We assess bipolar disorder in children, teens, and adults across Fond du Lac, often as part of a broader neuropsych evaluation. The mood swings, energy shifts, and impulsivity behind it can quietly shape relationships, work and school, and daily life. No referral is needed, you can contact us directly.
Our evaluations provide an in-depth understanding of mood patterns and emotional functioning, including both depressive episodes and periods of elevated mood such as hypomania or mania. One psychologist owns the entire process, assessing sleep changes, energy shifts, impulsivity, racing thoughts, grandiosity, and family history. Every evaluation begins with a cognitive and executive function baseline, then layers in bipolar-specific testing and screening for comorbidities like ADHD, anxiety, or depression. Fond du Lac clients are routed toward a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation for the fullest picture.
Kids with intense mood swings, irritability that comes in waves, disrupted sleep, or sudden bursts of high energy or impulsivity.
Teens cycling between depression and elevated mood, taking impulsive risks, or struggling to function consistently at school and home.
Adults living with ongoing mood instability, energy fluctuations, impulsive decisions, or recurring friction in relationships and work.
Your evaluation begins with a one-hour clinical interview where your psychologist gathers a thorough history of mood patterns, energy levels, and behavioral changes from childhood through your current daily life. This conversation is critical for identifying the cycling patterns that distinguish bipolar disorder from other mood conditions and for selecting the right assessments.
Your psychologist selects a personalized battery of mood and psychological assessments designed to capture the full range of your experiences. 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 to provide perspective on mood and behavioral patterns over time. If your psychologist identifies signs of other conditions (such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression), those areas are screened for as well.
All testing data, clinical observations, and questionnaire results are compiled into a detailed diagnostic report. Accurate differential diagnosis is especially important with bipolar disorder, so your psychologist carefully evaluates mood patterns, episode history, and symptom presentation. 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: treatment planning, evidence-based therapy options, medication considerations, lifestyle management strategies, and next steps tailored to your situation.
A standard mental health assessment is typically a brief intake interview used by therapists or counselors to identify current symptoms and guide treatment. A bipolar disorder evaluation at Core Spring Diagnostics is a much more structured, multi-session process that includes cognitive and executive function testing, gold-standard psychological instruments, detailed mood episode history, and comorbidity screening. The result is a comprehensive written report, not just a summary of symptoms.
Yes. Bipolar disorder is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed conditions in mental health, often initially labeled as depression, ADHD, or anxiety because those symptoms are more visible at any given moment. A formal evaluation that reviews mood episode history across months and years, establishes a cognitive baseline, and uses standardized assessment tools significantly reduces the risk of missing the underlying bipolar pattern.
The evaluation process is individualized rather than gender-specific, but the psychologist takes the individual’s full history into account, including patterns that research indicates are more common in women with bipolar disorder, such as more frequent depressive episodes, rapid cycling, and higher rates of co-occurring anxiety. The clinical interview is designed to surface these patterns whether or not they fit the textbook presentation.
Continuity matters when complex diagnostic questions are involved. When one psychologist conducts the clinical interview, administers testing, scores and interprets results, and delivers findings, there is no information lost in handoffs and no risk of clinical inconsistency. The psychologist builds a comprehensive understanding of the individual rather than a fragmented view assembled from multiple providers.
In most cases, yes. Because bipolar disorder is so often accompanied by cognitive concerns, ADHD, anxiety, and other conditions, a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation gives you a more complete picture than a narrower bipolar-focused assessment. The Core Spring Diagnostics team will help you decide during the intake conversation which evaluation scope makes the most sense for your specific situation.
Contact Core Spring Diagnostics at (414) 387-2100 or through the website’s consultation request form. The team will discuss the presenting concerns and help determine the most appropriate evaluation approach for your situation.
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