Welcome to the practice of Katherine Martin, Ph.D. I am a Maryland licensed psychologist. I provide a full range of psychological testing and assessment services for children and adults, including psycho-educational evaluations, ADHD and learning disabilities assessments, social-emotional evaluations, private school admissions evaluations, and forensic and court-mandated psychological evaluations. I provide clinical and educational consultation services. I have extensive experience providing expert testimony in family law, CINA, and special education cases. I take pride in tailoring evaluations to meet the needs of the individual. I complete a thoughtful and thorough assessment, provide a comprehensive and well-written report, and offer pragmatic recommendations.
A psycho-educational evaluation is for individuals who are exhibiting difficulties with learning and/or attention. A comprehensive evaluation typically includes assessment of: intellectual abilities; attention/concentration; executive functioning/organizational skills; receptive and expressive language; visual and auditory processing; nonverbal and verbal reasoning; visual, auditory, and working memory; and academic skills in reading (phonics, decoding, comprehension, reading speed), written language (expressive abilities, spelling, mechanics), and mathematics (reasoning and calculation). The goal is to clarify an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and to assess for learning differences such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), executive functioning deficits, and learning disabilities.
For individuals who have previously received a diagnosis of a learning or attentional disability, updated psycho-educational testing is often necessary to obtain accommodations for standardized tests such as the PSAT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.
A social-emotional evaluation assesses a child, adolescent, or adult’s emotional well-being, coping skills and strategies, stress management, personality traits, quality of thought, self-esteem, and understanding of interpersonal relationships. It consists of a detailed interview, self-report questionnaires, and projective testing in order to assist with diagnostic clarification and psychotherapeutic treatment planning.
I complete cognitive and educational testing for the admission to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC independent schools, including the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – IV (WPPSI-IV), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – V (WISC-V), and Woodcock-Johnson IV: Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV).
I provide comprehensive psychological evaluations of parents following allegations of child abuse and neglect. This evaluation includes a detailed clinical interview, a review of historical data and documents, psychological testing, intelligence testing (when appropriate), and assessment of parenting attitudes to determine the possible presence of mental health and/or cognitive issues that may impact parenting.
I provide comprehensive psychological evaluations of parents in divorce and/or custody cases to determine the possible presence of mental health issues that may impact a parent’s ability to safely care for their child.
A developmental disability assessment evaluates an individual’s cognitive functioning, daily living skills (also referred to as adaptive functioning), memory (when appropriate), and ability to reason and make decisions. The evaluation includes a clinical interview, relevant historical data and prior evaluations, and contacts with current providers (when appropriate).
I have extensive experience providing expert testimony in family law, CINA, and special education cases in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
I review previously administered psychological evaluations as well as clinical records, professional reports (school reports, evaluations), and educational records to discuss findings and recommendations.
A classroom observation can provide insight to parents, teachers, and other professionals working with a child about how the child attends, responds to instruction, and interacts with peers in a natural setting.
I provide parent and agency consultation services focused on children and adolescents with a broad range of special needs, including educational, behavioral, therapeutic, or rehabilitative needs.
I attend IEP and 504 Plan meetings, review and make recommendations regarding IEPs and 504 Plans, and discuss school placement needs.
I have more than twenty-five years experience working with children, adolescents, adults, parents, and families. I graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Goucher College. I received my M.A. and Ph.D. from The California School of Professional Psychology in Fresno. After completing my pre-doctoral internship at the John L. Gildner Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (JLG-RICA), I joined the staff at Ruth Spodak, Ph.D. and Associates, a Rockville-based private practice specializing in testing, evaluation, and diagnosis of individuals with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. In 2002 I opened my own private practice. Since this time, I have provided psychological testing for children, adolescents, and adults; forensic psychological evaluations; court testimony; and psychotherapy. I am the mother of three adult children, two daughters and a son. I enjoy spending time with family, watching soccer, reading, going to music concerts, and watching British crime dramas with my husband and two cats.
932 Hungerford Drive, Suite 18 B, Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 301-315-0917
Email: kathy@katherinemartinphd.com