Pediatric Neuropsychology
What Is It?
Pediatric Neuropsychology is a professional specialty concerned with learning and behavior in the context of the developing child or adolescent. Our doctors conduct evaluations with children and adolescents who have suspected learning, behavioral, and/or emotional difficulties. Through formal testing of functional skills, such as memory and attention, we will measure your child’s brain functions.
Data-Driven Results
Our evaluations typically involve a clinical interview, paper/pencil question and answer tests, computer tests, interactive tasks/tests, interpersonal interactions with the doctor, and behavioral rating forms, which are completed by parents and teachers.
Please see the "FAQ about neuropsychological evaluations" section below for more information.
Effective Treatments & Advocacy For Your Child
The results of the evaluation will be used to identify specific areas of concern and address how to most effectively treat those concerns. The doctors will focus on how to best advocate for you and your child and will provide you with a well-curated list of quality healthcare providers in the area that are specific to your child's needs.
Neuropsychological evaluations
Comprehensive evaluations are conducted with children, adolescents, and young adults with a history of developmental difficulties and/or acquired injuries including: traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, epilepsy, brain tumors, spina bifida, and intellectual disability.
Titrating stimulant medication
Through a collaborative relationship with prescribing physicians, titration testing helps determine the optimal dosage level, minimize potential side effects, and maximize the benefits of stimulant medications.
Sports concussion evaluations
Our doctors evaluate the neuropsychological skills (i.e. memory, reaction time, and attention) of the concussed athlete. They then work closely with the treating physician or athletic trainer to determine when it's safe for the athlete to return to play.
school consultations
Classroom observations and consultations with educational professionals are arranged to assist with the development of an Individualized Educational Program (IEP).
psychoeducational evaluations
Comprehensive evaluations are conducted to determine whether the student is eligible for accommodations and modifications in the academic setting and/or for standardized testing (i.e., SAT, ACT)
Frequently Asked Questions
Neuropsychological Evaluations
- General Cognitive Skills (Intelligence)
- Academic Achievement (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic)
- Executive Functioning Skills
(i.e., Planning/Organization, Impulsivity, Problem Solving, Flexibility in thinking, etc.) - Attention and Concentration
- Learning and Memory (of Auditory and Visual Information)
- Language and Communication Skills
- Visual-Spatial Skills
- Motor Coordination
- Social, Behavioral, and Emotional Functioning
Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults, with suspected:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Learning Disorders (LD), Dyslexia
- Learning and/or Attention difficulties in the context of “giftedness” (sometimes referred to as “twice exceptional”)
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (i.e., Autism, Asperger’s Disorder)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Sports-Related Concussions
- Seizure Disorders
- Tourette’s Disorder
- Intellectual Disability and Developmental Delays
- Speech/Language Disorders and Delays
- Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder
- Various Genetic Disorders (i.e., Fragile X Syndrome, Velocardiofacial Syndrome VCFS, Turner Syndrome, Neurofibromatosis, etc.)
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
- Public schools are limited in their resources and often only briefly assess intelligence, academics, and sometimes behavior through parent and teacher rating forms.
- The goal of a school psychological evaluation is to identify eligibility for special education services, while a neuropsychological evaluation can identify your child’s problems in the context of a suspected diagnosis and identify your child’s relative strengths and weaknesses.
- Our doctors may attend the school’s IEP and Section 504 Plan meetings in order to assist in the communication of the information from the assessment with the educational providers.