Child Assessment
Directors: Bonnie Klein-Tasman, PhD (she/her/hers) & Donna Laughrin, PhD (she/her/hers) and Kimberly Rennie (Weissgerber), PhD (she/her/hers)
Assessments conducted by graduate students in our clinical psychology PhD program, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. The focus of the clinic is on assessments of children 8 and older where the primary referral question is the possibility of learning (reading, writing, or mathematics learning disorder, dyslexia) or attention difficulties (ADHD). We do not currently offer assessments where the primary focus is emotional factors.
All aspects of the assessment are video recorded for supervision purposes. The cost for the assessment is on a sliding fee scale depending on family income with a maximum fee of $75/hour. Most assessments take between 10 and 12 hours including initial interview and feedback session to review the results.
We currently have a long wait list and have closed the wait list at this time. We will briefly reopen the wait list on June 1, 2025. At that time, it is expected that those placed on the wait list would likely wait until the middle of the Fall 2025 semester and early in 2026 before being seen.
On June 1, 2025 or later, if you are interested in an assessment for your child, please email psych-childassessment@uwm.edu with the age of your child and the main reason you are seeking an assessment. A faculty supervisor will then reach out for a discussion of the fit of your needs with the offerings of the clinic once we are close to being able to consider scheduling.
College Student Learning Disability Assessment
Clinic Directors*: Bonnie Klein-Tasman, PhD (she/her/hers), Donna Laughrin, PhD (she/her/hers)
The CSLD Assessment Clinic waitlist is currently closed.
The UWM College Student Learning Disability Clinic is a specialty clinic operating within the Psychology Training Clinic in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UWM. All direct services are provided by graduate students in the clinical psychology PhD program supervised by a licensed psychologist.
The clinic is devoted to providing diagnostic assessment services for those university students seeking protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act for learning or attention problems. We do not prescribe or manage medication in this clinic. The clinic offers psychoeducational evaluation on a sliding fee scale to assess for learning disability and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Individuals seeking such accommodations should first contact the Accessibility Resource Center (229-6287 or archelp@uwm.edu) to determine whether an evaluation from the College Student Learning Disability Clinic is needed. An evaluation by our clinic could be useful to individuals who do not already have documentation to determine eligibility for accommodation services at the Accessibility Resource Center. If an evaluation is needed, then three to four sessions of interview and testing (approximately 8-12 hours) are scheduled at the CSLD. Once these sessions are completed, a follow-up appointment (1 hour) is scheduled to discuss the results and recommendations for intervention, accommodations, and strategies to support learning. If a formal diagnosis of learning- or attention-related difficulty is made, then a referral back to ARC occurs to discuss possible classroom accommodations and other arrangements to facilitate academic performance.
*Directors
Donna Laughrin, PhD (Clinical Associate Professor, Licensed Psychologist)
Dr. Laughrin (she/her/hers) is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UWM. She is a supervisor for the assessment practicum in the UWM clinical psychology PhD program. Dr. Laughrin has more than 20 years of experience providing neuropsychological assessment services to children, adolescents, and young adults in a private practice setting. Her areas of specialization include developmental delays, learning disorders, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Laughrin also has experience working with therapists, teachers, and other professionals to assist in intervention planning.
Bonnie Klein-Tasman, PhD (Professor, Licensed Psychologist)
Dr. Klein-Tasman (she/her/hers) is a professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UWM. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses and is a primary supervisor for the assessment practicum in the clinical psychology PhD program. Dr. Klein-Tasman has more than 20 years experience conducting and/or supervising assessments related to attention, learning, and cognitive challenges. In her research, she focuses on learning about the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with specific genetic conditions (Williams syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1).
Source of Payment
The College Student Learning Disability Clinic operates on an out-of-pocket payment basis and provides services only to current or aspiring university students. We do not accept private insurance or Medicaid. We operate on a sliding fee scale depending on income. We accept cash, check or credit card at the beginning of each assessment session.
Contact Information
For more information about the evaluation services provided by the College Student Learning Disability Clinic at UWM, please call 414-229-5521 to provide the clinic manager with contact information for a screening or email the clinic at uwm-csld@uwm.edu.
College Student Learning Disability Clinic
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
P.O. Box 413
Pearse Hall, Room 179
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Email: uwm-csld@uwm.edu
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
Please keep in mind that communications via email over the Internet are not always secure. Although it is unlikely, there is a possibility that information you include in an email can be intercepted and read by other parties before it reaches our inbox.
Please note: Dr. Laughrin and Dr. Klein-Tasman are unable to provide psychological advice, diagnoses or assessments to people who are not current patients. Only the individual requesting services will be permitted to make the appointment (appointments cannot be made on someone else’s behalf). You will only be considered a patient once you have completed and submitted the intake paperwork and have been seen at the first assessment appointment. Please do not use email for emergencies.