As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Ybarra conducts testing on clients or supervises his psychometricians' work to ensure valid, optimal results for yourself or your child. He is renowned for his ability to help you or your children and adolescents perform at their highest potential during intelligence testing or gifted and talented evaluations via his warm manner and his attendance to factors like motivation, anxiety and fatigue.
Child & Adolescent Psychological Assessment
Gifted and Talented Assessments: Dr. Ybarra is an established assessor of Intelligence testing and Gifted testing. His psychological testing reports have been accepted routinely by designated elementary, middle or high schools for nearly two decades throughout the Jacksonville Florida region, including Duval County Public Schools, Saint Johns County Public Schools, Clay County School District and Nassau County School District. Most parents note sizable delays of several months to a year for their child's gifted or Full-Scale IQ testing by a school psychologist, with many school-employed psychometrician's not holding a doctorate degree. Such assessments may occur in an unannounced manner for children, leading to possibly subpar scores. For other students, this sizable wait time for testing is costly in that bright students remain in less challenging mainstream courses that may leave them understimulated or frustrated. Rather than have their child suffer this wait, many parents opt to pay out of pocket for a community - based licensed psychologist to assess their child or adolescent.
With Dr. Ybarra, Intelligence testing and gifted and talented assessments include an interview with parents and their child, review of relevant academic records, consideration of special skills or talents and an intelligence test. Dr. Ybarra uses the most recent intelligence tests (e.g., WPPSI-IV for 5-year-olds; WISC-V for 6 to 16-year-olds) that are child-friendly and that have the best research basis for these assessments. Dr. Ybarra has alternate tests available for use in instances when a child has fallen short of gifted standards via a recent use (within 12 months) of one of the aforementioned tests. For Gifted Testing, parents provide their child's grade reports, club or sports involvement and any relevant music or art portfolio work for inclusion in a report summary that will be presented to the school for gifted and talented consideration.
Other Child Assessments:
Dr. Ybarra provides psychological assessments for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), with results from these psychological evaluations often help parents to request specialized school services for their child's educational needs. Many parents make decisions to pursue stimulant medication treatment for their child based merely on the judgment of their primary care physician. Dr. Ybarra takes a thorough conservative approach toward possible diagnosis of AD/HD, using a multi-level assessment process, including clinical interview, behavioral reporting by parents/teachers/caregivers, intellectual/cognitive testing (e.g., WPPSI-IV ,WISC V) and objective computerized assessment of sustained attention (e.g., TOVA).
Adult Psychological Assessment
Dr. Ybarra provides adult psychological assessments in the areas of intelligence testing, personality or psychological function, attention problems, and stress management. For example, due to changest to current prescripion requirements, psychiatrists often refer their patients to Dr. Ybarra for formal evaluation of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity issues prior to providing a stimulant medication prescription.
