Neuropsychological & Psychoeducational
Evaluations

Neuropsychological evaluations are one of our many specialities and Dr. Brown works closely with various local school districts and is highly recommended by many of the area private schools, pediatricians, neurologists, and therapists as a seasoned neuropsychologist.

She conducts comprehensive evaluations of children as young as 2 years old up through college age young adults who may be facing neurodevelopmental challenges, difficulty with learning, attention and executive function problems, traumatic brain injury or complex psychiatric challenges. 

 

We do not use a standard battery for our evaluations. Instead, evaluations are tailored to the individual and the specific presenting concerns. The goal is to help clarify an individual's functional abilities that may help explain why they are struggling in certain areas. The most important aspect of the evaluation is the data-driven recommendations that are meant to provide an explanation of the individual's strengths and weaknesses and offers specific educational and treatment interventions to help them achieve their potential. 

 

We offer and recommend in-person testing, but can discuss a remote Telehealth option if necessary. 

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A Neuropsychological evaluation begins with a clinical evaluation including a structured interview with the parent and/or client to gather pertinent developmental history, presenting problems, patterns of behavior, educational history, etc. If there is any prior testing, it would be important to share that information during this meeting. Teacher comments, grades, any standardized tests or other professionals who can provide collateral information is very useful.

 

Each battery of tests is unique and tailored to the individual; however, all neuropsychological evaluations include information about one’s present level of: cognition, academic abilities, memory, executive functioning (attention, problem-solving, flexibility, planning), and behavior. In addition, a more thorough evaluation of personality and psychological functioning may be incorporated. Neuropsychological evaluation is the most comprehensive type of evaluation because it involves approximately 6-8 hours of face-to-face evaluation time and reveals information related to but not limited to:

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• Attention and concentration

• Verbal and visual memory

• Auditory and visual processing

• Visual-spatial functioning

• Language and Reading skills

• Sensory Development and Sensory Integration

• Gross and fine motor development

• Social Skill Development

• Executive Functioning

• Emotional and Personality development

 

To learn more please click HERE or visit our "Resources" page.

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A Psychoeducational evaluation is essentially a portion of the tests used in the neuropsychological evaluation used to determine if there is a meaningful difference between an individual’s cognitive abilities and his/her academic achievement. It is more limited in scope and is not always reliably diagnostic. Specific measures of reading, writing, and mathematics are included. Abbreviated measures of attention, and social- emotional behavior are used to rule out other factors interfering with learning.

 

The face-to-face time involved in these types of evaluations is approximately 4-6 hours. The results determine what is needed for intervention and/or the necessity for educational supports or accommodations. The examiner may uncover particular weaknesses in processing that many need further exploration and will determine the need for further evaluation. If additional evaluation is recommended, it will be discussed with the parent/individual.

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Accommodations for Standardized Testing includes accommodations for tests such as the ACT and SAT. Extra time or breaks for example may be awarded to students that have gone through the proper evaluations in order to submit their results to The College Board or other organizations for special accommodations.

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Head Injury/Concussion Evaluations may be helpful for those who have sustained a head injury or concussion. A neuropsychological evaluation will help monitor and manage the recovery process and can diagnose or identify signs of cognitive dysfunction which all play an important role in the overall recovery.

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A Psychological Evaluation is frequently incorporated into the comprehensive evaluation but can also be conducted separately and used for diagnostic and treatment planning purposes. This testing is usually achieved through various types of self-rating measures, clinical interviews, observations, and personality measures designed to understand individual's emotional functioning. 

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Neurodevelopmental Evaluations are specialized assessments of toddlers through preschool aged children with a wide range of developmental, behavioral, emotional, and/or learning difficulties. Suspected delays in cognitive abilities, pre-academic skills, play, language and communication skills, adaptive function skills, motor skills, behavior and attention or any loss or regression of skills would necessitate this type of evaluation. We offer the Autism Diagnostic Observation System (ADOS) which is used to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

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IQ Testing is a measure of one's thinking and reasoning abilities and this evaluation provides formal documentation of one's IQ scores that may be required for admission to a school or specialized program. 

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Dr. Brown and her team also work closely with many area special education advocates and attorneys to help students with special needs access the educational opportunities they deserve. These evaluations are complex and may require expert testimony. Please inquire to discuss further. 

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To Learn more about the Evaluation Process please click HERE.

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