Diagnostic Learning Services- ADHD & Dyslexia Testing

My daughter started college in Fall 2013. We were told by the university that they needed an updated evaluation regarding her dyslexia within the last 3 years. She was 3 weeks before moving in to college and didn't know what to do. I called the place where she was originally diagnosed and they gave us 3 referral names. My daughter called all 3 that day and left a message about her situation. After the 1st return call saying she couldn't be tested until October I started searching on Google for adult dyslexia testing. I came across Diagnostic Learning Services located in Plano. Read the reviews and thought it sounds legit so I'll call them. My daughter called and left a message. Laurie Gaines called her back that night at 7pm. She set an appointment for the following Wednesday for testing. It took about 3 to 4 hours for her testing. Everyone in the office was extremely attentive and polite. I can't say enough about how pleased I am and my daughter is about this group. We met Saturday afternoon, 3 days after her testing, with Laurie and reviewed the results. The testing is very through and we also found out that she also has an additional type of dyslexia. I am thrilled that all things worked out in such a timely manner given a time crunch. I highly recommend this place! Thank you Laurie and everyone else at Diagnostic Learning Services! We will never forget what you did for us!!\r Jim and Kelli Miller more

I just want to tell you how pleased I was with Laurie's ability to test my son within 24 hours of my initial call. My son had a difficult time in college his freshman year. I needed to quickly determine if he had a learning disability in order to make application for accomodations at his university. I had a very tight window in which to get him tested, and Laurie made that happen. \r \r Most importantly, Laurie turned the report around and met with me right away with the results. I found her to be extremely professional, and insightful about my son. Most importantly, she outlined EXACTLY the action items for me to do in order to help him receive additional help at his university. \r \r I found the cost for her services to be completely in line if not better than other quotes I received. \r \r I highly recommend Laurie and her services. She has years of experience and can ""cut to the chase"" with her conclusions and action plans. \r \r Thank you Laurie!!!! more

We are so glad we met Laurie! Our son was having difficulty in his 8th grade year. We had several school members test him for ADHD and they continued to tell us he didn't have it. We met with Laurie and explained our concerns and she immediately worked us in and tested him to find out he has ADHD. He is now on medication and is a changed young man! He is back on track with his school work. Thank you so much!\r more

Unimpressed. Too expensive and not even a psychologist. I do not recommend. more

Two words describe our experience with Laurie Gaines ... Exceptional Professional! A proctor for my son's home school curriculum, we couldn't be more pleased with Laurie's reliability, caring nature, and focus on students' specific talents and needs. Laurie receives an overwhelming A+ from our family! more

We feel very fortunate to have met Laurie Gaines. We were overwhelmed with differing opinions and diagnoses for our daughter. Laurie helped to take the existing information and make sense of it all. She was a superior consultant for us, and gave us specific steps to guide us through the process in order to obtain a correct diagnosis. She is extremely knowledgable, responsive and compassionate. Through her resources and guidance, she helped to identify our child's strengths and weaknesses and provide a plan of action. more

When our son was struggling in school, his teacher recommended testing for learning disabilities. We were overwhelmed and did not know where to turn until a friend recommended Laurie Gaines. She was wonderful--courteous, compassionate, and understanding. She scheduled our son's testing appointment within 24 hours of our initial phone conversation. I didn't know how he would react to sitting through 3 hours of testing but Laurie established an instant rapport with him and he actually enjoyed his testing experience. \r \r When Laurie followed up with test results, she was encouraging, informative, and truthful. I can't stress the importance of this enough. A friend of mine had her son tested with another group in town and walked away feeling insulted and discouraged. \r \r One more thing--her prices are excellent. For those on a budget she charges much less than competitiors for the same services. more

I wish to respond to the message posted on May 12, 2011 from mom2jake..... I work with diagnosticians and psychologist from across the Dallas Ft. Worth area and find that Laurie Gaines has a superior service where she out preforms her peers in the testing industry. Specifically, her reports are well written and easy to understand by both parents and school officials. Her testing environment is comfortable and children of all ages are at ease while testing occurs. One of the most difficult messages to hear from a testing professional is that your child has a learning disability but when Laurie discusses the findings and shares the specific results with you she also has solutions and numerous recommendations for parent and school teachers alike. Her compassion runs through every aspect of the process and I have not known an evaluator with such concern for the well-being of her students You are welcome to call me and I will be happy to talk to you about your child and solutions to improve their educational situation and why starting with these tests are crucial. If I were in your shoes, I would want to know the results of such tests before my school has those in hand. To be empowered with the information gives the parents a position of strength. My number is 214-282-6268 please feel free to call me . more

Overall, Laurie did an OK job for us. Our experience was not as good as all these reviews make it seem, and while I don't usually post reviews, I wanted to share my experience and a word of caution. \r \r After finding these rave reviews, I contacted Laurie because I wanted to have my son tested for learning disabilities, and I didn't think my son's school could do it this year. She was very good about returning my phone calls, and explaining the testing that she would perform. \r \r The appointment was setup with no difficulties, and the staff was courteous and friendly.\r The day of the testing, Laurie was late, and she had a staff member perform some of the tests until she got there. The tests lasted about 3 hours, and they gave my son a snack in between, which he appreciated. At the end of the tests, Laurie seemed rushed, gave us a quick 'it went well’, then focused on getting paid, and quickly let us know she would contact me when the report was ready to review in about a week. \r \r When I met her to review the report, again she seemed very preoccupied and not focused. She started to review the report with me, commenting on my son's strengths, and his struggles, until I told her the child she was referring to was not my son. Then, she excused herself, she found my son's folder, and we started over. The report was about 4 pages long, and consisted mostly of the test results and summary findings of the test results. Her interpretation of the tests was that my son had learning disabilities. There were only 2 bullet point recommendations given, and I felt these were so broad they could apply to any child. It seemed very much like a cookie-cutter report. It was very disappointing.\r \r As far as cost, I felt the cost of the testing was too high for the service she provided, and since none of this was covered by my insurance, it hurt my pocketbook even more. \r \r Later, I shared her report with my son's school diagnostician, and she said that these tests were very limited and outdated. She went ahead and performed more thorough testing over several days, and her results showed that my son does not have any learning disabilities. She spent over an hour showing me and explaining the different tests, the ones Laurie gave, and the ones she gave my son, and discussing the findings. I wish I had waited and let my son's school provide this service for free, but having both evaluations helped gain a better understanding of my son's abilities.\r \r In all, the service and feedback was very rushed and impersonal. I would not recommend her to my friends.\r more

It is so great to get feedback from parents, and I like to share what they are saying. Here is a recent email we received from a parent: Hello Laurie, I just wanted to take this time to thank you for your help with testing our son. After not letting up, he has been given a 504 Plan, entrance into the school's MTA program, and the Dyslexia bundle for the TAKS testing. He is having speech once a week for 30 minutes privately. I am very hopeful for the future, and I thank you for testing him and giving me direction in what to do next. more

July 16, 2010 After speaking with the college disabilities office I realized that we did not have sufficient current testing to secure adaptations at college for my daughter. We are leaving town for 10 days then she has orientation and moves to college August 12 so we were in a bit of a panic to get the testing done and get direction on what to do. Laurie, with Diagnostic Learning Services, did my daughter's testing four years ago and even came with us to meetings at PISD and was a huge advocate for her and our family. In my opinion Laurie went above and beyond for us (at no extra charge). For this reason I wanted to use her again but was not sure if she would be able to help us on such short notice – but she did!!!! I contacted Laurie last week and she returned my call while she was on vacation! I explained our short time frame and that we would be out of town most of the rest of the summer, and Laurie adjusted her schedule to accommodate ours! She tested my daughter on Tuesday, and my daughter just loved her. She made her feel comfortable and encouraged her and didn’t make her feel like she was stupid or lacking when she missed a problem or couldn’t finish something. Then, because we are going out of town, Laurie calculated all of the data, wrote up a wonderful report for us and again rearranged her schedule to meet with us before we left! We met with Laurie today and she was fabulous! She took extra time to contact my daughter’s college to find out exactly what tests and documentation was required and prepared a special report for us. She took time to explain all of the testing, the scores and what they mean. She shared with us what the school looks for and what adaptations she recommended based on the test results (which were exactly on target with what my daughter thought she needed) and she took time to share with my daughter what her strengths are and weaknesses and how that will help her in college and what she needs to be careful of in college. She had great suggestions and feedback and was very generous with her time with us today. She encouraged my daughter and made her feel like an incredibly gifted student, which she is, despite her learning difference. Laurie did a lot to boost her confidence, to assure all of us about the future and her success in college and prepared a great packet that my daughter can hand deliver to the disabilities office when she goes for orientation the day after we return from our trip. I cannot say enough good things about our experiences with Laurie Gaines and Diagnostic Learning Services and because of that just wanted to share this with you as I know it is such a hard time for parents and students alike when they are going through evaluations. Laurie did a complete and thorough job, worked around our schedule, made it a pleasant experience for my daughter, was completely professional but at the same time very compassionate and fun. I cannot recommend Laurie highly enough and wanted to share this with you so you can share my endorsement with any parents who are in need of the services she provides. more

We took our daughter to Diagnostic Learning over the Christmas break! Her teacher had shared some concerns about her reading and writing but said it would take several months before the school would consider testing her. We met with Laurie and the appointment for our daughter went perfect! She actually had a pretty good time! It was only about a week before we got our results, Laurie emailed them to us so we would have time to read everything before our meeting. the testing was very thorough and we were able to get some great information! although it was still a lot of money, it was much less than other places I called and I think we got so much more!! if you think your child has a learning issue, I highly recommend Laurie and her staff!! more

I recently contacted Diagnostic Learning Services to get some information about having my daughter tested for Dyslexia. I got a call back the same day and Laurie spent time on the phone explaining the assessments that they did and what kinds of information I would get. I was really impressed and felt like she would really ""take care"" of my daughter. We went in on a Saturday (which was great because I did not have to miss work and my daughter did not miss any school). My daughter worked with both Laurie and Michelle and had a great experience. She actually asked after we left if she was going to ""get"" to go back and work with them again!! I received a copy of the assessment results via email that next week and had some time to review them before I went back in for an appointment to go over them face to face. Laurie did an excellent job explaining the results and I really feel like I have a great understanding of how my daughter learns and where her strengths and weaknesses are. Laurie also offered to attend a meeting at our school so that we can share these results with my daughter's teachers! Overall, we had a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend Diagnostic Learning Services if you have any questions about your child's learning or if you think there may be a possible learning disability!!!! Pros: knowlegdable, efficient, amazing!!! Cons: none! more

We recently took our son to Diagnostic Learning Services for an ADHD evaluation. We worked with both Laurie Gaines and Dr. Kristen Wilson. Both were extremely helpful and the information we were able to gather from their evaluation was exactly what we needed. They were able to get us in quickly and it did not take long to get the results back. They made some great recommendations for both us and his teacher. We were very happy with the entire process and would recommend their services to anyone who thinks that their child may have attention or learning problems. more

I read all the great reviews here and, you have to wonder, maybe they are all friends who do the reviews. But I called and got a call back from Laurie the same day. She was extremely helpful just in the introductory phone call. She also suggested some other therapies that might help my daughter and, after spending quite awhile talking to me, suggested that it did not appear that ADHD testing was warranted at least right now. So, basically, she talked herself out of a job! That really impressed me because she certainly could have suggested I do the testing anyway. 5 stars! more

My son is in 5th grade and has struggled with reading for years. As a parent, I have asked the school system to test him. The school stated that he had to go through a response to intervention process and wanted to wait 30 weeks to test him! I started looking around at private testing centers. The waiting list for Shelton was over 1 year, and Scottish Rite was about the same. I continued to call different testing centers and found that diagnostic learning services could schedule an appointment within two weeks! I was so excited the staff was so friendly and the testing took about 3 hours verse a whole day! I had the report within a week to share with his teachers and the staff at diagnostic learning services went to meet his teachers with me! It is so exciting to watch him be more successful in the classroom! more

Last fall, after our first parent/teacher conference, our daughter?s second grade teacher mentioned that she was exhibiting some characteristics of Dyslexia. The school district we attend does not do dyslexia evaluations until student are either in the second semester of 2nd grade or in 3rd grade. We did not want to wait, so we initially contacted Scottish Rite. They informed us that the wait for an evaluation was 9 months long. So, we did some research and found Diagnostic Learning Services. Laurie was wonderful on the phone during our initial call and confirmed, based on what I shared, that we definitely need to have our daughter evaluated. After talking to several other testing centers, I was pleasantly surprised by her prices as they were half of what others quoted. Laurie was spot on with her evaluation and was able to make the dyslexia diagnosis. She was well informed regarding the programs at the school including the difference between 504 and special ed. She attended a meeting at our school with us, for no additional charge, where she was able to help us understand what the school was offering and helped us to get additional services for our daughter. We are so thankful for Laurie and all the help she gave us. Pros: Call today, they are the best! more

Our son?s 4th grade teacher had suggested we take him for an ADHD evaluation as he was having difficulties staying focused in class. We really did not believe he was ADHD but felt like we should pursue the evaluation just to be sure. We contacted Diagnostic Learning Services and spoke with Laurie Gaines. After talking with her, we decided to move forward with the evaluation. Laurie?s take was that there are lots of things out there that cause kids to look ?unfocused? and she wanted to rule out all the possibilities before we called it ADHD. We were so pleased with how thorough her evaluation was. We were able to rule out ADHD as the cause of my son?s difficulties in the classroom and realized it was due to a learning disability. With Laurie?s assessment, we were able to access services at my son?s school through the 504 program and he has since made significant progress. Pros: Ask for Laurie, she is the best! :) Cons: Sorry I waited in line at other places....., more

I have a son in the 11th grade that was previously diagnosed with Dyslexia. We had been working with our school counselor trying to get him extended time on the SAT. The dyslexia testing we had was completed when he was in the 5th grade. He had been receiving 504 accommodations, but needed his dyslexia testing updated in order for the College Board to consider him for extend time. We found Diagnostic learning Services on the internet and gave them a call. Laurie was very informative and was familiar with our situation. She was able to get our son in for a full academic evaluation within a week and we had the results back in just a few days. She met with my husband and I to review the results then gave us some suggestions on additional accommodations that the school could do for our son. Her evaluation gave us so much more information than just the confirmation of his Dyslexia. We left her office feeling like we had a better understanding of our son and how he learns. We are happy to report that he also was able to receive additional time on his SAT. Thanks so much Laurie!\r \r \r \r Pros: Don't wait till your child fails. Try this , it really helps! more

I have a 3rd grade daughter who was struggling with reading. Her teacher suggested that I get her evaluated for Dyslexia. I contacted the Shelton School and their evaluation center had a 6 month wait list, plus the cost was well over $1000. I found Diagnostic Learning Services through a web search and contacted them immediately. Laurie was fabulous. She was able to get my daughter in within a week and I had the results of the evaluation within days. She was even able to go in on a Saturday and avoided missing any school. The evaluation was very complete and it turns out that my daughter does have dyslexia. The best part was that Laurie was able to advise me as to what to ask for at school. She recommended the school's 504 program, which serves kids with dyslexia as well as testing accommodations for the TAKS test. She also talked to us about what we can do at home as well as options for tutoring. She followed up with us after the evaluation to see if we needed anything and even offerred to attend a meeting at school with us. My daughter is now receiving the help she needs. I cannot recommend Diagnostic Learning Services enough. Thanks so much for all you have done!\r \r Pam Pros: price, ease of scheduling appointments, personal attention more