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FAQS

FAQS

A clinical neuropsychologist is a licensed psychologist with specialized training in brain-behavior relationships who helps people understand the connection between their brain health and their daily functioning. This is done through various tests of cognitive, behavioral, social, personality, and emotional functioning. Neuropsychologists are often consulted for assistance with diagnostic clarification and classification as well as treatment, vocational, and/or academic planning.

Both neuropsychologists and psychologists have doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, and both are able to evaluate and diagnose problems with emotional functioning. However, neuropsychologists have more specialized training in neuroscience, neuroanatomy, and related disorders; they are thus better equipped to assess cognition and behavior as it relates to brain functioning.

A neuropsychological evaluation involves integrating information from an individual’s background with data obtained from measures of cognitive, personality, social, and emotional functioning to formulate a comprehensive characterization of strengths and weaknesses.

The evaluation typically begins with an interview, during which we will ask you about your current difficulties as well as many other questions related to your history and background. You then will complete a series of both paper-and-pencil and computerized measures that give us more information about your cognitive processing skills, such as attention, processing efficiency, memory, and language. You also will be given a number of measures that assess personality, social, and emotional functioning. This stage of the evaluation may take 1-2 sessions. Once this is complete, we will analyze your performance and provide you with a full report describing our findings, as well as evidence-based recommendations for improving your performance in all aspects of your daily functioning. All information will be reviewed with you during a feedback session that will conclude the evaluation process.

ANS focuses on all aspects of individuals’ lives that may be impacting daily functioning. As such, ANS is more concerned with neuropsychological wellness and ongoing coaching rather than relying only on paper-and-pencil testing. We also offer follow-up consulting, coaching, and/or therapy to help troubleshoot any factors that may prevent you from following through on recommendations you want to implement.
Coaching consists of weekly sessions to guide you through any improvements/enhancements for your cognitive performance that were devised in collaboration with you throughout the evaluation and feedback process. We can determine together whether coaching seems appropriate in your case.
There are many reasons a child may be referred for a neuropsychological evaluation, and very often these reasons include difficulties related to academic performance. For example, a child may be referred for an evaluation to identify why he/she is struggling with learning. Neuropsychologists also often evaluate children with known disorders, such as genetic syndromes, epilepsy, autism, and traumatic brain injury, to characterize their strengths and weaknesses and help formulate an academic plan that includes targeted interventions and accommodations.
District assessments are typically performed to determine whether a child qualifies for special education programs or services to improve academic performance. They tend to focus on skills needed specifically for school success. While they can provide information on whether or not your child has learning difficulties, they cannot explain why your child may be having these difficulties. They also cannot diagnose learning or behavior disorders.
Some individuals are referred for an evaluation by their doctor to clarify a diagnosis or assess for cognitive weaknesses associated with a known medical disorder. Some adults present for neuropsychological evaluation at the request of a family member who is concerned about a possible decline in their functioning (e.g., memory difficulties, language problems, personality changes). There are also many people who are interested in undergoing neuropsychological evaluation to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses so that they can work more efficiently and enhance their overall performance at work, home, school, social situations, or other aspects of daily living. In recent years, it has become increasingly common for high-functioning individuals to undergo neuropsychological evaluation to obtain a baseline level of cognitive functioning. In addition to providing a “snapshot” of their cognitive strengths and weaknesses and related recommendations for improvement, such a baseline allows for comparison at a later point in time, so that even subtle changes in cognitive functioning can be identified. Baseline evaluations not only provide patients with “peace of mind” that their cognitive health is being managed and monitored proactively, they can also play a vital role in the healthcare of individuals with high intellectual functioning after their cognitive problems arise, particularly when “average” performances may represent a decline for them and might otherwise be overlooked without a baseline assessment to be used for comparison.
The amount of time it takes to complete the evaluation varies according to the referral question and type of assessment performed. For instance, a basic cognitive screen may take approximately 2 hours; a more comprehensive, in-depth evaluation may require 6-8 hours.

For adults, testing is very sensitive to mild memory and thinking problems that might not be obvious in other ways. For example, testing can help determine whether memory changes are normal, age-related changes or if they reflect the progression of an underlying neurological disorder. Testing also might be used to identify problems related to medical disorders that affect aspects of thinking, including diabetes, metabolic or infectious diseases, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, or alcoholism. Your pattern of results will allow us to formulate a tailored treatment plan to help you maximize your strengths and compensate for areas of weakness.

For children, results can explain why a child is having problems at school, home, or with social functioning. For example, a child may have difficulty reading because of an attention problem, a language disorder, or a reading disability. Testing also may determine whether a speech delay is due to a problem in producing speech, understanding/expressing language, a more global delay, or autism. Importantly, results provide a better understanding of the child’s behavior as it pertains to learning, and can guide teachers, therapists, and parents to help the child achieve his/her full potential.

It is important for you to get adequate sleep the night before and eat breakfast as usual on the morning of the evaluation. These factors will help maximize attention and stamina during the evaluation and help minimize the effects of fatigue. All medications should be taken as usual. Please bring with you a copy of relevant medical records (e.g., brain scans) and academic records (e.g., Individualized Education Plan). Glasses and hearing aids are critical for test performance, if these are recommended for daily functioning. Also, please bring a snack and/or lunch so that you do not have to travel far during a break in testing.
Fees differ according to the type of evaluation, and we will discuss with you the type of evaluation that would be most beneficial for your specific needs and/or concerns/referral question.
While we are not in-network with any insurance carriers, we can provide you with a bill that you may submit to your carrier. However, please be aware that the services may not be covered. Operating outside of insurance allows for a “concierge”-type approach that promotes more personalized and efficient services.

If you’d like to learn more about our specialized services or to set up an appointment to meet with one of our doctors, call our office at (646) 493-6050. You can also request an appointment through our convenient online form.

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