Child Psychologists in Florida

About child psychologists in Florida

You see a child psychologist when the question is "what is actually going on?" rather than "how do we cope with this?" Parents usually get here after a teacher raises something, after a pediatrician suggests an evaluation, or after a year of strategies that work for other children and not for yours. Wanting an answer is not the same as wanting a label. Most parents just want to stop guessing.

The clinicians on this page hold a doctorate, either a PsyD or a PhD, are licensed in Florida, and do formal psychological evaluation. An evaluation is not one appointment. It is an intake conversation, testing sessions with your child, questionnaires that you and often the school fill out, and then a feedback session where you get a written report and a plan. What you walk away with is a diagnosis where one fits, a picture of how your child learns and where they get stuck, and specific recommendations for school, for therapy, and sometimes for a prescriber.

Testing happens over video, which surprises people. The measures used in a virtual evaluation are validated for remote use, and for a young child, doing it from a familiar room is often a truer read than a clinic office. Every psychologist listed is licensed in Florida and bills insurance.

Clinical ReviewerDr. Jacquelyn Flood, PsyDLicensed Clinical Psychologist | Emora Health Clinical Reviewer

Child Psychologists in Florida: common questions

How much does a psychological evaluation cost in Florida?

Testing is billed as a package rather than per session. The package covers your intake, the evaluation itself, and a feedback session where you get the written report and a plan. Emora is in-network with most major commercial plans, and with Medicaid in several states. Coverage for testing varies more from plan to plan than therapy coverage does, so check yours before you book at /cost-estimate. The estimate you get back is for the whole package, not one visit.

What is the difference between a child psychologist and a child therapist?

A child psychologist holds a doctorate and is trained to give and interpret formal psychological tests. Those tests are what an ADHD, autism, or learning diagnosis is built on. A child therapist is a master’s-level licensed clinician who provides ongoing talk or play therapy. These are two different jobs, not two levels of the same one. The psychologist answers the diagnostic question. The therapist does the weekly work that follows. Many families need both, and Emora clinicians hand off internally rather than sending you back out to search.

What ages are evaluated on this page?

This page lists psychologists who evaluate school-age children. Each provider card shows that clinician’s own age range. Lower age limits matter more in testing than they do in therapy, because some measures are not validated below a certain age. If your child is younger, book the intake anyway. The psychologist will tell you whether to test now or wait.

How long does the whole evaluation take?

The intake is usually available within about a week. The testing sessions and the feedback appointment get scheduled from there, and most families have the written report within a few weeks of starting. Your psychologist will give you the specific schedule at the intake rather than leaving you to wonder.

Is virtual testing as valid as in-person testing?

For the measures Emora uses, yes. Remote administration of the common ADHD, autism, and cognitive instruments is validated, and schools and prescribers accept these reports on the same terms as in-person ones. Some children do need part of the evaluation done in person. If your psychologist reaches that conclusion partway through, they will tell you and help you arrange it locally rather than writing a report they do not stand behind.