What Sets Dr. Polakoff Apart

Specializing in Children & Adolescents

Dr. Polakoff has extensive expertise in evaluating children and adolescents who are struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or behaviorally. She understands the unique developmental needs of young people and conducts assessments that are thorough, compassionate, and age-appropriate.

Whether your child is:

• Struggling in school despite being bright

• Having difficulty focusing or completing tasks

• Showing signs of anxiety, depression, or emotional dysregulation

• Experiencing social challenges or developmental delays

• Displaying behavioral issues that seem out of character

Dr. Polakoff's evaluations provide the answers parents need to understand what's happening and how to help their child thrive.

Trauma-Informed Assessment: Uncovering the Root Cause

One of Dr. Polakoff's unique strengths is her ability to identify how trauma impacts behavior - and how trauma can lead to misdiagnosis.

Many children and adolescents are misdiagnosed with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), or behavioral disorders when the real issue is unresolved trauma affecting their ability to regulate emotions, focus, or behave appropriately.

Trauma looks like:

• Difficulty concentrating (often mistaken for ADHD)

• Defiant or aggressive behavior (often mistaken for ODD)

• Emotional outbursts or meltdowns (often mistaken for mood disorders)

• Withdrawal or anxiety (often overlooked entirely)

Dr. Polakoff digs deeper. Her trauma-informed approach ensures that underlying trauma is identified and addressed - leading to accurate diagnoses and effective treatment plans, rather than years of misguided interventions.

If your child has been through:

• Abuse, neglect, or family instability

• Divorce, loss of a loved one, or major transitions

• Medical trauma, accidents, or hospitalizations

• Bullying, school violence, or community trauma

Dr. Polakoff's evaluation will assess how trauma may be impacting behavior, emotions, and functioning - ensuring your child gets the right help, not just a label.

WHY CHOOSE DR. POLAKOFF:

✓ Specialized in children and adolescents - understands developmental needs and age-appropriate assessment

✓ Trauma-informed approach - identifies how trauma impacts behavior and prevents misdiagnosis

✓ Comprehensive evaluations - thorough, detailed assessments that uncover the full picture

✓ Clear communication - explains results in plain language parents can understand

✓ Actionable recommendations - provides specific next steps for therapy, school accommodations, and treatment

✓ Virtual expertise - years of experience conducting successful online evaluations throughout Texas

✓ Compassionate care - treats every child, adolescent, and adult with respect, patience, and understanding

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS FOR:

Dr. Polakoff conducts thorough assessments to diagnose and provide recommendations for:

Attention & Learning:

• ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

• Learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia)

• Processing disorders (auditory, visual, sensory)

• Executive functioning deficits

Developmental & Autism Spectrum:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Asperger's Syndrome

• Developmental delays

• Intellectual disabilities

Emotional, Behavioral & Trauma-Related:

• Anxiety disorders

• Depression

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

• Conduct disorders

• PTSD and trauma-related conditions

• Emotional dysregulation

Cognitive & Giftedness:

• Memory and cognitive concerns

• Giftedness assessments (for gifted programs)

• Twice-exceptional students (gifted with ADHD or learning disabilities)

VIRTUAL EVALUATIONS THROUGHOUT TEXAS:

Dr. Polakoff conducts all evaluations virtually via secure video platform, serving families throughout Texas.

She has been successfully conducting virtual psychological assessments for many years - long before COVID-19 - and her virtual evaluations are just as thorough and accurate as traditional in-person testing.

Benefits of virtual testing:

• Access expert evaluation from anywhere in Texas

• No travel time or logistical stress

• Comfortable, familiar environment for children

• Flexible scheduling

• Same comprehensive, high-quality assessment

Specializations:

Dr. Polakoff has been conducting psychological evaluations for over 30 years, with extensive experience in trauma-informed assessment and complex diagnostic cases.

• Psychological and Psychoeducational Testing

• Child and Adolescent Assessment

• Trauma-Informed Evaluation

• ADHD, Autism, and Learning Disabilities

• Cognitive and Behavioral Assessment

Call 214-306-4898 To Get Started

PUBLICATIONS:

Polakoff, R., Morton, A., Koch, K., & Rios, C.M. (1998) The Psychosocial Impact of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, (5(2), 1-8

Polakoff, R. (1996). The Visual Evoked Potential and Impaired Vigilance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center at Dallas, Texas

Herman, J., Laijiani, K., Polakoff, R., Armitage, R., Roffwarg, H., & Hirshkowitz, M. (1992). Human Vigilance and the Visual Evoked Potential. Sleep Research, 21,24

Herman J., Steinberg, J., Roffwarg, H., Becker, P., Jameson, A., Brown, D., Davis, W., Fox, N., Polakoff, R., & Hirshkowitz, M. (1990) Vigilance and Sleepiness in the Hypersomnlolent Child. Sleep Research, 19,119