“It matters not what someone is born,
but what they grow to be.”
-Albus Dumbledore
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
It is true that we all have innate abilities, but we should also look for the spark of passion in each of us. Often, assessment referral questions focus on what is “wrong” or different. We need these answers – diagnoses – labels – so that we can have a common language to talk about and access treatments, but this is not the only purpose of assessment.
Dr. Clarke believes a comprehensive evaluation should help an individual (or a child’s family) understand themselves/their child better. When we shine the light on various parts of ourselves, we do see what is different from others. Many of our differences are our strengths and the unique gifts we bring to this world.
What we grow to be has more to do with our choices, support we receive, and feeling validated. Testing can help provide answers to what is going on, but it can also create a path forward that will provide greater support and validation.
Dr. Clarke enjoys the challenge of a complicated presentation. Her job is to identify the pieces of the puzzle that create the person she is evaluating. She has experience conducting assessments for individuals with significant communication or motor impairments, finding a balance between accommodating their needs and maintaining integrity to what the test is measuring. She also has experience testing kids in a wide variety of settings and is well versed in assessing children with challenging behaviors or social anxiety.