When should I seek an evaluation for my child?

There are a variety of reasons you might want to consider a neuropsychological evaluation.  Your child may be experiencing ongoing difficulties at school or home, and you are not sure why.  Your child may already have a known learning disability, or other diagnosis, and is not responding to interventions. Results of a neuropsychological evaluation will detail your child’s strengths and weaknesses and clarify how they impact their behavior and academic performance. This, in turn, will help us develop informed and practical interventions that are tailored specifically to your child’s needs.

If your child had an evaluation in the past, an updated assessment can help track their progress and dictate any necessary updates to the current intervention plan.

A neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation may also be recommended when:

  • Your child is working hard but still performing below grade level

  • Your child has difficulty focusing or remembering information

  • Your child has a medical diagnosis (e.g., seizure disorders, epilepsy) or has suffered a traumatic brain injury or illness that may impact cognitive development

  • Your child is easily distracted and has difficulty focusing

  • Your child has a hard time organizing their materials or planning their work

  • Your child processes information and/or works very slowly

  • Your child seems unhappy or angry

  • Your child is socially isolated, does not have close friends or feels uncomfortable with peers.

  • You believe your child might be gifted and you are looking for an appropriate academic setting

There are many additional scenarios which might warrant an evaluation. We are happy to discuss the specifics of your situation and help you decide whether an assessment would be beneficial.

What can I expect during an evaluation?

All of our evaluations include three core components: initial meetings with parents or guardians, standardized tests for your child, and a feedback session.

Intake Session: During the first session, we will gather a comprehensive history of your child and determine what type of evaluation would be most beneficial to address your concerns. Prior to the meeting, we will send you an intake form to complete at home and ask that you bring it with you to the intake. It is also important that you bring copies of any previous assessments, IEP’s, ERB’s, report cards, and results of prior state testing

Evaluation: After the first meeting with you, we’ll schedule evaluation sessions with your child. A complete evaluation typically takes 9 to 10 hours, divided over the course of three to four sessions. However, this can vary depending on the age and needs of your child. Our assessment includes a variety of hands-on activities such as puzzles, logic games, paper and pencil activities, computer activities, and academic reading, writing, and math tasks. Every child is given breaks as needed to promote engagement during these sessions. We will also ask your child’s teacher and possibly your child, to complete various questionnaires regarding their day to day functioning and activities. We may also schedule a visit to your child’s school to observe them during class and during less structured times like recess.

Feedback Session: Once the full evaluation is complete, we will schedule a feedback session. This is when we will review all of the results and clarify what each test measured and what your child’s scores mean. We’ll also explain the implications of these results for your child’s functioning and provide clear and practical recommendations. We encourage adolescents to attend the feedback sessions with you. For younger children, we are happy to provide more abbreviated feedback, tailored to their development level.

Will I receive a report?

Yes! We will provide you with a comprehensive written report during the feedback session that details your child’s results and diagnostic findings, if any. The report will also include a detailed set of recommendations to use both at home and in school settings. We will prioritize the interventions so that you know which ones are most critical and do not feel overwhelmed by too much information.

How will this evaluation be useful?

An evaluation can help us understand why your child is struggling and how he or she can best be supported. It can provide insight into your child’s learning style as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses. Results will help us determine if there is a need for special accommodations, remedial services, or a different school placement. In addition, an evaluation can be useful in gauging the effectiveness of current recommendations and treatments, and tracking your child’s progress.

AT NEST we are not just your child’s evaluators – we are their advocates! When needed, we will refer your child to providers who we know and trust! We will work with these providers and with your child’s school to ensure that your child receives the supports they need to thrive. We also believe in ongoing communication after the evaluations are done and invite you update us on your child’s progress and contact us with any questions or concerns.

How do I prepare my child for testing?

It’s essential that you are as open and honest with your child as possible. This will help reduce anxiety about the assessment and encourage their cooperation. One rule of thumb is to introduce the discussion by the number of days as your child is old. For example, if your child is eight years old, talk to her at least eight days before the testing.

You might want to explain to your child that the reason for this assessment is to understand why they’re having a hard time in school, or other areas, despite their hard work and efforts to do well. It is best to avoid the word “test,” which can be associated with stressful, school-related experiences. Instead, describe the assessments as a series of activities: completing puzzles, drawing, telling stories, playing games. Be sure to explain to your child that some activities may be easier and others harder, but reassure them that they cannot “fail” the tests. Most importantly, offer your child hope that the evaluation results will show adults how to best help them.

How much does it cost and do you accept insurance?

Every evaluation is unique, and the cost depends on your child’s needs.  At the intake we will discuss with you the type of evaluation we believe would be most beneficial for your child and how much it will cost. Feel free to contact us for more information and explanation of fees. Payment from clients is expected at the time of service.

NEST is not in-network with any insurance companies at this time; however, in some situations, we can be an out-of-network provider. We suggest contacting your insurance provider prior to your first meeting to determine whether a portion of your evaluation will be covered. We are happy to work with you to provide any necessary documentation for out-of-network benefits.  If you are interested in learning about your coverage, the procedural or CPT codes used for an evaluation are:   90791, 96116, 96121, 96130, 96131, 96132, 96133, 96136, 96137, and 96127. 

If you have any further questions, please reach us directly.