Neuropsychological Evaluations
Is this normal?
Does my child have a problem? Should it be addressed?
How do we find out if it's a problem? And what can be done if it is?
Children are complex and so is the world that they grow up in. There are five core areas of their development that influence their future. These include: Intellectual, Academic, Social, Behavioral, and Neurological. As children mature and grow older, parents notice how their child is functioning in these five core developmental areas. Uncertainty can arise regarding such areas as school performance, social adjustments, emotional welfare, or whether a child has ADHD, dyslexia, executive skill functioning, or even autism spectrum concerns. Questions begin to arise in parents’ minds such as: “Is this normal? Does my child have a problem? Should it be addressed? How do we find out if it's a problem? And what can be done if it is?”
We help parents find answers and provide helpful recommendations through personalized neuropsychological evaluations. Our team wants to know your specific concerns, and we will help you develop the most important questions that you want to answer from our evaluation.
Our methods are the most current, evidence-based, and sophisticated testing available. Neuropsychological evaluations provide the same function as diagnostic imaging scans and blood panels in medicine. They go below the surface and provide greater clarity for the underlying reasons for the areas of concern.
Our battery of tests include the following areas:
Intelligence: These tests measure different areas of thinking such as memory, verbal understanding, reasoning, and how quickly information can be processed. One common outcome is an IQ score, but that number is just one part of the bigger picture.
Psychoeducational: The goal is to find out why a child may be struggling in school, and figure out how to best support their learning. The tests look at academic skills (reading, writing, and math). The results can be used to create personalized learning plans, identify learning differences, or determine eligibility for special educational services.
Neuro-academic: More in-depth than standard academic testing, these tests explore how a child’s brain functions impact their learning and school performance. Areas include attention, executive functioning (planning, organizing, self-control), language skills, and visual-spatial abilities.
Social-emotional: These tests provide insight into a child’s inner world—how they feel, how they interact with others, and how they manage stress, frustration, or change. They can identify anxiety, depression, and relational skills functioning.
What are the steps of a neuropsychological evaluation?
STEP 1: We start by personally interviewing parents for a history which includes developmental milestones and previous levels of functioning. This may include additional information provided by teachers, coaches, or other relevant collateral contacts with rating scales. During the parent interview, it’s also a time when we try to pinpoint your specific concerns so we can select the proper testing and be sure to address what’s most important to you.
STEP 2: The next step is for the team to select a battery of tests and then schedule times for testing. It is usually broken into sessions of time that are appropriate to the age and maturity of the child. This is to avoid the fatigue factor influencing the results.
STEP 3: The next phase is a three-to-four week period of scoring the tests, analyzing the results, and writing a comprehensive report that provides a profile of the strengths and weaknesses particularly relevant to the specific questions that have been asked.
STEP 4: We then meet with the parents to review the test results. The psychologist will explain the findings, as well as answer questions related to results and recommendations. A comprehensive report including testing measures, scores, analysis, and treatment recommendations will be provided privately to each family for their records and future advocacy for your child.
We are also available to provide follow up consultations to the parents, child study teams, teachers, and other important collateral contacts including coaches, camps, religions institutions, and others. Additionally, we can provide a comprehensive list of referrals for remediation and ongoing support.