Information for Patients

Adults (18+ years of age)

As a patient, you can expect a respectful, thorough, and accurate evaluation of your circumstances and mental status. Although a few parts of the examination might be mentally challenging, the examination is neither painful nor invasive and every attempt will be made to ensure your comfort. You have certain legal privacy rights with regard to the disclosure of the information obtained during an examination and these rights, together with any limitations or exceptions, will be explained to you beforehand. The following domains will usually be assessed:

  1. General intellectual functioning
  2. Academic skills and learning from prior formal education
  3. Attention
  4. Speed of mental processing
  5. Short-, Intermediate-, and Long-Term Memory
  6. Speech, writing, reading, and language abilities
  7. Sensory functions
  8. Visual spatial and visuoconstructional abilities
  9. Conceptual reasoning and problem-solving abilities
  10. Personality and emotional functioning
  11. General behavioral functioning

The length of an examination is dependent on the individual and the issues involved. It may not be necessary to assess certain domains or others might be added. Therefore, the examination can take from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the complexity of the issues. Sometimes, the examination is done in shorter sessions over a couple of days.

After the examination, I will spend several hours scoring, analyzing, and interpreting the results. I will then generate a written report. It may be a simple summary (1-2 pages) or a lengthy formal report (up to 20 pages), depending on the results and the reason for the evaluation. The written report cannot be released to anyone without your prior written signed authorization.

You are also entitled to a follow-up feedback session during which the results will be explained in detail. You may have another person present during the session, provided you sign a written authorization.

Preparing for the exam

You may call and make an appointment directly. After you receive an appointment date and time, you should make the following preparations:

  1. Be aware that the examination could last as long as a full day or a couple of half days. Breaks will be provided and you may want to bring a lunch or snack and something to drink.

  2. Third parties (a spouse, attendant, friend) may wait in the waiting room but are not permitted in the examination room.

  3. You should not drink alcoholic beverages, smoke or ingest marijuana, or take over-the-counter sleeping or allergy medications (decongestants or antihistamines) within 24 hours of the examination. You may eat a normal breakfast or lunch.

  4. Psychoactive medications can affect the results of neuropsychological testing, particularly in high doses. To the extent possible, you should refrain from taking the following within 48 hours of the appointment:
    • Narcotic analgesics (e.g., Vicodin, Darvocet, Percocet, Demerol)
    • Sleeping medications (e.g., Ambien, Restoril)
    • Anti-convulsants
    • Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium, Xanax)
    • Mood stabilizers (e.g., lithium carbonate)
    • Antidepressants (e.g., tricyclic, conventional, or SSRI’s)
    • Anti-hypertensives (e.g., beta-blockers, thiazides).
    Do not discontinue any of these medications on your own. Contact your general physician or the the physician(s) who prescribe these medications and discuss the possibility of discontinuing them before the evaluation.

  5. Bring a list of all of the prescribed regular medications you are taking with you to the examination and indicate on it which, if any, of them have taken in the prior 48 hours. If you need to take a prescribed medication during the examination, bring it with you in its original pharmacy container.

  6. You should be comfortable during the examination. Bring and use any assistive devices that have been prescribed or recommended to you such as these:
    • Eye glasses/ contact lenses
    • Hearing aid
    • Neck brace
    • Lumbar pillow

Children (up to 18 years of age)

Parents usually request an evaluation for their children when there are certain issues that may include:

  • A neurological disorder like spina bifida, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy
  • A brain injury from trauma to the head, lack of oxygen, or infection
  • Medical problems like premature birth, diabetes, chronic heart or breathing problems, genetic disorders, or childhood cancer, exposure to lead, street drugs, or inhalants, prenatal exposure to alcohol, smoking, or street drugs
  • School or developmental problems such as learning disability, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder
  • Had an evaluation by a psychologist, school, or other health professional that has not helped.

A neuropsychological evaluation differs from a school evaluation, even though some of the same tests might be used by both. School psychologists focus on determining if a child has a problem, while neuropsychologists focus on understanding why a child is having problems. A neuropsychological assessment goes beyond the evaluation of academic skills to the evaluation of complex thinking skills necessary to perform well in school and outside school (see the list of domains examined below).

As a parent, you can expect that your child will be treated in a respectful manner and that his or her evaluation will be as thorough and accurate as possible given your child’s circumstances, development, abilities, and mental status. Although a few parts of the examination might be mentally challenging, the examination is neither painful or invasive and every attempt will be made to ensure your child’s comfort. You have certain legal privacy rights with regard to the disclosure of the information obtained during an examination and these rights, together with any limitations or exceptions, will be explained to you beforehand. The following domains will usually be assessed:

  1. General intellectual functioning
  2. Chronological and mental developmental level
  3. Current level of academic skills and learning from formal education
  4. Attention
  5. Speed of mental processing
  6. Short-, Intermediate-, and Long-Term Memory
  7. Speech, writing, reading, and language abilities
  8. Sensory functions
  9. Visual spatial and visuoconstructional abilities
  10. Conceptual reasoning and problem-solving abilities
  11. Personality and emotional functioning (depression, anxiety, aggression)
  12. General behavioral functioning
  13. Social skills

The length of an examination is dependent on the individual and the issues involved. It may not be necessary to assess certain domains or others might be added. Therefore, the examination can take from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the complexity of the issues. Sometimes, the examination is done in shorter sessions over a couple of days.

After the examination, I will spend several hours scoring, analyzing, and interpreting the results. I will then generate a written report. It may be a simple summary (1-2 pages) or a lengthy formal report (up to 20 pages), depending on the results and the reason for the evaluation. The written report cannot be released to anyone without your prior written signed authorization.

You are also entitled to a follow-up feedback session during which the results will be explained in detail. Depending on age and circumstances, you may or may not have your child present during the follow-up session. All persons who have legal custody (single or joint) for the child (parents, legal guardians) are entitled to be present during the session.

Preparing your child for the exam

You may call and make an appointment directly. After you receive an appointment date and time, you should make the following preparations:

  1. All persons who have legal custody (single or joint) for the child (parents, legal guardians) must give signed permission for the evaluation, whether or not they are present during it.

  2. The examination could last as long as a full day or a couple of half days. Breaks will be provided and you may want to bring a lunch or snack and something to drink.

  3. Younger children (4-10 years) are usually accompanied by a parent or guardian during the examination. An examination with young children usually requires frequent breaks and some “recess” or play time.

  4. Older children (11-14 years) may or may not be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the examination, depending on their situation and ability to cooperate. It is best if the child is able to be examined without a parent or guardian present because that may cause distraction.

  5. Children should not be given over-the-counter sleeping or allergy medications (decongestants or antihistamines) within 24 hours of the examination. They may eat a normal breakfast or lunch.

  6. Psychoactive medications can affect the results of neuropsychological testing, particularly in high doses. To the extent possible, your child should not take the following within 48 hours of the appointment:
    • Narcotic analgesics (e.g., Vicodin, Darvocet, Percocet, Demerol)
    • Sleeping medications (e.g., Ambien, Restoril)
    • Anti-convulsants
    • Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium, Xanax)
    • Mood stabilizers (e.g., lithium carbonate)
    • Antidepressants (e.g., tricyclic, conventional, or SSRI’s)
    • Anti-hypertensives (e.g., beta-blockers, thiazides).
    Do not discontinue any of these medications on your own. Contact you’re your child’s general physician or the physician(s) who prescribe any of these medications and discuss the possibility of discontinuing them before the evaluation.

  7. Bring a list of all of the prescribed regular medications you child is taking with you to the examination and indicate on it which, if any, of them have taken in the prior 48 hours. If your child needs to take a prescribed medication during the examination, bring it with you in its original pharmacy container.

  8. Your child should be comfortable during the examination. Bring and use any assistive devices that have been prescribed or recommended to you such as these:
    • Eye glasses / contact lenses
    • Hearing aid
    • Neck brace
    • Lumbar pillow