ADHD evaluations
Testing for ages 5 through adulthood that separates ADHD from learning disorders, anxiety, and other explanations, with a report your pediatrician and your child's school can both use.
Learn moreHome / Johnston County
Serving Clayton, Smithfield, and Johnston CountyPsychological evaluations for Johnston County families
Rebecca spent eight to ten years as a school psychologist in Johnston County Public Schools. Today Clayton, Smithfield, Selma, and Benson families drive to her Cary office for ADHD, dyslexia, and autism evaluations, homeschool testing, and therapy.
Worth the Drive
What Johnston County families come to Cary for
Johnston County is one of the fastest-growing counties in North Carolina, and the demand for private psychological testing has grown with it. Families who want a thorough evaluation without a long wait, or who want an outside opinion from someone who already understands their school system, make the drive up I-40 to Anchor EEC.
Dyslexia and learning disorders
Specific testing for dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia when a child works hard and still falls behind in reading, writing, or math, and the school has not been able to say why.
Learn moreAutism assessments
Initial evaluations and re-evaluations for ages 4 through adulthood, built on a structured diagnostic protocol and close involvement from parents.
Learn moreHomeschool achievement testing
The annual achievement test North Carolina requires, given one on one with the Woodcock-Johnson Fifth Edition and a written report that is actually useful for planning next year.
Learn morePrivate school evaluations
Private schools in Johnston County refer students to Rebecca because they have seen her reports. She evaluates the student and gives the school recommendations it can put in place.
Learn moreTherapy for children, teens, and young adults
Support for anxiety, school stress, self-confidence, and attention-related struggles through age 22. In person in Cary, or by secure video for families who would rather not drive every week.
Learn more Johnston County Public Schools
An independent evaluator who has sat on the other side of the table
Rebecca was a school psychologist in Johnston County Public Schools for eight to ten years. She has run the school-based evaluations, sat in the eligibility meetings, and written the reports. That gives her an unusually clear view of what a JCPS evaluation is designed to answer, and what it leaves out.
What an outside evaluation adds for JCPS families
A school evaluation answers one question: does this student qualify for special education services? It follows district timelines, and in a fast-growing district those timelines can stretch. An independent evaluation asks a broader question, what is actually going on with this child, and runs on your schedule.
The report belongs to your family. You decide whether to share it, and when you bring it to an IEP team, federal law requires the team to consider it.
- A second opinion when you disagree with the school team
- Answers before the next school year, not after it
- Recommendations written in the language JCPS teams use
- Support preparing for IEP and 504 meetings
Planning the drive from Clayton or Smithfield
From Clayton, Anchor EEC is usually 30 to 40 minutes away via US-70 and I-40. From Smithfield, Selma, Four Oaks, and Benson, plan on 45 minutes to an hour on I-40. Traffic around Garner is the main variable.
An evaluation usually means two or three trips: one or two testing sessions and an in-person feedback session where Rebecca walks you through the report. The first conversation is a phone call, so you only make the drive once you know the evaluation is the right fit.
For therapy, secure video sessions are available for clients located in North Carolina, so weekly sessions do not have to mean a weekly drive.
Private, Charter, and Homeschool Families
Support for Johnston County students outside JCPS
Johnston County families choose from traditional public schools, charter schools, faith-based and independent private schools, and homeschooling. Rebecca's own children attended public school, private school, and were homeschooled for several years, so she understands each setting as a parent as well as a psychologist.
Private and charter school students
Most private schools have no school psychologist on staff. Charter schools are public schools and must evaluate for special education, but their resources and timelines vary. Johnston County private schools already send students to Rebecca for evaluations. She works with the parent, gathers what the classroom teacher is seeing, and writes recommendations the school can carry out.
Learn moreHomeschool families
North Carolina requires an annual nationally standardized achievement test for every homeschool student, and the results stay in your records. Rebecca gives the test one on one, which matters for younger students and children who freeze up in group settings, and her report includes observations and next steps, not just scores.
Learn moreESA+ renewals
Families using North Carolina's ESA+ scholarship need updated documentation of continuing eligibility. Anchor EEC is on the official NCSEAA provider list and accepts ClassWallet payments, so ESA+ families can renew without a second provider.
Learn moreJohnston County communities we serve
Families come from across the county, from the I-40 growth corridor around Clayton to Smithfield, Selma, and the southern end of the county. Families from across Johnston County come to Rebecca's practice regularly.
Clayton Smithfield Selma Benson Four Oaks Kenly Princeton Wilson's Mills
Common Questions
Questions from Johnston County families
How far is Anchor EEC from Clayton and Smithfield?
Anchor EEC is at 106 New Edition Court, Cary, NC 27511. From Clayton, the drive is usually 30 to 40 minutes via US-70 and I-40. From Smithfield, Selma, and Four Oaks, plan on 45 minutes to an hour on I-40. Rush hour around Garner can add time, so it is worth mentioning your drive when you call.
How many trips to Cary does an evaluation take?
Usually two or three. The first conversation happens by phone, so you do not drive anywhere until testing day. Testing takes one or two sessions depending on the evaluation, and then Rebecca meets with you in person to go through the report. Most families have the written report and feedback session within about three to four weeks of testing.
Did Rebecca really work in Johnston County Public Schools?
Yes. Rebecca spent eight to ten years as a school psychologist in Johnston County Public Schools, after four and a half years in Cumberland County Schools. She knows how JCPS evaluations, IEP meetings, and 504 plans work from the inside, and the referral relationships she built there still bring Johnston County families to her practice today.
Can a JCPS school team use an evaluation from Anchor EEC?
Yes. Under federal special education law, a school team must consider an outside evaluation that parents bring to them when making decisions about a student. Rebecca writes her reports with that meeting in mind: clear findings, plain-language explanations, and specific recommendations a Johnston County IEP or 504 team can act on.
Do you offer homeschool testing for Johnston County families?
Yes. North Carolina requires homeschool students to take a nationally standardized achievement test every year. Rebecca administers the Woodcock-Johnson Fifth Edition one on one and gives you a written report with strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations. Families with more than one homeschooled child can ask about testing siblings on the same day so one trip covers everyone.
Is therapy available if we live in Johnston County?
Yes. Rebecca provides therapy for children, teens, and young adults through age 22. Sessions are held in person in Cary, and secure video sessions are available for clients located in North Carolina, which many families outside Wake County find easier for weekly appointments.
Schedule an evaluation from Johnston County
Anchor EEC is at 106 New Edition Court, Cary, NC 27511, about 30 minutes from Clayton and 45 minutes from Smithfield. Call 919-446-3700 or send a message and Rebecca will talk through what you are seeing and which evaluation fits.