Our evaluations are designed to identify underlying math-related difficulties and understand how they impact academic performance and confidence. We take a detailed and individualized approach to ensure each person’s learning profile is clearly understood.
We look at the low mood, fatigue, hopelessness, reduced motivation, and the concentration, sleep, and appetite changes, and at how they affect daily life and relationships. A foundational baseline grounds the picture, and screening for related concerns is built in. Because depression rarely appears alone, one psychologist guides the full process and screens for overlapping concerns. When the picture calls for it, we recommend a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation as the most thorough next step for Fond du Lac families.
A child might turn irritable or withdrawn, run low on energy, or change in sleep, appetite, or schoolwork in ways parents notice first.
A teen might feel a persistent sadness, lose motivation and focus, and pull away from friends and activities they used to enjoy.
An adult might live with ongoing low mood, fatigue, and burnout, finding it harder to keep up with responsibilities and relationships.
Your evaluation begins with a one-hour clinical interview where your psychologist gathers a thorough history, from early experiences through your current mood, energy, and daily functioning. This conversation helps distinguish depression from other conditions that can present similarly and determines which assessments will provide the most accurate diagnosis.
Your psychologist selects a personalized battery of mood and psychological assessments. Testing involves 2 to 6 hours of in-person evaluation over one to two days. You will also be sent home with self-report questionnaires, and someone close to you can complete their own questionnaire if they choose. If your psychologist identifies signs of other conditions (such as anxiety, ADHD, or bipolar disorder), those areas are screened for as well.
All testing data, clinical observations, and questionnaire results are compiled into a detailed diagnostic report. Differential diagnosis is a key component: your psychologist carefully evaluates whether symptoms are best explained by depression, another condition, or a combination. Any co-occurring conditions are fully documented.
Approximately two to three weeks after testing, you return for a feedback session. Your psychologist walks through the diagnosis and provides individualized recommendations: evidence-based therapy options, lifestyle strategies, medication guidance if applicable, and next steps tailored to your specific needs.
Situational depression (adjustment disorder with depressed mood) arises in direct response to a specific stressor and typically resolves as circumstances change. Clinical depression involves persistent low mood, anhedonia, and functional impairment that persists beyond the triggering event. The clinical interview at Core Spring Diagnostics explores the timeline, context, and pattern of symptoms in detail to distinguish between these presentations, since the treatment paths differ considerably.
Yes. This is one of the most clinically useful aspects of including cognitive testing in a depression evaluation. When depression is affecting processing speed, working memory, or executive function, cognitive testing captures those effects in a measurable, normed way. This data helps the psychologist determine whether cognitive concerns are a symptom of depression, a co-occurring condition like ADHD, or both, and the recommendations reflect that distinction.
When depression appears to be secondary to, or driven by, another condition such as ADHD, a learning disability, or a trauma-related disorder, the evaluation findings and recommendations reflect that clinical picture. Treatment recommendations prioritize addressing the primary condition, which often leads to significant improvement in depressive symptoms. The comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is frequently the right path for cases like this, as it addresses all relevant conditions together.
Multiple, sometimes contradictory diagnoses over time are a common reason people seek evaluation at Core Spring Diagnostics. The evaluation process is structured to start fresh, using the clinical interview and objective testing to build a coherent clinical picture rather than confirming prior diagnoses. The result is often a clearer, more unified understanding of what has been happening and why prior treatment has been inconsistent in its effects.
Yes. The report addresses functional impact as part of the clinical findings. This includes how depression is affecting work or school performance, relationships, daily routines, and cognitive function. Documenting functional impact is important both for treatment planning and for any accommodation or disability-related documentation needs.
Yes. Core Spring Diagnostics works with individuals from Fond du Lac and surrounding communities seeking clarity about depression and related concerns. The evaluation process is thorough and individualized, with one psychologist managing every step from intake through the final report.
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