Neuropsychological Evaluations

What is a neuropsychological evaluation?

A neuropsychological evaluation can provide information about different thinking skills such as intelligence, attention and concentration, processing speed, executive functioning (e.g., planning and organization), memory, language, visual-spatial skills, and fine motor abilities. It can also examine emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. An evaluation can help:

  • Provide an in-depth understanding of your child’s challenges and strengths.

  • Clarify any diagnoses (e.g., ADHD).

  • Develop targeted recommendations to help your child succeed at home, in school, and in the community.

When might my child need a neuropsychological evaluation?

Children who struggle with their thinking skills can benefit from an evaluation. An evaluation can also be helpful for children who struggle emotionally, have behavior difficulties, or social challenges. Children with medical conditions that can affect thinking including seizures and epilepsy, traumatic brain injuries or concussion, spina bifida, genetic disorders, premature birth, brain tumors or cancer treatments, sickle cell disease, multiple sclerosis, and many others can benefit from an evaluation. An evaluation can be helpful when you find yourself thinking:

  • School has always been frustrating for my child, but I’m not sure why.

  • My child is struggling with reading. Could he have dyslexia?

  • My child has problems concentrating, does she have ADHD?

  • My child has a medical condition that can affect her thinking. How is this impacting her learning?

Does an evaluation provide a diagnosis?

A neuropsychological evaluation can reveal diagnoses such as ADHD, language disorders, intellectual disability, as well as mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. We do not like to label children, but characterizing their struggles can help determine the best treatment to support their needs. A neuropsychological evaluation that includes academic testing can also assess for learning disabilities. Autism testing can also be added to a neuropsychological evaluation.

Autism Evaluations

What is an autism evaluation?

An autism evaluation is a focused evaluation with the purpose of answering questions related to autism. The testing focuses on observing social behavior by having your child complete several play-based tasks (using the ADOS-2) that elicit social interactions. This evaluation includes questionnaires completed by caregivers and teachers that provide information on social functioning and other autism-related behaviors in different settings. This evaluation can also include measures of intelligence and adaptive skills. Overall, an autism evaluation can:

  • Assess for the presence of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.

  • Assist with treatment planning for autism should a diagnosis be appropriate.

  • Develop targeted recommendations to help your child succeed at home, in school, and in the community.

When might my child need an autism evaluation?

Children who struggle with social communication and exhibit repetitive or restrictive behaviors can benefit from an autism evaluation. An evaluation can be helpful when you find yourself thinking:

  • Are my child’s challenges with social skills due to autism?

  • Is my child’s fixation on certain interests due to autism?

  • My child has some repetitive behaviors such as lining up toys repeatedly. Is this OCD or autism?

  • Are my child’s strong sensitivities to noises and textures due to autism?

Evaluation Process

  • Initial Consultation

    The first step is calling our office for a phone consultation to discuss if a neuropsychological evaluation would be helpful for your child. If you decide to proceed, we send you background history and consent forms to complete and sign electronically.

  • Parent Interview

    We meet virtually for approximately one hour to discuss concerns regarding your child’s thinking skills, emotions, social functioning, and behavior. We also gather more background information to help guide how we will structure testing.

  • Testing Session

    Your child completes paper-and-pencil and computerized tasks to measure his or her thinking skills and other aspects of functioning. This usually occurs on one day at our Portland office and takes between 3-8 hours depending on the type of evaluation. Breaks are provided as needed.

  • Feedback Session

    We meet again for an hour a few weeks later to discuss results, any diagnoses, clinical impressions, and recommendations on how to best support your child in different settings. You will then receive a complete report.