The Rush Educational and Emotional Health Evaluation Program for Children and Adolescents offers a comprehensive approach to the diagnostic and treatment needs of children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral and learning difficulties that affect their basic educational needs. Such difficulties may include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, separation anxiety disorder, school refusal, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disorders, and developmental disorders including autism and Asperger’s disorder.

The program’s staff is available to assist school systems in developing appropriate Individual Education Programs (IEP) for the children we assess. We also provide follow up care within our program, as well as offer appropriate outside referrals. 

Our program is committed to helping children reach their full potential in the school setting. We believe that understanding the needs of a child is the first step in developing an appropriate educational program and mental health interventions. The path toward success may be complex, and we are available to assist with each step.

Our multidisciplinary team provides individualized assessments of each child’s areas of strength and weakness to recommend the most helpful mental health and school-based interventions. Evaluations may include:

• A diagnostic evaluation conducted by our child and adolescent psychiatrists to assess for possible mental health concerns that contribute to educational difficulty.
• A testing battery administered by our pediatric psychologists tailored to meet the individual needs of each child. Areas assessed may include personality, intelligence, school achievement, language, memory, and visual-perceptual skills. Classroom observations are also available.

Based on the results of our comprehensive evaluation, recommendations are made in a timely fashion to address children’s mental health and educational needs.

Our staff, including educational specialists, advanced practice nurses, pediatric psychologists, and child and adolescent psychiatrists are available to attend and assist parents at school meetings, including staffings, IEP meetings, and multidisiplinary conferences. Our team will assist with the educational process and, when indicated, help to mediate complex situations. This will help to ensure that the necessary interventions are implemented to facilitate children’s successful achievement at school, with their basic educational needs most appropriately met.