You may have heard the term “neuropsychological evaluation” or, as it’s often simply called (though spellcheck will refuse to admit it), a “neuropsych”, and wondered what it’s all about.
Do you need the evaluation for any specific services? Is there a reason so many people are encouraging you to go for it?
Read on to learn the basics about neuropsychological evaluations so that you can make an informed decision.
Do I really have to?
There are several goals which you want to accomplish with a neuropsychological evaluation:
to obtain a clinical diagnosis
to gain clarity concerning the child’s unique needs and challenges
to receive professional guidance regarding which interventions will be most helpful going forward
If all your child needs is an official diagnosis so that he can receive more support and services, you can get a standardized assessment through most psychologists (who generally are both more affordable and have a shorter wait for appointments).
So, what’s the point of a neuropsych?
A neuropsychologist is trained to look at the relationship between the brain function and behaviors.
For a child who is struggling academically, emotionally, or cognitively and isn’t understood and/or for whom typical interventions aren’t helping, a neuropsychological evaluation can help tremendously by providing a label for the issue and directives for ongoing treatment.
Children with suspected learning disabilities often go for a neuropsychological evaluation, as do many children with behavioral difficulties.
Even for a child who has a prior diagnosis, but who is displaying behaviors which aren’t in line with her diagnosis and aren’t being addressed, a neuropsychologist can determine if there is an additional diagnosis at play which requires a different intervention.
But it's so expensive!
It really is.
Neuropsychological evaluations are typically in the thousands-of-dollars range… And it’s so frustrating. Although it’s difficult to pay such a large amount, many parents feel that the clarity and direction they’ll gain to help their child is worth the investment.
Some options to make the financial load lighter:
Though they are few and far between, there are neuropsychologists who accept insurance. Call our office at 718-750-1010 for a referral.
Your insurance plan’s out-of-network benefits might reimburse an evaluation (if not fully, then maybe partially).
Some hospitals provide neuropsychological evaluations through insurance.
The Department of Education sometimes covers private neuropsychological evaluations
We’ve compiled below several hospitals which provide neuropsychological evaluations through insurance. They will need a referral from a medical professional in order to provide the assesment.
Chaim, a good-natured 10-year-old with special needs and severe anxiety, desperately needed a complex dental procedure. His mother called up her dentist, but he couldn’t do the procedure. After much research, she found someone who could do it, but that dentist wouldn’t accept Chaim’s insurance. At a loss, Chaim’s mother reached out to Ezreinu and was referred to a dentist who could do the procedure and accepted Chaim’s insurance without a problem! ⬛
Nechy, a fun-loving girl with ASD and behavioral challenges, was beginning to display typical teenage angst around her 13th birthday. At first her antics were cute, but after living through several months of them, her family was considerably worn down from the constant mood swings and unpredictable meltdowns. Ezreinu arranged for Nechy to go to a warm and welcoming family for Shabbos so that her parents and siblings could regain the strength they needed to continue to be her loving and patient family. ⬛