Psychological, Neuropsychological and Neuropsychoeducational Evaluation
Clinical Neuropsychology is a specialty within psychology that focuses on the relationship of cognitive, psychological, emotional and behavioral problems to an individual's brain function.
Our practice conducts psychological, neuropsychological and neuropsychoeducational (psychoeducational plus) evaluations across a broad age-range, from children as young as 6-years-old up through older adulthood. Referrals for evaluation come to us from a variety of sources: concerned parents, teachers, and other school personnel; learning specialists, reading tutors, and speech therapists; treating physicians, internists and neurologists; psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals; concerned spouses, adult children and other family members; employers; lawyers; and of course those referring themselves.
Why choose a neuropsychological/neuropsychoeducational evaluation over other forms of evaluations? Most often one's challenges can be identified and described with more specificity and accuracy than through other types of evaluations. As a result, more specific interventions can be recommended that have a higher probability of effectively addressing your concerns. Ultimately we believe it offers more value for the resources that you expend.
A neuropsychological/neuropsychoeducational evaluation is best defined by the manner in which one's performance on tests is interpreted based upon an understanding of how the brain functions rather than by the types of test instruments employed. A major advantage of this type of evaluation is a focus upon understanding what the tests are actually requiring of an individual's brain. This allows for a clearer understanding of the nature of the difficulties one is encountering in meeting the expectations at school, home, or work. This question is crucial because two people can perform well or have difficulty with the same task for very different reasons. Hence, understanding the exact nature of the difficulty allows for more accurate intervention. Depending on the nature of the referral, a typical neuropsychological assessment battery would evaluate many and, at times, all of the following areas:
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Children/Adolescents: For younger individuals, often the neuropsychologist is concerned with how the child or adolescent's brain development or neurological status is related to his or her difficulties with learning, acquiring new skills, and developing and strengthening existing abilities. It is also frequently used to obtain diagnostic clarity and help develop a more effective care plan.
Adults: For adults, the neuropsychologist is frequently called upon to assist with providing diagnostic clarity in order to explain the reasons for the changes in cognitive, emotional, and/or social functioning that a person may be experiencing. Accurate diagnosis is key in providing the most appropriate and individually targeted treatment.
The evaluation process is guided by the question(s) the individual, parents and/or referring professionals would like addressed - such as the nature and severity of a client's difficulties in school or at the workplace or the course of a known neurological condition. The evaluation is also guided by questions that frequently arise during the extensive clinical history we take in the initial intake appointments.
We believe, and our client's have often confirmed, that the evaluation is the beginning, not an endpoint, of understanding the nature of one's challenges and behaviors, as well as providing a direction in which to move to improve one's ability to manage life.