About David Nathan, LP PLLC

You deserve to have a professional expert in mental health evaluation conduct the psychological assessment for you or a loved one. I was trained at the University of Minnesota pediatric neurology clinic and Fraser, two centers known for their excellence in detailed mental health testing and reports and I want to offer what I have learned to you.

My reports are written by me, not AI. That means you will get a nuanced report that addresses how different areas of strength and weakness identified by testing interact with each other and impact your life or the life of a loved one. This knowledge is born of insight gained through years of training and experience. You will not get a list of basic test results dressed up in clinical language.

The testing battery for ADHD, ASD and Learning Disabilities that I use are identical to those used at Fraser and the University of Minnesota. All tests include intelligence testing using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition, depending on the age of the individual being tested, which are the gold standard testing batteries for intelligence.

My ADHD battery includes:

The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS), a battery of tasks that pinpoint areas of executive functioning strength and difficulty.
The Stroop Test, a brief reading related test that provides information about the ability of the taker to suppress impulses
The Conners Continuous Performance Test, a medium term (15-minute) computer-based assessment of concentration and impulse control.
Adult Self-Report/Child Behavior Checklist/Teacher Report Form, etc. These are parent/child/teacher self-report assessments of symptoms.
(for adults) the MMPI, a widely used true/false test that examines many areas of mental health and can provide additional information about ways individual cope with stress in their lives.
(for children/teens) the Children’s Memory Scale, a series of activities that examine short- and medium-term verbal and visual memory.
and other tests depending on the specifics of the case.

I use comprehensive, state-of-the-professional-art, testing battery that will provide you with a tremendous amount of information about how your mind or the mind of a loved one works. Test results and recommendations will be detailed and specific to the case and the strengths and difficulties of the client. You will not simply find out if you have ADHD, ASD, a Learning Disability, or other mental health concern or not. You will learn how your mind or the mind of a loved one works and receive a range of specific steps that you can take to address difficulties.

“Every day, it is my privilege to witness how a diagnosis of ADHD and ASD helps students and adults be more successful in the classroom, at work, and in their personal lives.”

A little about me

Nearly everyone in my family is a teacher, but I knew at an early age that teaching in front of a classroom was not for me. My parents would talk about classroom management and how to recognize when different students were understanding new concepts, and this seemed overwhelming. I wanted to be good at what I did, so teaching was out.

I worked in IT for the first 10 years of my career, but it deeply unrewarding. After my wife finished med school, I contacted a career counselor. All of his tests came back saying I should be a teacher or a psychologist. I did some informational interviews and volunteered at a now closed non-profit called Crisis Connection, a 24×7 emergency phone line service. I loved it. I went back to school and became a psychologist.

One of my passions is mental health evaluations. My mother is a retired elementary school special education teacher. She would talk about how students would be sent to her classroom for acting out. Through working with these students, she often found they were suffering from ADHD or Dyslexia and had been suffering in a classroom for years and no one had ever noticed. I want to be someone who helps children, teens and adults would otherwise be in that situation. I want them to know they are not lazy or dumb or bad. Their brain just works a little bit differently and that is ok and here are some things we can do to help.

Today I work for Allina Health Monday - Thursday and I operate David Nathan, PsyD PLLC on Fridays.

Community

Conversations

on Mental Wellbeing

I have been interviewed dozens of times by TV, radio, and podcast media – this page features links to a few of these interviews. I have also presented at community meetings as well as state and national conferences on issues related to ADHD and screen addition, mental health care access, and parenting styles.