Understand what your child’s behavior may be communicating.
Behavior can be the first clue that something feels different.
Children do not always say that they feel anxious. A younger child may have a tantrum before school, become distressed by a change in routine, or refuse to do something that seems manageable. An older child may avoid speaking in class, eating around others, or starting an assignment where a mistake is possible.
These behaviors can look defiant or unmotivated. They may also be signs that a child feels worried, uncertain, or overwhelmed. An evaluation can help explain the difference.
A child may seem fine after school and become overwhelmed later by homework, friendships, or the next day’s plans. Parents often notice that the reaction does not seem to match the situation, but the reason is hard to identify. A comprehensive evaluation compares what happens at home, at school, and during testing.
Anxiety can affect more than one part of a child’s day.
I assess anxiety as one part of an individualized, comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. I begin with the questions your family is asking and information from you, your child, and the school. I then consider anxiety alongside attention, learning, development, behavior, and social experiences so the results account for more than one possible explanation.
The evaluation can involve:
Helping families understand the whole child.
I am Dr. Allisen Landry, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist. I approach neuropsychological evaluations with curiosity, warmth, and attention to real life. I listen to what parents, teachers, and children have noticed, then compare those observations with the assessment results. The report should describe strengths as carefully as challenges and give families recommendations they can understand and use.
What I offer:
Anxiety, attention, learning, behavior, and development can affect one another. Each evaluation is built around your child and the questions your family is asking. Families do not choose from separate testing packages. I select the areas to assess based on the referral questions and information gathered during the intake.
I ask what your child worries about, what they avoid, and where these concerns occur. What you notice at home may be different from what a teacher notices at school. Both perspectives matter, and your child’s perspective matters too.
This may help clarify:
Worry can interrupt attention, memory, organization, and task completion. I compare attention across different situations and consider whether it becomes more difficult when your child feels uncertain, watched, or afraid of making a mistake.
This may help clarify:
Anxiety can make it hard for a child to show what they know. A learning difference can also make school feel uncertain and increase worry. Looking at both helps explain whether anxiety, attention, learning needs, or a combination of factors is affecting school.
This may help clarify:
A child who avoids peers or becomes upset in a group may be worried about being judged. They may also have difficulty understanding social expectations, handling sensory input, or responding to several demands at once. I review emotional, behavioral, social, and developmental information before drawing conclusions.
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The referral question guides the evaluation, not a testing menu.
Children may express anxiety in different ways. These are some of the concerns families report before an evaluation. They are not a checklist for diagnosing a child at home.
Some children worry about school, family, health, friendships, schedules, and things that have not happened yet. The subject may change, but the worry continues. An evaluation examines how often this happens, how much reassurance your child needs, and whether anxiety affects sleep, learning, or participation.
Social anxiety is often misunderstood. It is not simply a fear of being around people. A child may worry about saying something silly, eating in front of others, giving a presentation, getting a poor grade, or making a visible mistake. An evaluation considers how often the fear occurs and whether it affects school, friendships, or participation.
Children often express anxiety through behavior before they can explain it. Refusing school, melting down before an activity, or becoming upset when plans change can look like defiance. Reviewing what happens before and after the behavior can help determine whether anxiety and avoidance are involved.
Worry can interrupt a child’s attention. They may miss instructions, lose their place, work slowly, or seem distracted. Comparing attention across tasks and settings helps determine whether anxiety, ADHD, learning demands, or more than one concern may be involved.
Parents, teachers, and children may notice different concerns. Reviewing each perspective provides a more complete understanding of the child’s anxiety.
Children do not always say, “I feel anxious.” They are more likely to show that something feels hard before they have words for it.
Anxiety is common in childhood. I pay attention to how often it happens, where it shows up, and whether it is keeping a child from doing things they want or need to do.
Parents sometimes wonder about ADHD when a child has trouble focusing, starting work, or following instructions. Anxiety can cause similar difficulties, and ADHD and anxiety can also occur together. A comprehensive evaluation compares attention across tasks and settings before reaching a conclusion.
The process begins with what you have already noticed.
At the feedback session, I explain the results in plain language. You will receive recommendations based on the findings and your child’s needs.
A useful evaluation connects the results to your child’s daily life.
Childhood anxiety is assessed as one part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The evaluation considers how worry, fear, avoidance, and distress affect a child at home, at school, and with other people. It may also examine emotions, behavior, attention, learning, development, and social skills so the findings account for more than one possible explanation.
Children do not always say, “I am worried.” Anxiety may appear through behavior, physical complaints, avoidance, or changes in school participation. An evaluation considers how often these concerns occur and how much they affect the child’s daily life.
Possible signs include:
Children and teens may experience generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, or panic disorder. A child may also have meaningful anxiety symptoms without meeting the full criteria for one diagnosis. OCD is classified separately from anxiety disorders, and depression can occur alongside anxiety. A comprehensive evaluation considers the symptoms, how often they occur, and how much they affect daily life before a diagnosis is made.
There is no single test that diagnoses anxiety in every child. A psychologist considers the child’s symptoms, age, history, and experiences at home and school. Dr. Landry gathers information from parents or caregivers, teachers, and the child or teen when appropriate, then reviews that information as part of the comprehensive evaluation.
The assessment may include:
There is no single best measure for every child. A questionnaire can identify anxiety symptoms and areas that need closer attention, but it does not provide a diagnosis by itself. The most useful assessment combines age-appropriate measures with interviews, observations, background information, and reports from more than one setting. Dr. Landry selects each measure based on the child’s age, presentation, and referral questions instead of using the same battery for every family.
A therapist may be helpful when anxiety repeatedly limits school attendance, friendships, family routines, sleep, independence, or participation in activities. A pediatrician or licensed mental health clinician can help families decide what treatment options fit. Northwest Pediatric Neuropsychology does not provide psychotherapy. Dr. Landry provides comprehensive evaluations and, when appropriate, recommends interventions or referrals based on the findings.
Child anxiety usually does not have one simple cause. Temperament, family history, development, stressful experiences, school demands, health concerns, and learning or social difficulties may all play a role. The presence of anxiety does not mean a parent caused it or that something is wrong with the child. An evaluation focuses on the information that is relevant to this child and their current concerns.
Yes. Anxiety can affect attention, working memory, and task completion. A child may look distracted, take a long time to begin work, forget directions, or have trouble finishing tasks. ADHD and anxiety can also occur together. A comprehensive evaluation compares attention across tasks and settings and considers more than one possible explanation.
Parents can begin by noticing what happens before a child becomes upset, avoids something, or asks for reassurance. Calm, specific questions may help a child explain what feels uncertain, embarrassing, or hard. Professional guidance may be useful when the same concern happens often or affects daily life.
Helpful starting points can include:
The 3-3-3 rule is a brief grounding activity. A child names three things they can see, three things they can hear, and moves three parts of their body. Some families use it during mild anxiety. It is not an assessment, diagnosis, or treatment plan, and it may not be useful for every child. If anxiety happens often or interferes with daily life, individualized guidance may be more appropriate than relying on one coping activity.
Therapy approaches for childhood anxiety are separate from the evaluation itself. Depending on the child, a treating clinician may use cognitive behavioral strategies, gradual exposure, play-based activities, parent involvement, or skills for coping with physical anxiety symptoms. The right approach depends on the child’s age, development, diagnosis, and specific needs. Dr. Landry does not provide therapy. Her role is to assess the broader pattern and recommend treatment or other interventions that fit the findings.
A child therapy session varies by age, concern, and clinician. It may involve talking, play, drawing, practicing coping skills, approaching feared situations gradually, or helping parents respond to avoidance and reassurance-seeking. Therapy should be provided by a clinician whose training fits the child’s needs. Northwest Pediatric Neuropsychology does not offer counseling or psychotherapy. The practice provides comprehensive evaluations and can include treatment recommendations or referrals in the final report.
The process begins with an intake interview about the child’s background, current concerns, and functioning at home and school. The in-person evaluation uses individualized measures selected for the referral questions and typically takes around five hours, with breaks as needed. Parent, teacher, and child perspectives are considered when appropriate. A feedback session then explains the findings, any diagnosis, and practical recommendations in plain language.
The testing portion of the evaluation is completed in person at the Bellevue office. Dr. Landry evaluates children and young adults ages 5–25. Intake and feedback appointments may be virtual, but the practice does not provide fully online neuropsychological evaluations. Families near Bellevue, Wilburton and Bel-Red, Bridle Trails, Crossroads, and Lake Hills can begin with a phone consultation to discuss whether an in-person evaluation may be appropriate.
Start with the questions you already have.
If you are trying to understand whether anxiety is affecting your child’s behavior, attention, learning, or relationships, a phone consultation is a practical place to start. Tell me what you have been noticing, and we can talk through whether a comprehensive evaluation makes sense.
