosis and Recommendations

The final diagnosis, feedback, and treatment or accommodation recommendations are grounded in the full assessment process.

Assessments Offered

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common condition that makes it more difficult for individuals to thrive in their professional and personal lives. Contrary to the name, ADHD individuals aren't always hyperactive. In fact, individuals living with ADHD may struggle with inattention, have excessive activity/hyperactivity, or experience both symptoms. ADHD has symptoms that overlap with other disorders as well, like anxiety and autism spectrum disorder, making it important to get a thorough assessment to come to the correct diagnosis and treatment approach.

Many times, individuals struggle silently with the symptoms of ADHD. This can be especially true for adults, who grew up in a time where ADHD was considered a behavior problem rather than neurodiversity. ADHD testing is also important to rule out other conditions that can affect attention, like depression, anxiety, or slower information processing.

Testing for ADHD helps provide clarity into what kind of symptoms are being experienced and specific strategies or recommendations for treatment. If a diagnosis is made, comprehensive cognitive testing is essential for providing documentation for workplace, school, and testing accommodations that can greatly improve quality of life.

We offer two evaluation options for ADHD: a screening and a comprehensive evaluation. Please note: if you are seeking an evaluation to assess for if your child has ADHD and/or Autism the testing is more comprehensive. See our section on Autism Spectrum Disorder for more information.

Psychodiagnostic Testing and Testing for Accommodations

Psychodiagnostic testing refers to assessments that are used to confirm diagnoses for mental health conditions in youth and adults. Assessments can be very helpful in better understanding what is going on when a client is experiencing any of the following conditions and the level of impairment they are experiencing from them:

Anxiety - ranging from persistent worry or fear to panic attacks
Behavioral issues in children ranging from noncompliance with authority to behaviors that are harmful to others or violate social norms
Depression - experiencing low mood and other symptoms like loss of interest in activities and sleep/eating disturbances
Emotion regulation issues in teens and adults
Obsessive and/or compulsive behaviors - having intrusive thoughts and needing to engage in compulsions (like checking, cleaning, or ordering) to reduce experienced anxiety
Substance misuse - whether current alcohol and/or drug use has moved past recreational behaviors to something causing problems in one's daily life
Trauma - how exposure to a traumatic event(s) impacts their current life

Intellectual Assessments (IQ Testing)

This service includes the administration of an age-appropriate intelligence test to obtain a cognitive score (IQ score) commonly required for admission to gifted and talented programs and some private K-12 schools. It is also used to assess for intellectual difficulties that may necessitate special placements in school.

Assessment will include a clinical interview and administration of a full intelligence test. The specific measure used will depend on age. After we complete the assessment, a clinician will provide you with a 15-minute feedback session to review results and a psychological assessment report for documentation.

Have questions or concerns about the process of IQ testing and/or fairness? Check out the FAQ section for answers. Dr. Haas has taught intellectual testing and has the expertise and perspective to honestly answer your questions.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

The diagnosis of Autism has undergone substantial changes over the years. For example, in prior years there were separate diagnoses for Autism and Asperger’s Disorder. Due advances in research, we now understand that these disorders share many of the same symptoms and the DSM-V changed the diagnosis in 2012 to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with the idea that the symptoms are similar but may vary in severity and intensity in presentation.

For many individuals, ASD behaviors present very early in life, and the condition is now understood as one that begins early in development, brought on by differences in how the brain processes information. It must also cause significant distress and/or problems in a person’s life.

In making a diagnosis for ASD, the key areas of concern include:

Making an ASD Diagnosis

A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder is appropriate when there are significant impairments in BOTH Restrictive, Repetitive Interests and Social Communication and Social Interaction domains.

A key aspect of the diagnosis is impairment – that is, how much ASD causes problems in someone’s life. Impairment can range from being mild to severe impairment, where families may need to consider significant support to care for their loved one.

Comprehensive Testing for Comprehensive, Accurate Care

A comprehensive assessment for ASD is required to make a formal diagnosis and document impairment. This is what is required to secure accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for school-age individuals.

Part of a comprehensive assessment involves doing other testing to rule out what it may also be, as some behaviors can look like ASD, but actually be something else that requires different treatment and accommodations. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is also characterized by rigidity and repetition of actions, but in the absence of social communication issues. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) can have impulsive behaviors that look like social communication issues, or inattention can look like an sensory insensitivity.

The Assessment Process

A comprehensive ASD assessment includes the elements you'll see on the diagram to the right. Typically, this involves four components, usually spread across 2-3 testing sessions.

First, we start with the parents or caregiver and do a detailed interview to gather a developmental history and background. (virtual or in person)
Next, we bring the client into the office and observe them with a structured task (45-75 minutes)
Cognitive testing is needed to help identify their intellectual capabilities. We do this with an IQ test (60-90 minutes, in office)
Lastly, adaptive skills are tested to see real-world capabilities (45-60 minutes, in office or virtual)

After the testing, the results will be interpreted and written up into a formal assessment report that can be used for ADA and IDEA documentation. Your provider will review the results in a feedback session (virtual or in person)

Appointment and
Clinic Inquiries

Thank you for your interest in our testing services.

Appointments are available on Saturdays and weeknights after 4:00pm

Contact Information

Amie Haas, PhD

1101 S. Winchester Blvd. Suite A101

San Jose, CA 95128

Located within Relucent Psychology Group

Email: amie.haas@olivetreepa.com

Phone/text: 650.207.4972

Please leave a detailed message, including:

Your name
Type of assessment you are interested in
Preferred contact information (phone, text, email) and if it is OK to leave a message if phone or text
Best times/days to contact you

Dr. Haas checks messages daily and will return your inqury within one business day.