Neuropsychological assessment refers to evaluation that includes a test battery used to analyze the mental processes underlying a child’s performance. Common referral questions include whether there is an attention problem, learning disability, or socioemotional factors that are causing functional problems for a student (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, anxiety). Many times children seem to struggle to live up to his or her potential in school or in other aspects of life. This type of testing is used to help clarify the reasons for this and to guide an intervention plan to help them to reach their full potential. Sometimes there are underlying challenges with attention, processing, learning disabilities, or socioemotional problem that interfere with a child’s success. If an issue is suspected, a comprehensive evaluation can help to clarify the diagnostic picture and explain the factors that could be affecting the child.
My Process
We aim to create a comfortable environment and establish rapport with the child so that they feel at ease. Typically, an evaluation requires 3 to 6 hours of testing and includes measures of cognitive ability (intelligence), academic achievement, memory, attention/executive functioning, sensorimotor skills, and socioemotional well being. Test batteries are tailored to the individual needs of the child. Discrepancies between scores may indicate a specific type of learning issue.
Every evaluation includes a 90-minute parent conference to review all the results in detail. A report is also provided, which is a detailed written explanation of the results. This report includes the test data and diagnoses if relevant. Most importantly, the report includes recommendations, which is a roadmap for the child moving forward. The overall goal is to help students reach their full potential by identifying factors that may be affecting the student and providing recommendations to help them thrive.
Want to learn more? Please visit our FAQ section or call us to discuss your specific child's needs.
