A neuropsychological evaluation is warranted when the parent, school, or other professional suspects a delay in the child’s developmental, academic, social, or emotional development. The process begins with an intake with the child’s parents, where Dr. Baum collects a detailed history of the child’s development and functioning as well as information regarding the presenting problem. Dr. Baum will then very often observe the child at school before she meets him or her, so that the observation is blind and the most valid data can be collected about the child’s functioning.

 

The testing process ranges from approximately four to five hours for younger children to seven to eight hours for older children, adolescents and young adults.  The evaluation takes place generally over three to four sessions depending on the child’s age. The evaluation comprises the child’s functioning in the following domains:

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• Cognitive Functioning - Dr. Baum evaluates the child’s verbal, visual-spatial, and visual-perceptual reasoning skills, working memory, and processing speed.

• Academic Functioning - Dr. Baum collects data regarding the child’s academic achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.

• Neuropsychological Functioning - Dr. Baum feels strongly that to most comprehensively assess a child, it is imperative to assess the neuropsychological functions that support a child’s ability to learn and interact adaptively throughout the day:

a.              Receptive, Expressive, and Pragmatic Language

b.              Attention and Executive Functions

c.              Learning and Memory

d.              Visual-Spatial and Visual-Perceptual Processing

e.              Visual-Graphomotor Coordination

• Social/Emotional Functioning - Dr. Baum will assess the child’s current levels of social and emotional functioning through detailed clinical history, clinical observation, rating scales completed by parents, teachers, and/or relevant professionals, and the administration of projective measures.

 

After the testing is completed, the parents will return for a feedback session to review the results of the evaluation as well as discuss recommendations to meet the child’s needs based on the findings.  Older children and adolescents are welcome to return for their own feedback session, the content of which is tailored to their developmental age and other individual factors. As part of the evaluation process, Dr. Baum will attend meetings and consult with other professionals involved to ensure that all recommendations are put into place.