For Attorneys

Psychological Evaluations for Disability Documentation, Functional Impairment, and Accommodation Requests

Attorney Collaboration

Dr. Stephanie Svendez, PhD, NCSP, NRCHSP, LP

Clinical Licensed Psychologist
Nationally Certified School Psychologist

I am honored to frequently collaborate with attorneys to provide psychological evaluations and documentation for disability-related claims and accommodation requests.

My work focuses on complex psychological assessment, particularly in situations where strong abilities coexist with meaningful functional limitations and careful analysis is needed to understand how those patterns affect real-world functioning.

Evaluations are conducted with attention to both clinical rigor and clear communication so that findings can be meaningfully understood by institutions, legal professionals, and decision-makers.

Common Referral Situations

Attorneys often refer clients for evaluation when psychological functioning or disability is central to an institutional or legal decision.

Testing Accommodations

Evaluations for individuals seeking or appealing denied accommodations on high-stakes standardized examinations.

Examples include:

  • Secondary School and College Entrance Exams

    • SAT, ACT, AP, IB, College Board

  • Graduate and Professional School Exams

    • MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT

  • Professional Licensing Exams

    • Bar Exam (NCBE MPRE, UBE, state-specific)

    • USMLE Step exams or other medical licensing examinations

Evaluations are structured to address the documentation standards typically used by testing organizations and exam boards when reviewing accommodation request applications or appeals.

Disability Claims

Evaluations related to disability determinations and functional capacity.

  • SSI / SSDI psychological disability evaluations

  • Long-Term Disability (LTD) claims

  • Functional capacity and work impairment evaluations

These evaluations focus on understanding how psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions affect an individual's ability to function in work and daily life contexts. My documentation maps the client’s disabilities clearly onto criteria used by the Social Security Administration (e.g., Listing and Paragraph A, B, & C criteria) and other relevant stakeholders.

Workplace Accommodations

Psychological documentation may also be requested to support accommodation requests in employment settings under the ADA. These evaluations focus on identifying functional limitations and the types of environmental supports that may mitigate those limitations.

Diagnostic Clarification

Evaluation of complex or overlapping psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, and other presentations in which functional impact is unclear.

Evaluation Approach

My evaluations integrate multiple sources of information in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of an individual's functioning.

Typical components include:

  • extensive semi-structured clinical interviewing

  • review of educational, medical, and occupational records

  • multi-informant standardized questionnaires

  • standardized performance validity testing, psychological, cognitive, effort, academic, attention, and fluency testing when indicated

  • behavioral observations

  • collateral information when available

Reports are written to clearly explain complex findings and to connect psychological data with functional implications across academic, occupational, and daily life contexts.

Complex Presentations & “Spiky” Profiles

I am often consulted in situations where psychological functioning is complex or not immediately apparent from the surface. In fact, some referrals occur after earlier evaluations have not fully explained an individual’s difficulties, particularly when symptoms are subtle, overlap across conditions, or emerge through detailed clinical interviewing rather than standardized testing alone.

Many individuals referred for evaluation demonstrate uneven or “spiky” profiles, where strong abilities in some domains coexist with significant impairment in others.

In some cases, individuals have historically achieved at high levels while experiencing substantial internal difficulty. Compensatory strategies, masking of symptoms, or cultural and contextual factors can influence how difficulties are expressed or recognized, which may make disabilities less immediately visible.

For example, an individual may demonstrate strong verbal ability while simultaneously experiencing substantial difficulty with processing speed, executive functioning, emotional regulation, or adaptive functioning. In other cases, symptoms may be minimized or expressed indirectly; for instance, a student may have learned to downplay psychological needs due to cultural stigma surrounding mental health.

These patterns can make disability difficult to recognize without thorough analysis. My evaluations focus on carefully identifying these patterns through detailed clinical interviewing, record review, and psychological testing when indicated. Particular attention is given to explaining how evaluation findings translate into functional impact across academic, occupational, and daily life contexts so that complex presentations can be clearly understood by institutions and decision-makers.

Remote Evaluations and Licensure

Many evaluations can be conducted remotely using clinical interviewing and cognitive and achievement measures normed for remote administration. This can allow clients to complete evaluations without needing to travel and can help attorneys coordinate cases across jurisdictions.

I am licensed in California, District of Columbia, Florida, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Washington, and participate in PSYPACT, which allows me to provide telepsychology services to clients in 43 participating jurisdictions.

Referral Process

Attorneys may either provide clients with my contact information, direct them to my website, or contact me briefly to discuss whether an evaluation may be appropriate. Clients typically initiate the intake process directly so that confidentiality and informed consent can be established.

Contact Me

Attorneys are welcome to contact me briefly to discuss whether a psychological evaluation may be helpful in a particular case. In many situations, a short consultation can clarify whether an evaluation is likely to address your case needs.

You may complete the contact form or directly schedule an attorney referral consultation here.