A child receives a referral for neuropsychological testing when there are concerns about one or more areas of development. Certainly, these areas of concern can include cognition, academics, attention, memory, language, socialization, emotional regulation, behavioral concerns, motor difficulties, visual-spatial, and adaptive functioning. Testing can identify your child’s learning style and cognitive strengths. Lastly, through testing, our neuropsychologists can recommend accommodations to implement at school and at home.
What is a neuropsychological evaluation?
A neuropsychological evaluation aids the psychologist in determining a diagnosis.
Such as:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Specific Learning Disorder
- Language Disorder
- Emotional and behavioral disorders
How do I know if my child needs a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation?
An evaluation is usually recommended if your child has a medical condition such as Down syndrome, epilepsy, or a traumatic brain injury (TBI). So, the goal of the evaluation is to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses. With this information, we can provide the right treatment recommendations, determine progress and response to intervention, and monitor functioning.
After your pediatrician has made a referral for a neuropsychological evaluation, you need to schedule an intake appointment. Typically, each intake appointment is one hour long.
Is my child eligible for testing at NSPT’s neuropsychological testing center?
Due to our growing team, we are able to test a larger population. Most noteworthy, we offer three types of testing services:
- Early Childhood Developmental Assessment
This is a multidisciplinary approach where our team works with a speech therapist and occupation therapist to assess children ages 15 months to 3 years, 11 months with developmental concerns ranging from socialization, language, and motor development. Each of the 3 scheduled testing appointments are typically on separate days. - Neuropsychological Evaluation
NSPT’s standard neuropsychological evaluation for individuals ages 4 through college-age. - Adult ADHD assessment
This is a new service we are now offering to adults who are interested in an ADHD evaluation. Typically, this is a one-day, 4-hour evaluation.
What should I expect during the neuropsychological intake?
- Your first appointment is centered around talking with the psychologist about your areas of concern. Therefore, you will be asked to do the following:
- Provide information about your child’s history.
- Including medical, developmental, academic, attention, behavior, motor, and social history.
- Inform the psychologist of any current, or past, services your child receives, such as:
- speech-language therapy
- occupational therapy
- physical therapy
- individual therapy
- academic tutoring
What to bring to the neuropsychological intake:
- You and your child
- Completed intake paperwork
- Similarly, any prior psychological/neuropsychological evaluation (if applicable)
- Your child’s most recent 504 Plan or IEP (if applicable)
- Additionally, any recent private intervention evaluation (e.g., speech-language therapy, occupational therapy)
- Certainly, don’t forget your child’s most recent report card or standardized exam scores
- Finally, any relevant medical information (e.g., EEG report, CT/MRI scan report)
Lastly, after the intake, you will schedule the testing session for your child. Most of the time, testing is completed in one day (5 hours of testing). Occasionally, the testing will be completed over two days. The psychologist will create a neuropsychological battery based on the areas of concern. However, the battery is subject to adjustment on the day of testing. Typically, this occurs if another area of concern arises during the testing session.
To sum up, a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation can also help to determine any appropriate therapies such as speech or Applied Behavior Analysis. For more FAQ, click here.
