Expert ADHD Evaluations in San Francisco & Berkeley

Finally, understand your child's attention, focus, and executive function challenges, with actionable answers you can use.

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When your child struggles with attention, organization, or impulsivity, the questions can feel overwhelming. Is it ADHD?

Executive function challenges? Something else entirely? You've likely spent months, or years, wondering what's really going on, watching your bright child struggle despite their best efforts, and feeling uncertain about the right next steps.

At Mind Matters, we provide comprehensive ADHD evaluations that go beyond simple checklists. Our licensed psychologists conduct in-depth assessments of attention, executive function, and emotional well-being to understand the complete picture of how your child learns and processes information. We don't just tell you what's challenging, we uncover your child's unique strengths and provide practical, actionable recommendations you can implement immediately at home and school.

What sets our Bay Area practice apart is our commitment to speed and support. You'll receive your detailed evaluation report within two weeks, and we're there with you beyond the assessment, attending school meetings, providing parent guidance consultations, and offering teen feedback sessions to help your child understand their own learning profile. We serve families in both San Francisco and Berkeley, bringing the same neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach to every evaluation we conduct.

An ADHD evaluation at Mind Matters is a comprehensive assessment process designed to answer your specific questions about your child's attention, focus, executive function, and learning.

Our evaluations typically take place over two to three sessions and include cognitive testing, academic achievement measures, executive function assessments, and careful observation of your child's attention and behavior across multiple settings. We gather information from parents, teachers, and the child themselves to build a complete understanding of how ADHD symptoms, if present, are affecting their daily life at home and school.

Dr. Rebecca Murray-Metzger brings over 20 years of specialized experience to every ADHD evaluation, having completed her fellowship specifically focused on neurodevelopmental assessments. She uses evidence-based testing measures while maintaining a warm, engaging approach that helps children feel comfortable giving their best effort. The evaluation process is tailored to your child's age and specific concerns, whether you're seeking clarity on attention difficulties in a kindergartener or executive function challenges in a high schooler preparing for college.

Following the assessment, we provide a detailed written report that explains the findings in clear, accessible language, not clinical jargon. The report includes specific, practical recommendations for school accommodations, home strategies, and potential therapies or interventions. We don't just hand you a diagnosis and send you on your way. Instead, we offer ongoing support including attendance at IEP or 504 meetings, parent follow-up consultations as new questions arise, and feedback sessions where we help your child or teen understand their unique learning profile in an age-appropriate, strengths-based way.

Our neurodiversity-affirming approach means we view ADHD not as a deficit, but as a different brain style that comes with distinct strengths alongside challenges. We're committed to helping you see the whole picture of your child, their talents, their struggles, and most importantly, the specific support that will help them thrive. With offices in both San Francisco and Berkeley, we make it convenient for Bay Area families to access the comprehensive ADHD evaluation services they need.

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Key Benefits

Waiting months for evaluation results only adds to your stress and delays the support your child needs. At Mind Matters, we understand that time matters when your child is struggling. That's why we commit to delivering your comprehensive evaluation report within two weeks of completing the assessment. This fast turnaround means you can move quickly to implement recommendations, request school accommodations, or explore treatment options without the agonizing wait that many Bay Area families experience with other providers.
Our streamlined process doesn't sacrifice thoroughness for speed. Dr. Murray-Metzger conducts the same comprehensive assessment and analysis you'd expect from any high-quality ADHD evaluation; we've simply optimized our workflow to respect your family's time and urgency. For families in San Francisco and Berkeley facing school deadlines, IEP meetings, or simply needing answers to move forward, this rapid turnaround can make all the difference. You'll have a detailed, professionally written report in hand within 14 days, complete with specific recommendations you can start implementing immediately.
Beyond the report itself, we're available to discuss the findings as soon as you've had time to review them. Many families appreciate scheduling a follow-up consultation immediately after receiving their report to ask questions and begin planning next steps. This combination of fast delivery and ongoing availability ensures you're never left waiting or wondering what comes next in supporting your child's success.
Navigating IEP meetings, 504 plan discussions, or private school support teams can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to advocate for accommodations your child needs. At Mind Matters, we don't just hand you an evaluation report and wish you luck, we attend school meetings with you to explain the findings, clarify your child's learning needs, and advocate professionally for appropriate support and accommodations. Dr. Murray-Metzger brings both clinical expertise and over two decades of school collaboration experience to these meetings, helping ensure your child's voice is heard and their needs are understood.
Having a licensed psychologist present at school meetings changes the dynamic entirely. Educators and administrators take recommendations more seriously when delivered by the professional who conducted the evaluation, and complex psychological concepts are explained in accessible terms that everyone around the table can understand. For Bay Area families working with San Francisco Unified School District, Berkeley Unified, or private schools throughout the region, this professional advocacy can be the difference between generic accommodations and truly individualized support that addresses your child's specific ADHD profile.
We've found that school staff genuinely want to support students, they simply need clear, actionable guidance on how to do so effectively. Our presence at these meetings bridges the gap between clinical findings and classroom implementation, translating evaluation results into practical strategies teachers can use tomorrow. Whether you're requesting extended time on tests, preferential seating, breaks for movement, or executive function coaching, we help build consensus around the support your child needs to succeed academically and socially.
For many adolescents with ADHD, understanding why certain tasks feel impossible while others come naturally can be transformative. Our specialized teen feedback sessions help middle and high school students understand their evaluation results in age-appropriate, strengths-based language that empowers rather than labels them. Dr. Murray-Metzger meets individually with teens to explain their unique learning profile, discussing both the challenges ADHD presents and the genuine strengths that often accompany different executive function styles.
These sessions are particularly valuable for Bay Area teens navigating the competitive academic environments of San Francisco and Berkeley schools. When students understand that their brain simply processes information differently, not deficiently, they can develop self-advocacy skills and implement strategies that actually work for their learning style. We help teens recognize patterns in their own behavior, understand why certain accommodations make sense for them, and build metacognitive awareness that serves them well beyond high school.
The feedback isn't just about ADHD symptoms or challenges. We spend significant time discussing strengths, creativity, hyperfocus abilities, quick thinking, entrepreneurial tendencies, or other gifts that often accompany ADHD. Many teens leave these sessions with renewed confidence and a framework for understanding themselves that reduces shame and builds self-compassion. For families preparing for the transition to college or career, this self-knowledge becomes an essential foundation for future success and self-advocacy.

ADHD rarely exists in isolation, it typically involves broader executive function challenges that affect planning, organization, time management, working memory, and emotional regulation. Our comprehensive evaluations assess the full spectrum of executive function skills, not just attention and hyperactivity. This thorough approach means we can identify specific areas where your child needs support, whether that's breaking down multi-step assignments, managing their materials and schedule, or regulating frustration when tasks become difficult.
Many Bay Area families come to us after years of trying strategies that didn't work, often because the intervention didn't match their child's specific executive function profile. A child who struggles primarily with working memory needs different support than one whose main challenge is task initiation or cognitive flexibility. By assessing multiple domains of executive function, we provide recommendations precisely tailored to your child's unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses, leading to interventions that actually make a difference in daily functioning.
Understanding executive function challenges also helps explain why your bright child might excel in certain subjects while struggling dramatically in others. It's not about effort or motivation, it's about the specific demands different tasks place on executive function systems. We help parents and teachers recognize these patterns and adjust expectations and support accordingly, reducing the frustration and shame many children with ADHD experience when they're simply doing their best with a brain that works differently.
Every Berkeley High student brings a unique combination of strengths and challenges to their academic experience. Our evaluations go beyond identifying problems to uncover your teen's complete learning profile, including cognitive strengths that can be leveraged for academic success.
We identify whether your student is a visual learner struggling with Berkeley High's lecture-heavy classes, a creative thinker having difficulty with standardized test formats, or a highly capable student whose anxiety interferes with their ability to demonstrate knowledge under pressure. This comprehensive understanding helps develop 504 accommodations that work with your teen's natural learning style rather than against it.
For gifted students at Berkeley High, we often discover twice-exceptionality, high ability combined with learning differences that create unique academic challenges. Our evaluation process identifies these complex profiles and recommends accommodations that support areas of difficulty while allowing intellectual strengths to flourish. This nuanced approach ensures that your student's 504 plan enhances rather than limits their academic potential.
At Mind Matters, we approach ADHD through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, which means we view different brain styles not as deficits to be fixed, but as variations that come with both challenges and distinct strengths. This philosophical foundation shapes every aspect of our evaluations, from how we interact with children during testing to how we write reports and recommendations. We don't pathologize your child; we seek to understand them completely and help them thrive as their authentic selves.
This approach is particularly important in the Bay Area, where many families value acceptance of neurodiversity while also recognizing their children need specific support to succeed in traditional school settings. We help you hold both truths simultaneously: your child's brain works beautifully in its own way, and they also deserve accommodations and strategies that reduce unnecessary struggle. Our recommendations focus on building environments that work for your child rather than forcing your child to conform to environments that don't match their needs.
Research increasingly shows that neurodiversity-affirming approaches lead to better mental health outcomes, stronger self-esteem, and greater long-term success for individuals with ADHD. When children understand their brain differences without shame, they develop healthier relationships with themselves and greater resilience in facing challenges. Our evaluations provide the foundation for this positive self-concept by highlighting strengths alongside challenges and framing recommendations as "this is what your brain needs to do its best work" rather than "this is what's wrong with you."

Service Categories

Comprehensive ADHD Evaluations

Our most thorough assessment option examines attention, executive function, learning, and emotional development to provide a complete understanding of your child's ADHD profile. These multi-session evaluations include cognitive testing, achievement measures, executive function assessments, and careful observation across multiple contexts. We gather input from parents, teachers, and the child themselves to understand how ADHD symptoms affect functioning at school, home, and in social situations. The resulting report provides specific, practical recommendations for accommodations, interventions, and supports tailored to your child's unique profile. Comprehensive evaluations are ideal when you need answers to complex questions or are seeking accommodations through IEP or 504 plans in Bay Area schools.

Focused ADHD Assessments

For families with more targeted questions, our focused evaluations address specific concerns about ADHD symptoms, inattention, or executive function challenges without the full comprehensive battery. These streamlined assessments still provide reliable diagnostic clarity and actionable recommendations but require fewer testing sessions and focus specifically on attention and executive function domains. Focused evaluations work well when ADHD is the primary concern, when time is limited, or when you need updated documentation for existing school accommodations. Dr. Murray-Metzger determines whether a comprehensive or focused evaluation best fits your situation during the initial parent consultation.

Executive Function Testing

Many children and teens struggle with planning, organization, time management, and self-regulation even when attention itself isn't the primary concern. Our executive function assessments evaluate the full range of higher-order cognitive skills that help children manage themselves and their work effectively. These evaluations identify specific areas of executive function weakness and strength, providing targeted recommendations for home and school interventions. Executive function testing is particularly valuable for students transitioning to middle school or high school in the San Francisco and Berkeley area, where increased demands for independence and self-management often reveal challenges that weren't apparent in earlier grades.

IQ Testing for School Admissions

Several Bay Area private schools and gifted programs require standardized IQ testing as part of their admissions process. Dr. Murray-Metzger provides these assessments using gold-standard cognitive measures, delivering results in the specific format schools require. These testing sessions are separate from comprehensive evaluations and focus specifically on measuring cognitive abilities for admissions purposes. We're familiar with the requirements of San Francisco and Berkeley area private schools and can advise on testing timelines and procedures. If your child has already been evaluated by Mind Matters, we can sometimes provide IQ testing as an add-on service without repeating the full cognitive battery.

Parent Guidance Consultations

Not every family needs a full evaluation immediately. Our parent guidance consultations provide professional support when you're uncertain about next steps, need to discuss concerns before deciding on testing, or want expert input on challenges that have emerged since a previous evaluation. These focused sessions help you clarify questions, understand whether evaluation makes sense for your situation, and learn about Bay Area resources and options for supporting your child. Parent consultations are particularly valuable when you're facing school transitions, considering private school placement, or simply need a professional perspective on your child's development and needs.

Our Process

Step 1: Schedule Your Free Parent Consultation

Your journey begins with a complimentary 20-minute phone consultation with Dr. Murray-Metzger. During this conversation, you'll describe your concerns, share what prompted you to seek evaluation, and discuss your child's current challenges at school and home. Dr. Murray-Metzger will ask clarifying questions, explain what an ADHD evaluation involves, and help you determine whether comprehensive or focused testing makes sense for your situation. This consultation allows you to meet Dr. Murray-Metzger, get your immediate questions answered, and confirm that Mind Matters is the right fit for your family before committing to the full evaluation process. There's no pressure or obligation, this call simply helps both you and our practice determine if we can effectively address your needs. Schedule your consultation by calling our San Francisco or Berkeley office, and we'll typically have an appointment available within one week.

Step 2: Complete Intake Forms and Background Questionnaires

Once you decide to move forward with evaluation, you'll receive secure digital intake forms covering your child's developmental history, medical background, school performance, and current concerns. You'll also complete standardized questionnaires about attention, behavior, and executive function, and we'll send similar questionnaires to your child's teachers. These forms provide essential context that helps Dr. Murray-Metzger understand your child's profile before the first testing session. Most families complete the intake materials within a few days, though we understand busy schedules and work with you to find time that fits your life. The information you provide shapes the specific assessment measures we use and ensures testing addresses your most pressing questions about your child's attention and learning.

Step 3: Assessment Sessions with Your Child

The actual testing typically occurs over two to three sessions scheduled at either our San Francisco or Berkeley office, depending on your preference and proximity. Sessions last approximately two to three hours each and include breaks as needed to keep your child comfortable and performing their best. Dr. Murray-Metzger uses her background in theater and deep experience with children to create a warm, engaging testing environment where kids feel safe showing what they can do. She assesses cognitive abilities, executive function skills, attention and focus, and relevant academic skills through a combination of standardized measures, observation, and clinical interaction. Most families schedule testing sessions within two weeks of completing intake forms, though we accommodate scheduling needs and preferences when possible.

Step 4: Receive Your Detailed Report

Within two weeks of completing testing, you'll receive a comprehensive written report explaining the evaluation findings in clear, accessible language. The report includes test scores and data but focuses primarily on practical insights you can use, what your child's results mean for daily functioning, what their specific ADHD or executive function profile looks like, and most importantly, what supports and strategies will help them succeed. You'll find detailed recommendations for school accommodations, home interventions, potential therapies or services, and often suggestions for Bay Area resources that fit your child's needs. We can email your report securely or mail a printed copy to your home, depending on your preference.

Step 5: Follow-Up Support and School Advocacy

Your relationship with Mind Matters doesn't end when you receive the report. We offer optional feedback sessions where Dr. Murray-Metzger meets with your child or teen to explain the results in age-appropriate language, helping them understand their learning profile and why certain strategies help them succeed. We also provide school meeting advocacy, attending IEP or 504 meetings at San Francisco or Berkeley area schools to explain findings, answer questions, and advocate for appropriate accommodations. As new questions arise months or years later, you can schedule parent follow-up consultations to get expert guidance on emerging challenges, transitions, or simply to troubleshoot strategies that aren't working as expected. This ongoing relationship ensures you have professional support for every stage of understanding and supporting your child's ADHD.

Our Approach

At Mind Matters, every ADHD evaluation is built on a foundation of genuine curiosity about your child as a whole person, not just their symptoms or struggles.

Dr. Murray-Metzger approaches assessment as collaborative discovery, working in partnership with you, your child, and their teachers to understand not only what challenges exist, but why they occur and what strengths can be leveraged to address them. This question-centered methodology means the evaluation is shaped by your specific concerns rather than a one-size-fits-all testing battery that may not address what you actually need to know.

Our strengths-based approach is particularly important in ADHD evaluation because these assessments can easily become deficit-focused catalogs of everything a child finds difficult. Instead, we deliberately seek out and highlight cognitive strengths, learning advantages, creative thinking styles, and other gifts that often accompany ADHD. The children and teens we evaluate typically have remarkable abilities in certain areas, they might be creative problem-solvers, big-picture thinkers, or possess incredible hyperfocus when engaged in topics that interest them. These strengths aren't footnotes in our reports; they're central to understanding your child's profile and developing interventions that work with rather than against their natural learning style. Many families tell us the strengths we identify become anchors during difficult moments, reminding everyone of the capable, talented child behind the executive function challenges.

We're also deeply committed to being socially and emotionally attuned throughout the evaluation process. Dr. Murray-Metzger recognizes that by the time families seek ADHD evaluation, children have often internalized messages that they're not trying hard enough, not smart enough, or somehow fundamentally flawed. She works intentionally to create assessment experiences where children feel successful, capable, and understood, using her theater background to meet kids exactly where they are, whether they're shy, silly, anxious, or skeptical. This emotional attunement ensures children give their best effort during testing while also building rather than damaging their relationship with themselves.

For Bay Area families navigating the specific educational landscape of San Francisco and Berkeley schools, our family-centered approach means we understand the local context in which our recommendations will be implemented. We're familiar with resources available through area schools, know how different districts approach IEPs and 504 plans, and can suggest Bay Area therapists, tutors, and programs that align with your child's needs and your family's values. Our goal is never just to diagnose ADHD; it's to provide you with a comprehensive understanding and practical pathways forward that work within the realities of your child's life and your family's circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mind Matters is a San Francisco Bay Area psychology practice specializing in psychoeducational evaluations and neurodevelopmental assessment for children and adolescents. Founded by Dr. Rebecca Murray-Metzger, a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience, we serve families throughout San Francisco and Berkeley with comprehensive ADHD evaluations, learning disability assessments, and ongoing support to help neurodivergent children thrive.

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Most families complete the entire evaluation process, from initial consultation through receiving the final report, within four to five weeks, though we can often accommodate faster timelines if needed. The testing itself occurs over two to three sessions scheduled within a one or two week period, and you'll receive your comprehensive report within 14 days of completing the final testing session. We work with Bay Area families' busy schedules and can often arrange testing appointments within a week or two of deciding to move forward with evaluation. If you're facing specific deadlines for school meetings or placement decisions, let us know during the initial consultation and we'll do our best to expedite the process while maintaining the thoroughness that makes our evaluations valuable.
Yes, school meeting advocacy is a core service we provide for any student we've evaluated. Dr. Murray-Metzger regularly attends IEP and 504 meetings throughout the Bay Area to help explain evaluation results, clarify your child's learning needs, and advocate professionally for appropriate accommodations and services. Having the psychologist who conducted the evaluation present at these meetings ensures school staff understand the findings accurately and can ask questions directly. We've worked with schools throughout San Francisco Unified School District, Berkeley Unified School District, and numerous private schools in the area, building collaborative relationships that help students get the support they need. This service is offered as an optional add-on to your evaluation and is scheduled around school meeting timelines.
This is one of the most common questions we address during the initial parent consultation, and the answer depends entirely on your specific situation and concerns. Focused ADHD evaluations work well when attention and executive function are clearly the primary concerns, when you've already ruled out learning disabilities or other factors through previous testing, or when you need updated documentation for accommodations that are already in place. Comprehensive evaluations are better when questions are more complex, when you're wondering if something beyond ADHD might be contributing to struggles, when learning challenges or social-emotional factors need to be assessed, or when you're seeking accommodations for the first time and schools will want thorough documentation. Dr. Murray-Metzger will help you determine which evaluation type fits your situation during your free consultation, and our recommendations are always based on what you actually need rather than pushing for more extensive testing.
Several factors distinguish Mind Matters from other evaluation providers in San Francisco and Berkeley. First, we commit to delivering reports within two weeks rather than the months-long waits common with many providers, ensuring you get answers quickly when your child is struggling. Second, our neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach means evaluations focus equally on what your child does well and where they need support, building rather than damaging self-concept. Third, we provide ongoing support beyond the evaluation itself, school meeting advocacy, teen feedback sessions, and parent consultations as new questions arise, rather than handing you a report and ending the relationship. Finally, Dr. Murray-Metzger's 20+ years of specialized experience in neurodevelopmental assessment, combined with her personal experience as a parent, brings both deep expertise and genuine empathy to every evaluation she conducts.
Our practice specializes in evaluations for children and adolescents, including young adults transitioning to college. We occasionally evaluate young adults in their early twenties, particularly when they're still in educational settings or recently graduated and wondering if undiagnosed ADHD has been affecting their academic or early career performance. However, we primarily focus on the developmental stages from early childhood through high school. If you're seeking adult ADHD evaluation for yourself, we're happy to provide referrals to Bay Area colleagues who specialize in adult assessment during your initial consultation.

Get Answers for Your Bay Area Child

Schedule your free consultation to discuss ADHD evaluation options in San Francisco or Berkeley.