Neuropsychological evaluations are used to evaluate a wide range of brain functions and skills that may be affecting learning or behavior. These evaluations can be used to provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses among their cognitive, academic, socioemotional, and behavioral functioning. Additionally, neuropsychological evaluations can provide important information to inform diagnoses and treatment planning, as well as recommendations for appropriate academic and therapeutic supports.
Our team is committed to fostering a nurturing, supportive environment for patients and their families during the evaluation process. A neuropsychological evaluation consists of an intake session, several assessment sessions, a feedback session, and a school feedback meeting for school-aged children. In order to obtain the most comprehensive picture of an individual’s functioning, our clinicians also often speak with family members, teachers, and/or therapists. Additionally, for school-aged children, our clinicians may also complete a school observation if appropriate and desired.
An important part of the evaluation is the initial intake session, which typically takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. During this time, our clinician will gather information about the main concerns and reason for the evaluation, as well as to obtain a full background history of the patient. For preschool and school-aged children, the intake will be conducted with the student’s parents. For individuals age 18 years and older, the intake will be conducted with the patient themselves and caregivers if appropriate.
School observations can be an informative part of the evaluation as they provide an opportunity for our clinicians to gather important information about a student’s day to day learning environment. During an observation, our clinician can gather information about the structure of the student’s learning environment and how they interact with their peers and teachers. As social and school contexts are such essential pieces of understanding a preschool-age child, our evaluations for students in this age group often include a school observation. Additionally, our clinicians may also complete a school observation for older school-aged children if appropriate and desired.
At CBC, our comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is usually completed in about 8-10 hours of testing. Evaluations can be done in person, exclusively via remote administration, or as a hybrid model of remote and in-person testing. Testing is typically broken down into 2 to 3-hour sessions across multiple testing days. The testing sessions can take place within the same week or can be scheduled across multiple weeks. Our clinicians use a strength-based flexible battery approach, where each evaluation is designed and targeted to meet the unique needs of our patients. Throughout the evaluation process, we carefully review an individual’s profile across multiple cognitive domains including
Following the evaluation, our clinician will meet with the student’s caregivers or adult patients to provide a thorough review of the findings as well as appropriate recommendations for home, school, and work if appropriate. The feedback evaluation typically takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. For pre-adolescent and adolescent students, after the caregiver feedback session, our clinicians can also meet individually with the student to discuss the results and highlight targeted areas for support, within the context of the patient’s unique set of strengths. As part of the evaluation process, our clinicians also offer consultations with schools to provide an overview of the evaluation findings and to help establish a learning plan to support the student’s success.
Following a thorough evaluation, our psychologists will provide a comprehensive report that identifies targeted areas for support and recommendations, while building on each individual’s unique set of strengths.
At CBC we understand that for certain patients, targeted neuropsychological, psychological, and educational services are sometimes warranted. Targeted evaluations are designed to evaluate a specific diagnostic question, and do not provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s overall functioning. The Director of Neuropsychological Assessment and Educational Support, Brittney Fallucca, Ph.D., will consult with families on an individual basis to determine if a targeted evaluation can be beneficial.
Please contact our Director of Intake Services at 212-595-9559 (ext.1) or 914-385-1150 (ext.1), or fill out the form above, with any questions regarding eligibility, for further information, or to make a referral. If you are a current patient at CBC, please speak to your individual therapist to see how this group may be of added benefit to you.