Frequently Asked Questions

  • I don’t take insurance, but at your request, I can provide you with a "superbill" (a type of receipt with CPT codes you submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement). You may need to meet your deductible before your insurance will reimburse you.

    Ask your insurance if they reimburse for the following CPT codes as provided by a Licensed Educational Psychologist and BCBA based on these services:

    Psychological testing (90791, 96130, 96131, 96136, 96137)

    Counseling/therapy (90791 - intake; 90834)

    Parent coaching with child (Family counseling with child 90847)

    Social skills groups (Group counseling 90853)

    Functional Behavior Assessment or Behavioral Consultation (97151 or 97156 -most require an ASD diagnosis for reimbursement)

    Gifted testing (IQ testing) and testing for Specific Learning Disorder, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia may be denied by insurance companies as these evaluations are closely tied to academics. However, some companies have partially reimbursed for testing to determine accommodations for a 504 plan as well as for ADHD and Autism, so it may prove useful to ask.

  • This will be determined after your free phone consultation. Generally, I provide flat fees and will inform you of any significant changes.

    If you do NOT plan on requesting reimbursement from your insurance, you will be provided with a “Good Faith Estimate,” which estimates your potential fees for a certain period of time.

    I reserve a few reduced fee spots to help families access quality care.

    Some families use their Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for services.

  • While I am not a neuropsychologist, I test in the same cognitive and behavioral processes based on the referral concern, such as in attention, executive functioning, learning and memory, visual spatial skills, auditory and visual processing, verbal ability, etc.

    I test in the areas related to what you are trying to understand about your child's abilities, within my scope of competence (e.g. ADHD, learning disability, autism, anxiety, depression). A neuropsychological evaluation can be very useful when other neurological disorders are suspected.

  • Yes, I have participated in SO many IEP meetings as a team member, an independent evaluator (for IEEs), and I have led many meetings as an administrator designee due to my familiarity with the required legal guidelines, making me an excellent resource!

  • For adolescents, PEERS generally run in the fall, winter, and/or spring, for about 14-16 weeks.

    For ages 4-11, groups are 6-8 weeks and are often formed based on interest. See the Social Skills page for more info or contact me at info@stefanierush.com for more info.

  • YES. If your child already has funding approved through their Self Determination Program (SDP) for services such as counseling/therapy, social skills, or daily living skills, I can work with financial vendors, such as Mains’l.

    If you are NEW to SDP: this should be open to ALL ages, not only teens and adults, so reach out to your Service Coordinator to get this process started. From my understanding, this takes a while to set up. Get more information here: https://www.harborrc.org/self-determination-program-sdp

    Please note: I am NOT a direct vendor of Regional Center.

  • YES. An effective IEE provides realistic, practical recommendations that benefit the child and are feasible for the school to implement. While fostering collaboration isn’t the primary goal, a well-crafted IEE can naturally promote it by offering recommendations the school is more likely to consider. Unfortunately, I’ve seen poorly executed IEEs with unrealistic recommendations, often creating unnecessary tension. My approach focuses on solutions that best support the child’s needs and work within the school setting. See more HERE.

  • You can get a psycho-educational evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services or a 504 Plan for free through either your district of residence or the district in which your child’s private school is located, depending on your child’s age.

    These evaluations are to determine access to school services and do not provide a clinical diagnosis.

  • Useful in health and educational settings. As an LEP, I can provide both a clinical diagnosis (based on the DSM-5-TR) or educational diagnostic criteria (based on IDEIA) for public schools.

    Speed & Quality Many school psychologists are impacted with high caseloads in addition to their other obligations to their assigned school(s), which may result in a longer than ideal wait time and in some cases, impact assessment quality.

    Unbiased, Practical Recommendations. Some districts may restrict what an assessor may recommend as a result of their findings. One of my favorite parts of doing evaluations is being able to make recommendations that are based on best practices and is realistic for a school to implement.

  • I have some tips here that can give you guidance on how to talk to your child about this process.

    Click here - how to talk about counseling/therapy

    Click here - how to talk about testing/the evaluation

  • No; at this time, I only work with children ages 2-17. I have trusted colleagues who conduct evaluations for adults who may need accommodations in college or graduate school. E-mail me at info@stefanierush.com

Let’s Talk

E-mail or call to set up a free 15 minute consultation to see if I can provide the help you need.