Children's Neuropsychological Services, PLLC

Evaluations may be conducted for a wide range of concerns related to learning, attention, development, and behavior. These may include questions about learning disorders, ADHD, autism, emotional or behavioral concerns, and the impact of medical or neurological conditions on learning and development. The type of evaluation recommended depends on the referral question, the student’s age, and the information needed to guide educational or clinical planning.

A neuropsychological evaluation may be helpful when there are questions about a child’s learning, attention, behavior, or development and the reasons for these difficulties are not clear. These evaluations provide a detailed understanding of how a child thinks and learns and can help guide educational and treatment planning. Parents or schools may seek a neuropsychological evaluation when a student is struggling academically despite appropriate instruction, when there are concerns about attention or memory, or when learning difficulties are suspected. Neuropsychological evaluations are also often recommended for children with medical or neurological conditions that may affect learning or development, such as concussion, epilepsy, genetic conditions, or complications related to medical treatment.

A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment that helps us understand how a student learns, thinks, and processes information. It examines areas such as attention, memory, language, reasoning, visual spatial skills, and academic abilities. The evaluation includes an interview with a parent or caregiver, a review of relevant records, and standardized testing with the student. The goal is to identify a student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses and determine whether there are underlying conditions affecting learning, attention, or behavior. The results help guide recommendations for school supports, accommodations, and other services that may help the student succeed academically and emotionally.

An educational evaluation focuses on a student’s academic skills and learning abilities. These evaluations are similar to the types of assessments commonly conducted by school psychologists in schools. Testing typically examines areas such as reading, writing, math, and overall cognitive ability. The goal is to determine whether a student has a learning disorder or other academic difficulties and to better understand their learning profile. Educational evaluations can help identify strengths and weaknesses in academic skills and provide recommendations for instruction, accommodations, and other school supports.

Educational evaluations focus primarily on academic skills. They examine areas such as reading, writing, math, and general cognitive ability to determine whether a student has a learning disorder or other academic difficulty. A neuropsychological evaluation examines the broader cognitive processes that support learning and behavior. In addition to academic skills, it may assess areas such as attention, memory, language, executive functioning, processing speed, and visual spatial skills. Both types of evaluations use standardized testing and can help guide educational planning. A neuropsychological evaluation generally provides a more detailed understanding of how different aspects of brain functioning affect learning, behavior, and development.

Evaluations are conducted for students across childhood and adolescence, including elementary school, middle school, and high school students. In some cases, younger children may also be evaluated. Evaluations of children as young as three years old may be conducted when there are concerns about autism or when a child has a neurological or medical condition that requires monitoring. Evaluations for learning disorders are typically conducted beginning around age five, when children have had some exposure to early academic instruction. Evaluations are also available for college students who need documentation for academic accommodations. In addition, evaluations may be conducted for high school or college students who require documentation for standardized testing accommodations, such as College Board exams or other professional examinations. Information about these services is available on our Neuropsychological Consulting Services page.

Neuropsychological evaluations often involve several hours of standardized testing. In our practice, portions of the testing are administered by a trained psychometrist under the supervision of one of our psychologists. A psychometrist is a professional who specializes in administering and scoring psychological and neuropsychological tests according to standardized procedures. The supervising psychologist is involved throughout the evaluation and remains responsible for all clinical decisions and interpretation of the results. Our psychometrist is board certified through the Board of Certified Psychometrists. This certification indicates advanced training and demonstrated competence in the standardized administration and scoring of psychological tests. Our psychologists select the tests, supervise the testing process, interpret the results, and prepare the final report. This team based approach allows testing to be completed efficiently while ensuring that all findings are carefully reviewed and interpreted by the evaluating psychologist.

Testing is typically scheduled in three hour blocks. The length of testing varies depending on the student’s age, the referral question, and the type of evaluation being completed. Some students finish in two to two and a half hours, but comprehensive evaluations, particularly for older students, may take the full three hours. Students are encouraged to take short breaks during testing when needed. The goal is to keep the pace comfortable so the student can stay focused and do their best. For older students who can tolerate longer testing sessions, we may schedule two three hour blocks in one day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In those cases, students take about a one hour lunch break between sessions so they can rest and return refreshed. For younger children, we also try to keep the experience positive and engaging. We use small rewards such as stickers during testing, and younger children are often able to choose a small item from a prize box at the end of the visit.

Your child will work with a trained psychometrician for most of the testing. A licensed psychologist or neuropsychologist oversees the entire evaluation, selects the tests, interprets the results, and writes the report. The psychologist or neuropsychologist will also spend some time working directly with your child during the evaluation.

A psychometrician, also called a psychometrist, is a trained professional who administers and scores the standardized tests used in neuropsychological and educational evaluations. They work one-on-one with your child during testing and follow strict procedures to ensure results are accurate and reliable. You can think of a psychometrician as similar to a radiology technician. The technician completes the imaging, but the physician reviews and interprets the results. In the same way, the psychometrician completes the testing, but the neuropsychologist or psychologist selects the tests, interprets the findings, and writes the report. Psychometricians do not interpret results or make diagnoses. That role belongs to the licensed neuropsychologists and psychologists.