| CHILD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | ADULT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | |
 What is a pediatric neuropsychologist? What is a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation? Does a neuropsychological evaluation differ from apsychoeducational, neurological, and/or psychological evaluation? Does my child need a neuropsychological evaluation? At what age should a neuropsychological evaluation beperformed? How long will the evaluation take? Why does the amount of time required to complete aneuropsychological evaluation vary among clinicians? How many sessions will be necessary? What should I tell my child about the evaluation and what should heor she expect on the day of testing? What should we bring with us to the appointment? Should my child take his or her medication on the day of testing? What happens after the evaluation is completed? What will be done to protect my child's privacy? Will my health insurance cover the cost of the evaluation? How frequently should a neuropsychological evaluation beperformed? Who do I contact if I have more questions? Who do I contact for administrative issues? |
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| ADULT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | What is a neuropsychologist? What is a neuropsychological evaluation? How does a neuropsychological evaluation differ from a psychoeducational, neurological, and/or psychological evaluation? Do I need a neuropsychological evaluation? How long will the evaluation take? What should I know about and expect on the day of testing? What should I bring with me to the appointment? Should I take my medication(s) on the day of testing? What happens after the evaluation is completed? What will be done to protect my privacy? Will my health insurance cover the cost of the evaluation? How frequently should a neuropsychological evaluation beperformed? Who do I contact if I have more questions? Who do I contact for administrative issues? |
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| CHILD FAQ | ||
| What is a pediatric neuropsychologist? | ||
A pediatric neuropsychologist is a professional with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and specialized training in brain/behavior relationships via coursework, internships, and postdoctoral experience specifically as it applies to children and adolescents. The American Board of Professional Psychology, through the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, offers Board certification via a Diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology to professionals who are licensed, meet postdoctoral residency training requirements, and who pass peer reviewed work sample submission, as well as written and oral examinations. |
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| What is a pediatric neuropsychological evaluation? | ||
| A neuropsychological evaluation involves the use of standardized written, oral, and computerized tools used to determine the level of your child's functioning in several areas, including general intellectual functioning, ability to focus and pay attention to tasks, learning and memory skills, academic abilities, language and executive functions, as well as general behavioral and emotional functioning. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is typically used to assess a child's pattern of strengths and weaknesses to determine the causes of any difficulties present and, ultimately, to develop targeted treatment and intervention strategies. |
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| Does a neuropsychological evaluation differ from a psychoeducational, neurological, and/or psychological evaluation? | ||
| Yes. A neurological evaluation generally assesses and individual's basic mental, motor and sensory functions to determine if there are any abnormalities, including gross deficits in cognitive functioning. A psychological evaluation provides an in depth analysis of an individual's social-emotional and personality functioning for diagnostic clarification and to inform treatment. A psychoeducational evaluation is generally an assessment of cognitive and educational skills focused on measuring ability and achievement discrepancies to diagnose specific learning deficits requiring academic remediation (such as special education services) and/or academic accommodations. Unlike these evaluations, a neuropsychological assessment provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of an individual's neurocognitive and emotional functioning using in depth, standardized tests. Results are not only compared to normative guidelines of children in your child's age group, but also to his/her own performance in other areas to determine relative strengths and weaknesses for diagnostic and treatment planning/remediation purposes. A neuropsychological evaluation uses information from neuroscience research into brain/behavior relationships to answer questions about the processes underlying your child's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to provide targeted interventions and treatment, which may not always be school based. |
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| Does my child need a neuropsychological evaluation? | ||
| Your child likely needs a neuropsychological evaluation if he or she exhibits difficulties in cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and/or academic areas to the point of where it is negatively affecting performance and overall well-being. A neuropsychological evaluation is particularly warranted if your child continues to show difficulties despite treatments or remedial efforts. |
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| At what age should a neuropsychological evaluation be performed? | ||
| There are age appropriate tests for children and adolescents of all ages. Therefore, a child of any age may be evaluated. The timing of your child's evaluation will depend on the issues to be addressed in the assessment. Your clinician will discuss the optimal age of assessment for your child's specific needs with you. |
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| How long will the evaluation take? | ||
| Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations take approximately 5 to 6 hours and are typically scheduled for 1¾ to 2 hour blocks over 3 separate days. However, there is some variability in this scheduling depending on your child's age and needs. We typically meet with parents before the first assessment session. Please refer to your confirmation letter and ask your clinician if you have any questions about your scheduled sessions. In general, your child's test results will be reviewed with you approximately one week following your child's last testing session. A final report will be prepared in approximately one to two additional weeks. |
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| Why does the amount of time required to complete a neuropsychological evaluation vary among clinicians? | ||
| Neuropsychologists vary in the number of hours they schedule for a comprehensive evaluation. Although there are some core tests that most clinicians administer, there is some variability, depending on a clinician's style and training, in the chosen battery and portions of a battery that are administered. We have a hypothesis driven approach to the neuropsychological test battery we administer that's been refined over several decades of practice. It is also important to remember that it is frequently not the number of tests or hours that make an evaluation comprehensive, but use of the specific tests that are most sensitive in identifying and diagnosing problems in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning your child is experiencing. |
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| How many sessions will be necessary? | ||
| Our typical evaluations include 3 sessions. Occasionally only 2 sessions are necessary, while sometimes more, shorter sessions are required, depending on your child's age, ability to tolerate long testing sessions, and the nature of the referral questions. An optimal testing schedule will be discussed with you when finalizing your child's appointment schedule. |
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| What should I tell my child about the evaluation and what should he or she expect on the day of testing? | ||
| In general, you should provide a brief and age appropriate reason for the assessment. We often explain to children that we want to see how they learn so we can make school easier for them or to have them struggle less with homework, for example. It is important to remind them that they are not expected to 'pass' any tests but, rather, will be asked to do their best so that we can have a better understanding of how they learn. Please ask your clinician for more specific guidelines if necessary. Your child can expect to spend 1¾ to 2 hours over several sessions working with a clinician on a number of activities that may include drawing, puzzle-like tasks, answering questions, completing school related activities (e.g., reading, math problems), and filling out questionnaires (for older children). Most children find the majority of the tasks interesting and challenging, although a few may be boring or difficult. You may reassure your child that he/she will be given breaks when they want to make them feel comfortable. |
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| What should we bring with us to the appointment? | ||
| Please bring all of the completed forms that have been mailed home to you with your confirmation letter packet. Also bring with you any relevant records that may be helpful in our evaluation of your child. These may include previous testing reports, educational records (including progress reports and report cards), and any relevant medical records. Also, please make sure that your child is dressed comfortably and has a sweater in case he or she is cold in the office. You may also bring some snacks with you if you feel your child will need them during breaks. |
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| Should my child take his or her medication on the day of testing? | ||
| Check with your child's clinician prior to your child's testing session to determine whether he or she should take medication on the day of testing. Most often, we will ask him/her to take prescribed medications, but occasionally this may not be optimal. Since some medications affect a child's cognitive functioning, it is important that we are aware of the medications your child has taken and know of any changes in your child's medication from session to session. |
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| What happens after the evaluation is completed? | ||
| We will arrange for a parent feedback session approximately one week following the completion of the evaluation to go over all of your child's testing results with you. If your child is old enough (generally age 8 or older), we will also arrange to meet with your child on a separate occasion to review the results with them briefly, highlighting their strengths and explaining our findings and recommendations in simple terms. Children aged 16 and older will be provided with a letter summarizing test results and recommendations. |
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| What will be done to protect my child's privacy? | ||
| We are dedicated to protecting your child's privacy and take great care in protecting sensitive information. We will release reports to other parties (such as your child's school or other clinician) only after obtaining your permission. Please note an exception to our privacy efforts in the rare cases where we feel that your child is in danger. Psychologists are mandated by law to report to appropriate agencies if they suspect that a child shows evidence of abuse, is in danger of imminent physical injury to himself or to others, or in response to subpoenas, court order, or other legal proceedings or statutes requiring disclosure. Please ask your clinician if you have any specific questions or concerns. |
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| Will my health insurance cover the cost of the evaluation? | ||
| We do not have a billing department. Therefore, we do not bill your insurance directly. However, at your request, we will provide you with a superbill that contains all of the information necessary (including diagnosis, dates of service and type of service rendered) for you to submit to your health insurance provider to seek reimbursement for any payments made. It is your responsibility to check with your carrier to see if there are specific guidelines or necessary authorization prior to the evaluation. |
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| How frequently should a neuropsychological evaluation be performed? | ||
| In general, your child's neuropsychological evaluation results will be helpful for several years. We recommend updates approximately every three years, although a comprehensive evaluation may not be necessary. Brief evaluations may also be recommended sooner to assess the effects of recommended interventions. |
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| Who do I contact if I have more questions? | ||
| You may always contact Drs. Ellenberg, Thompson, or Harwood. Contact information for each of us is listed on our respective section of this website. |
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| Who do I contact for administrative issues? | ||
| You can call our administrative assistant, Lori Fields, at 310-497-5577 with any questions related to administrative issues. |
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| ADULT FAQ | ||
| What is a neuropsychologist? | ||
| A neuropsychologist is a professional with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and specialized training in brain/behavior relationships via coursework, internships, and postdoctoral experience. The American Board of Professional Psychology, through the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, offers Board certification via a Diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology to professionals who are licensed, meet postdoctoral residency training requirements, and who pass peer reviewed work sample submission, as well as written and oral examinations. |
||
| What is a neuropsychological evaluation? | ||
| A neuropsychological evaluation involves the use of paper and pencil, oral, and computerized tools to determine your cognitive functioning in several areas, including general intellectual functioning, ability to focus and pay attention to tasks, learning and memory skills, language and executive functions, academic functioning (when applicable), as well as behavioral and emotional functioning. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is typically used to assess your pattern of strengths and weaknesses to determine the causes of any difficulties present and, ultimately, to develop targeted treatment and intervention strategies. |
||
| How does a neuropsychological evaluation differ from a psychoeducational, neurological, and/or psychological evaluation? | ||
| A neurological evaluation generally assesses and individual's basic mental, motor and sensory functions to determine abnormal functioning in these areas, including gross deficits in cognitive functioning. A psychological evaluation provides in depth analysis of an individual's social-emotional and personality functioning for diagnostic clarification and to inform treatment. A psychoeducational evaluation is generally an assessment of cognitive and educational skills focused on measuring ability and achievement discrepancies to diagnose specific learning deficits requiring academic remediation (such as special education services) and academic accommodations. Unlike these evaluations, a neuropsychological assessment provides a comprehensive and detailed overview of an individual's neurocognitive and emotional functioning using in depth and standardized tests. Results are not only compared to normative guidelines of individuals in your age group, but also to your own performance in other areas to determine relative strengths and weaknesses for diagnostic and treatment planning/remediation purposes. A neuropsychological evaluation uses information from neuroscience research into brain/behavior relationships to answer questions about the processes underlying your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to provide targeted interventions and treatment. |
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| Do I need a neuropsychological evaluation? | ||
| You likely need a neuropsychological evaluation if you exhibit difficulties in cognitive, emotional, behavioral and/or academic areas to the point of negatively affecting your performance and overall well-being. A neuropsychological evaluation is particularly warranted if you continue to show difficulties despite treatments or remedial efforts. |
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| How long will the evaluation take? | ||
| Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations take approximately 5 to 6 hours and are typically scheduled for 3 hour blocks over 2 separate days. However, there is some variability in this scheduling depending on your specific needs. Please refer to your confirmation letter and ask your clinician if you have any questions about your scheduled sessions. In general, your test results will be reviewed with you approximately one week following your last testing session. A final report will be prepared in approximately one to two additional weeks. Periodically, patients ask us why there is a wide range in the number of hours necessary to conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Our stance on this issue is that although there are some core tests that most clinicians administer, there is some variability, depending on a clinician's style and training, in the chosen battery and portions of a battery that are administered. We have a hypothesis driven approach to the neuropsychological test battery we administer that's been refined over several decades of practice. It is also important to remember that it is frequently not the number of tests or hours that make an evaluation comprehensive, but the specific tests that are sensitive in identifying problems in various aspects of cognitive functioning. |
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| What should I know about and expect on the day of testing? | ||
| Your can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours over several sessions working with your clinician on a number of activities including drawing, puzzle-like tasks, answering questions, completing school related activities (e.g., reading, math problems), and filling out questionnaires. Most individuals find the majority of the tasks interesting and challenging, although a few may be boring or difficult. You will be given breaks when necessary to minimize fatigue and facilitate comfort. It is important to remember that you are not expected to 'pass' any tests but, rather, will be asked to do your best so that we can have a better understanding of how you think and learn. Please ask your clinician for more specific guidelines if necessary. |
||
| What should I bring with me to the appointment? | ||
| Please bring all of the completed forms that have been mailed home to you with your confirmation letter packet. Also bring with you any relevant records that may be helpful in our evaluation. These may include previous testing reports, educational records (including progress reports and report cards, if relevant), and any related medical records. Also, please make sure that you come dressed comfortably and bring a sweater with to wear in case you are cold. You may also bring snacks with you if you feel you will need them during breaks. |
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| Should I take my medication(s) on the day of testing? | ||
| Check with your clinician prior to your testing session to determine whether you should take your medication(s) on the day of testing. Most often, we will ask you to take prescribed medications, but occasionally this may not be optimal. Since some medications affect your cognitive functioning, it is important that we are aware of the medications you are taking and also know of any changes in your medication from session to session. |
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| What happens after the evaluation is completed? | ||
| We will arrange for a parent feedback session approximately one week following the completion of the evaluation to go over all of your testing results with you. Approximately 1-2 weeks following this feedback session, you will receive a written report that summarizes all of the test results, our interpretation, and recommendations. |
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| What will be done to protect my privacy? | ||
| We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and take great care in protecting sensitive information. We will release reports to other parties (such as your school/employer or other clinician) only after obtaining your permission. Please note an exception to our privacy efforts in the rare cases where we feel that you or someone else is in danger. Psychologists are mandated by law to report to appropriate agencies if they suspect that an individual (especially a minor) shows evidence of abuse, is in danger of imminent physical injury to himself or to others, and in response to subpoenas, court order, or other legal proceedings or statutes requiring disclosure. Please ask your clinician if you have any specific questions or concerns. |
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| Will my health insurance cover the cost of the evaluation? | ||
| We do not have a billing department. Therefore, we do not bill your insurance directly. However, at your request, we will provide you with a superbill that contains all of the information necessary (including diagnosis, dates of service and type of service rendered) for you to submit to your health insurance provider to seek reimbursement for any payments made. It is your responsibility to check with your carrier to see if there are specific guidelines or necessary authorization prior to the evaluation. |
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| How frequently should a neuropsychological evaluation be performed? | ||
| In general, your neuropsychological evaluation results will be helpful for several years. We recommend updates approximately every three years (as long as they are needed), although a comprehensive evaluation may not be necessary. Brief evaluations may also be recommended sooner to assess the effects of recommended interventions. |
||
| Who do I contact if I have more questions? | ||
| You may always contact Drs. Ellenberg, Thompson, or Harwood. Contact information for each of us is listed on our respective section of this website. |
||
| Who do I contact for administrative issues? | ||
| You can call our administrative assistant, Lori Fields, at 310-497-5577 with any questions related to administrative issues. |
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