Psychoeducational — ADHD
Marcus Reeves — January 15, 2026 — Dr. Sarah Mitchell, Psy.D.
Does Marcus meet criteria for ADHD? Are there co-occurring learning disabilities affecting academic performance?
Background Information
Marcus is a 9-year-old male referred by his pediatrician for comprehensive evaluation. Mother reports longstanding difficulties with sustained attention, organization, and impulse control. Teachers describe him as bright but inconsistent, often losing materials and struggling to complete tasks independently.
Behavioral Observations
Marcus presented as a friendly, cooperative child who required frequent redirection during testing. He fidgeted throughout the session, often standing beside his chair rather than sitting. He was easily distracted by sounds outside the testing room. Despite these challenges, he appeared motivated and put forth consistent effort on all tasks.
| Test | Subtest / Scale | Standard | Scaled | Raw | %ile | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WISC-V | Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) | 108 | — | — | 70th | Average |
| WISC-V | Verbal Comprehension Index | 115 | — | — | 84th | High Average |
| WISC-V | Visual Spatial Index | 112 | — | — | 79th | High Average |
| WISC-V | Fluid Reasoning Index | 106 | — | — | 66th | Average |
| WISC-V | Working Memory Index | 88 | — | — | 21th | Low Average |
| WISC-V | Processing Speed Index | 85 | — | — | 16th | Low Average |
| Conners-3P | Inattention | — | 82 | — | 95th | Very Elevated |
| Conners-3P | Hyperactivity/Impulsivity | — | 76 | — | 90th | Elevated |
| Conners-3T | Inattention | — | 85 | — | 97th | Very Elevated |
| Conners-3T | Hyperactivity/Impulsivity | — | 78 | — | 92th | Elevated |
| WRAML-3 | General Memory Index | 94 | — | — | 34th | Average |
Good morning, Mrs. Reeves. Thank you for coming in today. I know we spoke on the phone, but I want to go over the referral concerns in person. Can you tell me about what prompted you to seek this evaluation?
Well, it's been building for a while. His teacher called us in for a conference in October and said Marcus is one of the brightest kids in class, but she spends half her time redirecting him. He's up out of his seat, talking to other kids, losing his homework even when he actually did it.
When did you first notice these kinds of difficulties?
Honestly, looking back, probably kindergarten. But we thought he was just being a boy, you know? His kindergarten teacher said he was energetic but manageable. First grade was okay. Second grade is when things really started. The work got harder and he just... couldn't keep up with the organization part.
Tell me about a typical homework session at home.
It's a battle. Every single night. He sits down and within two minutes he's up getting water, or petting the dog, or asking me a random question about dinosaurs. A 20-minute assignment takes an hour and a half. And I have to sit right next to him the whole time or nothing gets done.
What about activities he enjoys — video games, sports, building things? How is his focus during those?
Oh, he can play Minecraft for three hours straight without moving. His dad says "see, he can focus when he wants to." But I've been reading about ADHD and I think that's actually the hyperfocus thing, right?
You're exactly right. The ability to hyperfocus on preferred activities is actually very common with ADHD and doesn't rule it out. How about sleep? You mentioned melatonin.
He's always had trouble falling asleep. His mind just races at bedtime. He'll call us back four or five times — needs water, heard a noise, has a question. The melatonin helps him fall asleep in about 30 minutes instead of an hour, but he still wakes up a lot.
And how is his mood generally? Does he seem anxious or sad?
He's started saying things like "I'm the dumb kid" and "everyone thinks I'm bad." That breaks my heart because he is so smart. He just can't show it consistently. I can see it wearing on his self-esteem.
That's a really important observation and something we'll address in our recommendations. Has there been any family history of ADHD, learning disabilities, or mental health concerns?
My husband was never diagnosed but I'm pretty sure he has it. He's brilliant — runs his own business — but he loses his keys every day, forgets appointments, starts ten projects and finishes two. His brother was diagnosed as a kid in the 90s.
Psychoeducational Evaluation Report — Marcus Reeves
Version 2.1 — finalized
PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL EVALUATION REPORT
Patient: Marcus Reeves Date of Birth: March 14, 2016 (Age 9 years, 10 months) Evaluation Date: January 15, 2026 Examiner: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist — TX License #38291
REASON FOR REFERRAL
Marcus Reeves is a 9-year-old male in the 3rd grade at Riverside Elementary School. He was referred for comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation by his pediatrician, Dr. Jennifer Kohl, due to concerns about attention, impulsivity, and declining academic performance. His teachers report difficulty staying seated, completing assignments independently, and maintaining focus during classroom instruction. His mother reports longstanding difficulties with sustained attention, organization, and impulse control at home.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Marcus lives with his biological parents, Denise and Kevin Reeves, and his younger sister (age 6). Developmental milestones were reportedly met within normal limits. Medical history includes recurrent ear infections treated with PE tubes at age 3, and chronic sleep onset difficulties treated with melatonin. Family history is significant for suspected ADHD in the father (undiagnosed) and a diagnosed paternal uncle.
Marcus has attended Riverside Elementary since kindergarten. Early reports described him as energetic but manageable. Difficulties with attention and organization became more pronounced in 2nd grade as academic demands increased. Current teacher reports indicate strong verbal participation but significant difficulty with independent seatwork, task completion, and organizational demands.
BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONS
Marcus presented as a friendly, cooperative child who required frequent redirection during testing. He fidgeted throughout the session, often standing beside his chair rather than sitting. He was easily distracted by sounds outside the testing room. Despite these challenges, he appeared motivated and put forth consistent effort on all tasks. His conversational skills were strong, with age-appropriate vocabulary and pragmatic language. He became notably more restless during tasks requiring sustained visual attention and working memory.
TEST RESULTS
Cognitive Functioning (WISC-V)
| Index | Standard Score | Percentile | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Scale IQ | 108 | 70th | Average |
| Verbal Comprehension | 115 | 84th | High Average |
| Visual Spatial | 112 | 79th | High Average |
| Fluid Reasoning | 106 | 66th | Average |
| Working Memory | 88 | 21st | Low Average |
| Processing Speed | 85 | 16th | Low Average |
Marcus demonstrates overall average intellectual functioning with a significant pattern of strengths and weaknesses. His verbal comprehension and visual spatial abilities are in the High Average range, consistent with the bright presentation described by his teachers. However, his Working Memory and Processing Speed indices fall in the Low Average range, representing a statistically significant discrepancy of 27-30 points from his verbal abilities. This profile is highly consistent with ADHD, as these indices are most sensitive to attentional and executive functioning demands.
Behavioral Rating Scales
Conners 3 ratings from both parent and teacher yielded Very Elevated scores on Inattention (95th-97th percentile) and Elevated scores on Hyperactivity/Impulsivity (90th-92nd percentile), confirming pervasive symptom presentation across settings.
Memory (WRAML-3)
General Memory Index of 94 (34th percentile, Average) suggests intact memory encoding when information is presented in a structured format. Weaknesses were noted on tasks requiring free recall under time pressure.
CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS
Based on comprehensive evaluation, Marcus meets full diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Presentation (F90.2) per DSM-5-TR. This conclusion is supported by:
- Symptom presence before age 12 with evidence dating to kindergarten
- Pervasive impairment across home and school settings
- Cognitive profile showing specific weakness in working memory and processing speed
- Highly elevated parent and teacher behavioral ratings
- Positive family history
- Symptoms not better explained by anxiety, mood disorder, or other conditions
There is no evidence of a co-occurring Specific Learning Disability at this time, as academic skills are commensurate with cognitive ability when attentional factors are considered.
RECOMMENDATIONS
-
Medical consultation for possible pharmacological intervention — the severity and pervasiveness of symptoms warrants discussion with Dr. Kohl regarding stimulant or non-stimulant medication options.
-
504 Plan accommodations including preferential seating, extended time on tests, chunked assignments, organizational check-ins, and movement breaks.
-
Executive functioning coaching focusing on organizational skills, time management, and self-monitoring strategies.
-
Parent training in behavioral management strategies specific to ADHD (e.g., Barkley method).
-
Self-esteem monitoring — Marcus is already showing signs of negative self-perception. Consider supportive counseling if these concerns persist.
-
Re-evaluation in 2-3 years or sooner if academic difficulties emerge.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist — TX #38291 Lampasas Psychological Services