If your child's lawyer suggests hiring Dr. Simun for a psychological evaluation or IEE, I would…read morestrongly recommend thinking twice. From the start, my experience was unsettling. When I first called her office, the voicemail sounded like a personal conversation followed by screaming. It felt bizarre and unprofessional.
Unfortunately, things didn't improve from there. The office seemed disorganized, and the forms I was asked to complete felt excessive and unrelated to my child's specific needs.
During the evaluation, I felt that Dr. Simun wasn't providing an objective assessment. My child, who is autistic, engages in repetitive behaviors and speech patterns, often repeating random phrases. Instead of addressing or acknowledging this, Dr. Simun acted as though everything my child said made sense. To me, this came across as dismissive, as though she wasn't engaging with the behaviors that really needed attention.
If you're looking to secure additional services or accommodations from the school district, I wouldn't expect her to advocate for you. In my experience, the school district actually seemed more understanding of my child's needs than she did. I was surprised and disappointed, especially considering that my lawyer had recommended her. Perhaps her approach worked for others in the past, but I personally found her dismissive of parental insights and overly confident in her own perspective. I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on her judgment.
One major concern I had was regarding confidentiality. Without asking for our consent, Dr. Simun shared personal information about my child with a student observer before we even arrived. She also had this student present throughout the assessment without seeking our permission.
During the evaluation itself, my child often gave incorrect answers, but Dr. Simun kept praising her with phrases like "Good job, that's correct," or offering multiple chances to change her answer until it was right. She even pointed to the correct answer several times throughout the assessment. This led me to believe that she was not providing an objective evaluation.
Overall, I felt that her attitude of 'appearing to know better than anyone else' was unhelpful and even harmful in a situation where vulnerable individuals rely on accurate evaluations.
Also, I'm not someone who usually focuses on "energy" or "vibes," but I couldn't ignore how uncomfortable her presence made me feel. It added to the stress of an already difficult situation.
This review reflects my honest experience and personal opinions based on our visit.
