Neuropsychological Testing
The decision to have your child evaluated is a difficult one. Many people grapple with making this decision because they are unsure of its benefits. Your child’s unique needs, strengths, and challenges will be assessed through a variety of testing techniques. Our culturally diverse professionals will help you to work with your child to achieve the best outcome.
What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s cognitive, sensory-motor functions, behavioral, language, and visual-spatial skills. It is an interactive assessment that uses standardized procedures to understand the process of how and why an individual behaves, struggles, or fails. The data obtained from the evaluation can provide information leading to diagnosis of cognitive deficit, confirmation of a diagnosis, or guide effective treatment methods for rehabilitation of impaired patients.
When would I need a Neuropsychological Evaluation?
Individuals who suffer from head injury, learning or attention deficits, exposure to drugs, alcohol, or maternal illness in utero, exposure to chemicals, toxins, or heavy metals, Parkinson’s disease, seizure disorders, strokes, and dementia will benefit from a neuropsychological evaluation. As well as when there are complaints of problems with language or visual-spatial skills and those who suffer from Psychiatric or Attention-Deficit disorder.
What is Psychological Evaluation?
A psychological evaluation is a set of assessment procedures administered by a licensed psychologist to obtain information about a student's learning, behavior, or mental health. Evaluations can be conducted to identify significant mental health concerns, determine your readiness for a surgical evaluation, help develop instructional or behavior plans for your child, or determine eligibility for gifted programs, school readiness, or special education.
What are the benefits of a Psychological Evaluation?
An evaluation can provide valuable information for multiple settings, including work, home and school. The purpose of an evaluation is to determine what is happening in the individual’s life that is affecting their ability to work, learn or behave in an appropriate and constructive manner. An evaluation can also make sense of a problem, clarify diagnoses, provide recommendations for community-based treatment and help a person live a more healthy satisfying and successful life. For parents seeking an evaluation, it can provide insight into whether your child should qualify for special education services or accommodations, inform treatment, and help your child function better at school or in their community.
What areas of Neuropsychological and Psychological testing are available?
Below you will find a list of types of psychological and educational testing. This list is not exhaustive and is to be used as a guide to reflect areas of need psychological and educational testing can identify.
- Academic skills (reading fluency, reading comprehension, mathematics, problem solving, and writing), and processing skills.
- Anxiety Disorders
- Attention Disorders such as ADD/ADHD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses
- Depression & Bipolar Disorders
- Developmental Delays
- Dyslexia/Reading and Learning Disabilities
- Early Entrance/Readiness for Kindergarten
- Entrance into Gifted and Academically Talented Programs
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder
- Pre-Surgical Psychological Screenings
- Social Security Disability Evaluation
- Updated Testing for College Entrance and Accommodations
How long does a Neuropsychological or Psychological evaluation take?
Each evaluation battery is specifically tailored to client's presenting concerns and individual needs. The length of an evaluation depends on the client's abilities, referral concern(s), and their response style. Most evaluations can be completed in one day or across multiple days.
