When the school's evaluation doesn't answer your question
Independent educational evaluations for reading, dyslexia, math, and attention — by telehealth, throughout Oregon and Washington.
You may have sat through a meeting where the numbers didn't match the child you know. Or been told your child doesn't qualify, without being told what is actually going on. Or watched a bright kid work twice as hard as everyone else and still fall behind, with no explanation that fit.
An independent educational evaluation — an IEE — is a comprehensive evaluation performed by a licensed psychologist who does not work for the school district. It exists for exactly these moments.
What makes this evaluation different
Most reading evaluations answer one question: is this dyslexia? That question matters, but on its own it misses something that shows up in the research again and again — reading difficulty and attention or executive-functioning problems occur together in roughly 40 to 60 percent of children. Treating one without seeing the other fails the child.
So every evaluation here is a focused reading or math assessment with attention and executive functioning front and center — not a screening question tacked on at the end, but a full multi-informant picture gathered from parents, teachers, and where appropriate the student. You leave knowing whether dyslexia is present, and whether something else is driving the struggle alongside it.
What you get
- A diagnostic interview with you, covering developmental history, school history, and the referral question
- Standardized testing of cognitive ability and academic achievement, administered by Dr. Bush personally — no technician
- Rating scales completed at home and by teachers, on your own time, that never take up your child's testing session
- A written report with diagnoses stated clearly, each criterion itemized, and every recommendation tied to a specific finding
- A feedback session where the findings are explained in plain language and you can ask everything you want to ask
Your child's live testing session is kept under two hours. Everything else happens without them.
Diagnosis that helps
A diagnosis is only worth having if it changes what happens next. Reports here are written for the people who will actually use them — you, your child's teachers, and the IEP team.
That means describing what your child can do alongside what is hard. It means naming and setting aside the labels children in this position collect — lazy, careless, not trying — and replacing them with an explanation of what is actually happening. And it means recommendations specific enough to act on Monday morning.
Evaluations and fees
- Reading / Dyslexia evaluation — $2,825
- Math / Dyscalculia evaluation — $3,125
- Combined reading and math — $4,025
- Records review and written critique (no new testing) — $750
- Consultation — $275 per hour
Flat and all-inclusive: interview, testing, scoring, report, and feedback session. Nothing is billed separately.
Payment. A 50 percent deposit reserves your testing dates; the balance is due at the feedback session.
Insurance. Positive Development, Inc. is self-pay. We do not bill insurance, but we provide a superbill — an itemized receipt with diagnosis and service codes — that you may submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Reimbursement is not guaranteed, and it is worth calling your plan first to ask what they cover.
Good Faith Estimate. Before any services begin, you receive a written Good Faith Estimate of the total cost, as required under the federal No Surprises Act.
Can the school district pay for this?
Sometimes, yes. Under federal law, if you disagree with an evaluation the district has conducted, you may request an independent educational evaluation at public expense. The district must then either fund it or request a hearing to defend its own evaluation.
In Washington, districts must decide within 15 days. In Oregon, districts must act without unnecessary delay.
Districts may set their own criteria for evaluators — location, qualifications, and cost. Dr. Bush is licensed in both states, holds a Portland business office in Multnomah County and a Washington office, and is not employed by any district. If you are considering this route, get in touch before you request the evaluation and we will walk you through what your district requires.
Getting started
Telehealth throughout Oregon and Washington. No driving across the metro, no waiting room.
Justin W. Bush, PhD · Licensed Psychologist · Oregon #2154 · Washington #PY61540899 · 15 years licensed, 30 years in pediatric mental health.