Frequently Asked Questions

At MindWorks, we believe in strength based comprehensive evaluations to measure one’s strengths and weaknesses and provide an individualized plan to help you or your child move forward. We make sure to talk to all professions in your or your child’s life so that we can gather as much information as possible to help us understand your child and their needs.

Our flat rate fees help make sure we can always tailor each assessment to your child and reduces additional chargers. If we feel like your child needs more in-depth testing in one area, we include that in at no extra charge for you. For example, if during testing, we find that your child is struggling more in reading than what was discussed during our background gathering sessions, we will add additional reading measures to assess for dyslexia at no extra cost to you, even it takes more time or an extra appointment.

Testing usually lasts 5-8 hours. We like to make testing sessions fun and engaging and will break it up into multiple sessions if needed, so that you or your child will always be able to give us your best effort. Once completed, you will receive a 1-2 hour face to face meeting with Dr. Salanga to go over the results, and make sure you have a full understanding of your child’s needs. If you have any future questions, Dr. Salanga will be happy to help answer them.

While traditional psych testing reports are lengthy and hard to understand, we make sure our reports are easy to understand, organized, and have recommendations tailored to your child and their needs. Many schools in the area have referred over students based off the way our reports have helped the schools and teachers understand what is needed and how to help!

Every site has excellent clinicians dedicated to helping their patients. At MindWorks, Dr. Salanga takes a personalized and comprehensive approach to understand your child's strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to create practical recommendations tailored to their needs. Some of the unique features of our reports include:

1. Deep Dive into Learning Differences: We go beyond simply identifying a learning disability like dyslexia. We meticulously break down the specific underlying challenges, such as phonological awareness, rapid naming, and orthographic processing. This granular analysis allows for highly targeted interventions and accommodations.

2.  Nuance in Social-Emotional Considerations: We recognize the interplay between learning differences, social anxiety, and potential neurodiversity. We don't rush to label, instead recommending a stepped approach that prioritizes addressing social emotional needs first, with the understanding that some difficulties might be better explained by neurodiversity.

3.  Emphasis on Multifaceted Interventions: We recommend a holistic approach that encompasses educational therapy, therapeutic support, lifestyle modifications, and educational accommodations. We understand that addressing learning and social-emotional challenges requires a multi-pronged strategy.

4.  Practical and Actionable Recommendations: We provide specific examples of interventions, accommodations, and therapeutic techniques. This practicality makes our reports immediately useful for parents, educators, and therapists.

5.  Sensitivity to Parent and Teacher Observations: We value the insights of parents and teachers, incorporating their observations into our analysis and recommendations. This collaborative approach ensures that interventions are tailored to the child's unique needs within their specific environments.

6.  Focus on Empowerment and Positive Reinforcement: We emphasize the importance of patience, understanding, and positive reinforcement. We believe in empowering children by focusing on their strengths and celebrating their progress.

Testing goes by so many names and many times parents are confused and ask for clarification. What is the difference between neuropsychological testing, psychological testing, educational testing, emotional testing, or psychoeducational testing?

In most cases, these terms are all interchangeable and utilize the exact same testing measures. However, If you were referred over for testing for medical or neurological concerns such as: traumatic brain injury (TBI), seizure disorders, tumors, medical conditions that impact your cognitive processes, chromosomal issues, or other medical concerns, it is recommended that you be evaluated by a board certified neuropsychologist to evaluate you or your child. In these situations, a neuropsychologist is trained specifically in understanding the intricacies of the medical or neurological concern and how they relate to the results.

In all other cases, learning disorders, emotional concerns, ADHD, autism and more, a comprehensive psychological, psychoeducational, or educational evaluation is all that is needed.

*Please note, that neuropsychology is not a protected term, thus many individuals claim to do neuropsychological evaluations, but are not specifically trained in medical cases. We highly recommend that if you have a specific need for neuropsychological testing (as noted above), that you look for a board-certified neuropsychologists.

MindWorks does not currently have a board-certified neuropsychologists and will not complete evaluations for medical or neurological reasons.

MindWorks also does not complete evaluations for court or legal proceedings. In these situations, it is recommended that you look for a forensic psychologist.

Yes, schools do provide psychoeducational assessments free of charge if your child qualifies. School testing is not comprehensive however, and will usually only include academic skills to determine eligibility based on IDEA. Parents should be aware that school psychologists and other school personnel interpret test results primarily for the purpose of determining eligibility for special education, and do not give a diagnosis that may be needed for services outside of school. As a result, they will not be a full and accurate assessment of your child or teen’s strengths and weaknesses.

A compressive assessment from a professional and experienced center will analyze your child's reasoning and problem-solving skills, attention span, working memory, language and spatial abilities, memory, visual-motor integration, reading, writing, and math skills, and a broad range of executive functions, including planning, organization, and impulse control.

*It is also important to note that a diagnosis for a learning disorder, ADHD or more, may not meet the criteria for services at school. School systems do have separate requirements for a child to meet the criteria for free services.

The regional center, much like school testing, does not include comprehensive evaluations, nor does it assess for ADHD or learning disabilities. However, if you are concerned about developmental delays of your young child, such as Autism or Intellectual disabilities, your local Regional Center may be a great resource.

A full comprehensive evaluation is available at a flat rate of $4500-$5000 depending on the complexity of the case. Gifted testing and Kindergarten Readiness are billed at a different rate. See Fees section to better understand what is included.

No, unfortunately we do not accept insurance at this time. Due to the nature our comprehensive evaluations, insurance does not generally pay for the hours of testing we need. However, we are considered an “out of network provider”. Upon request, Dr. Salanga will provide you with a statement of your account and will create a "Superbill" using the correct billing codes so that you can try to get reimbursed for services. Most individuals have been able to recoup some of the costs. It is important to note however that many insurance companies do not cover educational testing, and those who do will typically only reimburse a portion of the costs. However, psychological testing and testing for medical necessity may be covered.

Overall, our clients have been able to get intake sessions, observations, some testing hours, and possible feedback reimbursed.

*It is your responsibility to contact your insurance company to determine benefits, and we cannot guarantee any reimbursements.

Many of our clients have had good luck using the Reimbursify app to help them submit their Superbill claim: https://reimbursify.com/individual-page/

Once you schedule with MindWorks, we will send over some paperwork to help guide your discussion with your insurance company to decide if you would like to utilize out of network reimbursements.

Your child should expect to come in during the morning for their testing session well rested and fed. A good night’s sleep and a good healthy breakfast are very important to make sure your child is comfortable and is able to try their best. Your child will get plenty of breaks throughout the session, so please pack a healthy snack and water. Testing will include various things like puzzles, questionnaires, reading, writing and math questions, as well as new and fun tasks. No one task will last more than 15 minutes, so children are usually able to maintain their attention throughout the day. Once you schedule, a full email with more information for you or your child will be sent that includes detailed information on what to do prior to the testing.

Our office is located in a building right across the street from the Commons in Calabasas. We are on the second floor and share an office suite with a couple other mental health professionals. When you enter the lobby, you will see Dr. Salanga’s name on the board with a light switch. Click the light switch and she will come out and get you.

If your child would feel more comfortable seeing pictures of the place before they arrive for easier transitioning, we will be happy to email some over to you.

While you are welcome to stay in the lobby during the testing, it is recommended that parents or other caretakers are not in the room during testing. Your presence in the session alters the standardization of our testing and may make the test results invalid. You are, however, welcome to come in with your child for the first few minutes, ask questions and help you and your child get comfortable. For children under the age of 10, we ask that you stay in the lobby during the assessment, and you are welcome to work there as needed. For children older than 10, you are welcome to leave your child as long as you stay within 15 minutes of the office. The Commons in Calabasas does have many restaurants, coffee shops and other shops that you could use if you wanted to stay close by.

No, we currently only focus on comprehensive assessments and do not offer therapy or continuing services.