Cognitive Testing
In-office in Washington, DC's Friendship Heights
A comprehensive cognitive test gives you clear answers about how your child's mind is working, and a plan for what comes next.
If you have questions about your child's attention, learning, or overall thinking skills, a cognitive test can help explain what's going on. At Maven Psychology Group, our licensed psychologists provide in-depth cognitive evaluations for children, teens and young adults in the Washington, DC area. Rather than a quick screening or an online quiz, our testing looks closely at how your child's brain is working across attention, processing speed, reasoning, and problem-solving, so you walk away with real answers and a clear next step, not just a score.
Who Gets A Cognitive Test and Why
IQ Testing & Gifted / Exceptional Program Placement
If you're applying to a gifted and talented program, or your child's school has flagged them for exceptional education services, a cognitive test provides the IQ and ability scores many programs require. Testing gives you objective data to support a placement decision, rather than relying on classroom observation alone.
Learning Disorders
When a child struggles with reading, math, or another academic skill despite effort and support at school, a cognitive test can help pinpoint whether a specific learning disorder is part of the picture. Understanding your child's pattern of cognitive strengths helps target support that actually fits how they learn, rather than guessing at what might help.
Concussion & Head Injury
After a concussion or other head injury, it's common for kids and teens to have lingering trouble with focus or processing speed, even after physical symptoms improve. Cognitive screening after a concussion measures how those areas are functioning compared to your child's baseline, which helps guide decisions about returning to school or sports safely. For young athletes and students, this kind of evaluation is often part of a broader return-to-play or return-to-learn plan built with your care team.
ADHD-Related Attention & Executive Function
Attention, working memory, and executive functioning are core pieces of cognitive testing, which is part of why cognitive and ADHD evaluations often overlap. If ADHD is the primary concern, ADHD testing covers that process in full detail. Testing cognition on its own is a good fit when attention concerns show up alongside other questions, like after an injury, or when a fuller picture of thinking skills is needed beyond an ADHD-specific evaluation.
Types of Cognitive Tests
Clinical Interview & History Review
Every evaluation starts with a conversation. Your psychologist reviews your child's history, current concerns, and any relevant school or medical records before testing begins, which shapes which specific tests are used and ensures the results are read in the context of your child's life, not just compared to a generic norm.
Standardized Cognitive Batteries
Structured, research-backed test batteries (such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, or WISC) measure specific cognitive domains individually, then compare your child's results to age-matched norms. These are often used as part of a larger evaluation rather than as a standalone test.
Ability & Achievement Testing
Testing that measures cognitive ability alongside academic achievement is often used to explore giftedness, learning disorders, or a gap between a child's potential and their current performance in school.
Attention & Processing Speed Testing
These measures look at how quickly and accurately a child takes in and responds to information. They're frequently included alongside ADHD evaluations or concussion-related testing, where attention and processing speed are often the first areas affected.
Why Choose Maven
Several of Maven's psychologists also bring hands-on experience as school psychologists, giving them added insight into how cognitive and learning differences show up in real-world academic settings, from the classroom to standardized testing to individualized support planning.
Meet Your Cognitive Testing Specialists
Two Maven clinicians bring hands-on experience to Cognitive evaluation, and both are currently accepting new clients.
Currently accepting new clients.Dr. Shannon Martin Dantzler, PhD Licensed Psychology Associate in DC
Dr. Shannon Martin Dantzler is a licensed psychology associate with more than 15 years of experience supporting children, teens, adults, and families through evaluation and therapeutic care. Her assessment work addresses trauma, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, tic disorders, and emotion regulation, with an approach that's strength-based and culturally responsive.
She earned her PhD in School Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
Currently accepting new clientsDr. Hannah Sugarman, PhD Licensed Psychologist in MD, Licensed School Psychologist in VA, Licensed Psychology Associate in DC
Dr. Hannah Sugarman is a licensed psychologist and licensed psychology associate in Washington, DC. She conducts comprehensive psychological evaluations addressing autism, ADHD, educational needs, and mood and behavioral challenges in children and teens. Her assessments are built to bring clarity, not just a score.
She earned her doctorate in School Psychology from Fordham University and is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Dr. Sugarman has a particular interest in supporting LGBTQ-identifying clients and their families.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cognitive Ability Tests
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Most cognitive evaluations take a few hours, sometimes split across more than one appointment, depending on how comprehensive the testing needs to be.
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Not exactly. An IQ test measures general intellectual ability, while a full cognitive assessment looks more broadly at specific skills like attention, processing speed, and reasoning. Many evaluations include IQ measures as one part of a larger picture.
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A referral isn't required to schedule an evaluation, though your psychologist may request records from your child's school or doctor to help interpret the results.
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Sometimes testing points to a diagnosis, and sometimes it simply clarifies what's going on without one. Either way, you'll leave with a clear explanation of your child's results and practical next steps.
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Yes. Evaluation results are often used to support IEP or 504 requests, as well as applications to gifted and exceptional education programs.
Cognitive Testing in Washington, DC
Maven Psychology Group offers in-person Cognitive testing at its Friendship Heights office in Washington, DC. If you're ready to get real answers instead of more questions, reach out to schedule a free consultation.